Film Review
For his first sound film, the great American film director D.W. Griffith
presented this account of the life of Abraham Lincoln,
one of the most important (some would argue most important)
figures in American history. It is an ambitious piece, one
that somehow manages to span the whole of Lincoln's eventful
life, from his lowly birth, his modest upbringing, his early career, his entry into politics,
his marriage, his term of office as United States President, and his tragic assassination by John
Wilkes Booth.
Like many filmmakers of this transitional period, Griffith had
obvious difficulty using sound in an effective manner (the homespun
dialogue merely aggravates matters). However, the film makes up for this with its
powerful visuals, which convey strong emotions and shows the high esteem in which
Lincoln is held by the American people.
It is apparent that the film, impressive as it is as a biographical portrait,
does not have the greatness of the director's earlier silent masterpieces.
Indeed, in comparison with
The Birth of a Nation (1915),
Intolerance (1916) and
Orphans of the Storm (1921) it
feels pretty underwhelming.
On a more positive note, Walter Huston offers a fine portrayal of Lincoln, capturing the great man's
love of not only his country, but also those people who brought substance to his life.
The film's strongest suit is its vivid depiction of the American Civil War.
The images of the soldiers marching off to war are stirring stuff,
and it is hard not to be impressed by the panoramic battle scenes. More moving
are the film's gentler moments, where Lincoln and others reflect on the immense human cost of the
conflict.
The film shows Lincoln to be a fairly modest man, guided by a moral purpose that
led him to become a great leader of men. More crucially, we gain a sense of
his unfaltering humanity, a compassion that is sadly lacking in so many
of our political masters today.
After an unsuccessful first release, the film was cut from two hours to 97 minutes.
It was to be Griffith's last money-spinner. His final film,
The
Struggle, would prove to be a financial disaster and the director would
be ruined. It was the most ignominious end to the career
of possibly the greatest of American filmmakers.
© James Travers 2006
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next D.W. Griffith film:
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
Film Synopsis
In 1809, a child was born in a humble log cabin who would grow up to become one of the
greatest political leaders in history. His name was Abraham Lincoln. Whilst
working as a lawyer in Illinois, Lincoln entered politics and was chosen to lead the Republican
Party. Within months of his taking office as 16th President of the United States
in 1861, he faced the challenge of his life: how to preserve the Union. With the
southern states bent on secession, military force appears to be the only way to hold the
country together…
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.