Spielberg's "Lincoln" - Page 3

Haven't read.

I have always considered Shelby Foote's trilogy to be the seminal CW work:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Civil_War:_A_Narrative

I agree that Shelby Foote's three volume treatment of the Civil War, The Civil War: A Narrative is great. I have those books too. As much as I like Foote's treatment of the War, I have to confess that McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom remains my favorite. That's probably mostly because it was published 30 years (1988) after Volume 1 of Foote's trilogy (1958). I enjoyed the fresh look McPherson took at the War.

Sorry for the digression but I'm a Civil War nerd and so can't help myself.

well as long as we're talking civil war reference material, don't forget ken burns' epic.

best documentary i have ever had the pleasure to enjoy

The landmark reference on Abraham Lincoln has to be Carl Sandburg's 6-volume biography. It won Sandburg his first Pulitzer prize.

I had to read it as a teenager to get my first paid job as a guide in the "Old State House" in Vandalia, Illinois. The job was mine because I finished reading first and retained enough to answer the requisite questions on a test. It was the State Capital when Lincoln was a State Assembly member, as part of the Whig party (before he founded the Republicans). Most people remember the 2nd floor window that Lincoln jumped out of to deny the Democrats a quorum. Ultimately he was caught and escorted back to the Assembly, but the incident brought him National attention that later helped him get elected. The Capital was subsequently moved to Springfield, and the building served as a courthouse for many years, then became a Historic Landmark, and was returned to the configuration and decor of Lincoln's time.

Hard to disagree.

I loved Ken Burns, The Civil War too. It was from that miniseries, I learned of the existence of Mary Chesnut's Civil War. It is a collection of diary entries about the Civil War written by an upper class southern lady. it is insightful and occassionally funny. Great stuff!

The more I consider Daniel Day-Lewis's performance as Lincoln, the more I appreciate the man's genius. Had it been any other actor than Day-Lewis in the Lincoln role, I would have thought the wonder of his performance was the result of the not uncommon confluence of the performance of a lifetime in the role of a lifetime. Think Halle Berry in Monster's Ball or Cliff Robertson in Charly. But Day-Lewis proved that his Lincoln performance wasn't a fluke with his equally wonderful work in his other two Oscar winning roles in My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood. Day-Lewis may be our greatest living actor. I am assuming he will win the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Lincoln but if he doesn't it will have been the biggest robbery since the Brinks job.

Those robberies have happened before. Think John Wayne winning over Dustin Hoffman's Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy.... By the By, I agree Daniel Day-Lewis is our greatest living actor!

Oscar history is filled with miscarriages, the most recent of which was the Academy's failure to nominate either Kathryn Bigelow, Ben Affleck, or Tom Hooper for the Best Director Oscar. Some losses occur simply because the stars weren't properly aligned for a losing nominee. Dustin Hoffman's loss to John Wayne was a great example. Hoffman's candidacy was hurt both because his costar in Midnight Cowboy, John Voight, also got a Best Actor nomination and because many Academy voters thought it was the aging John Wayne's turn and his brilliant performance in True Grit convinced them to vote for him. Nevertheless, if Daniel Day-Hoffman isn't our greatest living actor, then Dustin Hoffman certainly is.

Or Gary Oldman, or Robert Duvall

I'd go so far as to say that Daniel Day Lewis is the best actor Hollywood has ever seen. He is the only actor that I have ever paid to see act, and the only actor that I've ever felt completely transform into a different person in every film he's been in. Gary Oldman is also an incredible actor, I mean I didn't even know this guy was British for a large number of years. Although, DDL is still levels above him in my opinion.

I eagerly anticipate the next movie DDL is in. Whatever it is.

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......ok seriously, Daniel Day Lewis & Spielberg..dream match up right? wrong! I was bored to death. The main problem IMHO is with direction and script. How can this be nominated for best cinematography when 90% or more was shot indoors? Maybe it was just me but every character in this film felt like a bunch of of kids got dressed up and played adults, it felt so "staged" and scripted that none of it seems to stick or look natural. Everything was perhaps too perfect,..maybe too perfect that it looked fake and staged. It was just so serious and dry, this is NOT the movie you put it when you have guests over unless you want them to fall to sleep quickly or go home early.

For the average movie goer and Joe six pack this movie will go way over their heads with so much abstract and obscure historical references. My favorite subject in high school and college was always ancient and US history but even for me most of this went over my head.

For the average movie goer and Joe Sixpack American Pie was probably a bit over their heads. If that's how the bar on intelligence in entertainment is set, we are doomed.

What does one have to do with the other?

I would say it's Dustin Lewis. Or was it Dustin Day-Lewis? John Wayne Hoffman? Daniel Day-Wayne?

Kilgore -- I saw that post earlier today and realized my mistake but didn't bother to correct it for a couple of reasons: (1) I posted it the better part of two months ago and (2) had correctly typed Daniel Day-Lewis's name correctly at least three times in earlier posts, This led me to conclude that nobody would bother to make light of what was clearly a typo. Alas, you have proved me wrong. Never mind, maybe I'm just thin skinned.

It was obviously a typo. And my response was obviously a joke.

I didn't look to see when your post was made. I only watched Lincoln the other day and I checked out this thread for the first time today. I came across your "Daniel Day-Hoffman" typo and thought it was funny and made a joke in response. No harm no foul.

Do you know where I could go for a sense of humor gene implant? It was late and I was tired when I posted so didn't figure out that your riff was a play on words joke until too late. If I had, I wouldn't have posted in the first place.

Can we all just get along?

I'll nominate Duvall for GLA. DDL is who you cast when you want critics to fawn over your movies and win Oscars.

Unless I am very wrong, getting along is just what we are doing. If you are making a joke too, I confess I need an explanation. After my misunderstanding with Kilgore, I have become defensive enough to ask.

I'm sorry you missed my Rodney King imitation, it seemed like a riot.

What have I told you boys about the dangers of libations?

What?

Believe it or not, I hadn't been drinking when I wrote my posts. Maybe I really do need a sense of humor gene implant, or alternatively do a little more drinking.

Go with the drinking option...I would.

Great advice. I shall take it to heart.