Ashdoc's movie review---Lincoln

The world in the mid 19th century---a world in the grip of colonialism and a world of slavery.....

.......And no one feels the crushing burden of slavery more than the
black man of Africa---their alleged mental inferiority and lack of
civilization in sub saharan Africa makes them a race looked down upon as
subhumans fit only to serve others , their dark skin further deepens
this racism , and their considerable physical strength makes them
thought of as ideal beasts of burden.....

The slave markets of America and the barbaric middle east are awash with
black slaves kidnapped by brutal slave traders from the coasts and
interiors of Africa , sometimes aided by their own black brethren.....

While the Turkish sultan needs them in the castrated form as eunuchs to
guard his harem , the American white man needs him as laborer on his
cotton plantations....

Its the black man's hard labour that drives the economy of the southern
part of the United States.....and without him to serve the needs of the
whites of the southern United States as a slave the entire way of life
of the southerners would collapse like a pack of cards.....

But can they stop the powerful winds of the civilized impulse of emancipation ??

.....For leading the charge of the anti slavery agitation is the
President of the United States no less---and his name is Abraham
Lincoln.....

Needless to say he is a great man leading a great nation.....

So can Hollywood produce a fittingly great film on him ?? Let's see....

The movie begins in the middle of the war that has been unleashed as the
southern states declare their secession from the United States in view
of the impending anti slavery decision that is going to be imposed on
them by the northern states and Abraham Lincoln declares war on them
calling them mere rebels.....

The United States is actually going to civil war for the freedom of
people brought from the alien shores of the African continent !! If that
is not the measure of the greatness of America then what is ?? For
hundreds of thousands of young American men are dying for stopping
something like slavery---something that is accepted as part of everyday
life in the middle east during that time without batting an eyelid ,
something that exists as the tyranny of the upper castes on untouchables
in the India of that period !!

But in order to foist this greatness upon America , it requires the tireless efforts of a great President.....

And indeed , the emancipation of slaves is the one big aim of his life ,
something that he stakes his entire political career on.....

He is determined to bring about the end of slavery by all means , by hook or crook.....

By crook ??

Yeah , this great man is ready to use all means whether fair or foul to
get votes of congressmen---for those votes are needed for passing the
13th amendment to the US constitution which abolishes slavery . For him
the goal is important , not the means to reach it.....and the goal , can
anybody doubt its laudability ??

So congressmen are coaxed cajoled browbeaten to bring them to accept his
point of view , and his hirelings pass money and promises of
opportunities of earning money to recalcitrant congressmen.....all and
everything for a good and just cause....

All this while a great war rages on killing people in the thousands....

But like all great men , Lincoln knows that the great questions of the
day sometimes have to be settled by the force of arms , and he is not
averse to shedding blood for his august goals....

And the blood that may be shed could be of his son , for his son insists
on joining the armed forces to the chagrin of Abraham's wailing wife
who fears losing another son for she has lost one already.....

Indeed , his wife seems to be ever complaining ever wailing for she simply cannot match his greatness....
But great or not , she is a loyal wife as they used to be in the 19th
century---and Lincoln is a deeply attentive husband and father.....
....For he listens to his wife and fulfills his son's wishes only to allow him a posting well behind the war's frontlines.....

So does his nepotism distract from his greatness ??

Hardly....

For as you watch him talking to friends and foes alike convincing them
of the need to end slavery you begin to have respect for the man....
......And the interesting stories he tells and the anecdotes he relates
in his own inimitable manner give you an idea of his intellect and his
sense of humour....

Or maybe it is the acting of Daniel Day Louis that makes accepting
Lincoln with his small faults and all his greatness so easy.....

Aiding Lincoln in his quest is an extremist politician who has made it
his life's mission to end slavery from the land....but he is too
impatient , and Lincoln has to use all his powers of persuation to
convince him of the need to be patient and not do anything rash....

They are all good men really , and their sheer enthusiasm makes your heart bat for their ambition....

But the real star of the show is the day the anti slavery amendment is put to vote.....
You can feel your heart pounding as the one by one the votes are counted.....

And when the results of the vote came out---there were tears in my eyes ,
just like they were there were in the eyes of those black people who
had assembled to watch the vote with a mixture of hope and fear....

So were they tears of joy or sadness ?? Of victory or failure ??
To those who know their history well , the answer is well known....
But for those who dont , this is a fine chance to brush up your history ( my fave subject in school , by the way )

Its not an action packed movie , and the its not about the American civil war....
But what it lacks in action , it makes up with emotion as you see history in the making.....
And the emotion makes it well worth a watch.....
At least I thought so....

Verdict---good .