I don't typically gravitate toward dry, historical dramas, but there was something compelling about this biographical account of our 16th president's life. Maybe it's the uncannily period-accurate clothing, locations, and manners of speech. Or maybe it's the subtle yet majestic camera-work befitting a hero of American history. And of course, one can't discount the heartfelt efforts of a director and actors at the apex of their craft.
The stories we hear in History class only give us a broad sketch of The Great Emancipator - the stovepipe hat, the debates with Douglass, the Gettysburg address, that unfortunate business in the theater...
But this well-crafted, expertly researched film opens wide new doors of knowledge about what the man himself was really like, who his friends were, how he came to the views for which he was most known.
I have no doubt that this will be used in countless classrooms to open the minds of generations of children about arguably our greatest President. I can only imagine the wonder on their faces when Lincoln stands against the status quo of slavery, when he takes office as President, when he signs the Emancipation Proclamation, and when he finally kills the boss vampire. History comes alive!
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