Best picture Oscar nominee “Lincoln” is a must-see

J.P. Erickson

“Lincoln” is the epic story of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s race to acquire the number of congressional votes needed to abolish slavery in the final stages of the Civil War.

It is nominated for 12 Academy Awards including best picture, best director (Steven Spielberg), best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), best supporting actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and best supporting actress (Sally Field).

As Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis, winner of best actor for “There Will Be Blood” in 2008 and “My Left Foot” in 1990, delivers a powerhouse performance.

Day-Lewis portrays this towering figure in American history with an appropriate blend of temperance and emotion.

This is shown in his dealings with the radical Republicans, whose unanimous vote and support were imperative to the passage of abolition, making the scenes which necessitated a great deal of visible passion from the president tremendously dynamic.

The ensemble cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Strathairn, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tim Blake Nelson. These titans of stage and film aid in creating an authentic atmosphere of dissenting factions that nearly tore our nation apart.

The audience follows Lincoln and his constituents as they cleverly manipulate and persuade lame-duck Democrats to change their minds and votes as the war is drawing near its close.

This is of particular significance, because if he is unable to push the 13th Amendment through before the rebel surrender or peace, then the Southern states won’t ratify the amendment.

Lincoln is also faced with a scrupulous decision. He can continue on the quest for the abolition of slavery and make one step closer to equality for all men, or end the war and save the lives of countless soldiers whose brothers’ deaths would be in vain should the amendment die.

The script, written by Tony Kushner, is up for best adapted screenplay, and can be touted as a contender for the Oscar. Steven Spielberg’s seventh nomination in the category of best director will go head-to-head with And Lee’s direction of his visually incomparable film “Life of Pi” at the Academy Awards, which received 11 nominations. Spielberg has already won two Oscars for best director. He won for “Schindler’s List” in 1993 and “Saving Private Ryan” in 1998.

Viewers and fans should look for Spielberg to come out on top in this category. The film should complete a near sweep in multiple other categories including best picture, best actor and best supporting actor.

This is a must-see for any fan of historical film-making and dialogue-driven drama which keeps movie-goers enthralled throughout.