At the end of 2012 the epic story of Abraham Lincoln’s struggle to abolish the slave trade arrived at the cinemas in the biographical drama, Lincoln. The film was directed by Stephen Spielberg, bringing a short snapshot of the last months of the 16th President of the United States of America’s life, before he was assassinated in April 1865, to the big screen.
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, the movie picks up the biography as the president takes America in the direction of the abolition of slavery, as well as tracing the Union victory in the US civil war. The historical drama is based on the impressive story of Lincoln’s last ditch attempt at freedom for all as he pushed for the passing of the 13th Amendment to ensure that his Emancipation Proclamation wasn’t overturned following the end of the civil war.
Sally Field was cast as First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln, along with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) as their son, Robert Todd Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones (Men In Black 3) plays abolitionist Republican Congressional leader, Thaddeus Stevens.
Lincoln was released in the USA in November 2012 before being released in the UK on the 25th January 2013 and with an all star cast and such a significant figure in history as its subject matter, it went on to be nominated for twelve Academy Awards, including a Best Actor award for Daniel Day Lewis.
While we know that Lincoln was of course successful with both the civil war and the emancipation process, it’s still an impressive story to relive, especially with the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis behind the production.
