Daniel Day Lewis looks amazing. Who else is stoked for this movie?
Trailer for Spielberg’s Lincoln
Get a Signed Copy of My Book ($25 Direct From Author)
"In this stunning and well-researched book, Kevin Levin catches the new waves of the study of memory, black soldiers, and the darker underside of the Civil War as well as anyone has... Levin is both superb scholar and public historian, showing us a piece of the real war that does now get into the books, as well as into site interpretation."
David Blight, Author of Race and Reunion
Previous post: You Never Been a Soldier
Next post: Why Spielberg’s Lincoln Matters to Civil War Buffs
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been waiting so long….for the freakin’ trailer. You can imagine my want to see this movie.
This looks like it is going to be simply wonderful. I will definitely be seeing this one in theaters.
eh, bad soldier uniforms, too melodramatic ….. holy shi* OMG that looks good! Can’t wait.
My html ignorance lead the (“continues watching”) to be left out of that.
Can’t wait for this!
There are so many good things about this film – cast especially – but I’m concerned about what may disappoint. Will it oversimplify the issues of reconstruction, reunion and emancipation? I’m definitely going to see it, but I’ll reserve judgement until then.
I think it’s safe to say that if you go into this movie and judge it based on your deep understanding of the relevant history you are going to walk out disappointed.
Undoubtedly. Yet people and the media will ask professional Civil War historians for their opinions of the movie. I wonder what impact their well-informed comments will have on the movie. At the same time, I like movies. I hope to see first rate, even Oscar-caliber acting from this stellar cast and solid pacing, production design and cinematography which typical of Spielberg films.
What impact will the have? Absolutely none. Most people don’t sweat the historical details because that is not why the go to the movies. They go to be entertained. More historians should remember that.
Jackie Earle Haley looks born to play Alexander Stephens… an adult Bad News Bear once again losing to the Yankees.
I’m stoked!
Looks pretty Spielberg-y to me: well-executed, visually gorgeous, sentimental, high-minded and self congratulatory Oscar-bait. But yes, I do want to see it.
Did you catch Ely S. Parker in the trailer?
Love Tommy Lee Jones as Thadeus Stevens.
Was that Ely S. Parker? He would have been in the field and had the rank of Lt. Colonel, I think.
For sure a “real American” officer is portrayed in that scene though.
Maybe this is scene is from an earlier point in the War though. Parker definitely interacted with Lincoln while on Grant’s staff in Virginia.
Yeah! Been waiting a long time for this. And a director and leading man who are more than equal to the enormous task of bringing Lincoln to the big screen.
My only concern is that it may turn into hagiography, though no one might deserve it more than Lincoln. Lincoln was both a hedgehog and fox, highly principled but not without guile, and also not without errors. I hope the nuance is captured in the movie, difficult as it may be.
PS Has Day Lewis worked with Spielberg before? A fresh collaboration might bring out the best in both of them.
I’ve been saying for a month that this is going to be the Passion of the Christ for historians. Blocks of seats bought by academics and us browbeating our non-historian friends into seeing it again with us.
The Ken Burns influence on the presentation is just a little obvious….