Marc Fresa
Cynthia Stretch
ENG-218-01W-Spring_2016
2/23/2016
Lincoln’s Legacy: Lincoln’s Historical Representation of the Civil War
Lincoln is a highly acclaimed historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg. Since its premiere in October 2012 at the New York Film Festival, Lincoln has gone on to receive critical acclaim and is currently “Certified Fresh” at 90% by popular movie review aggregate RottenTomatoes (RottenTomatoes). The film has been met with positive reviews and has been heralded as being “among the finest films ever made about American politics” by The New York Times (Scott).
Since its release, historians and film critics alike have recognized Lincoln for its emphatic performances and historical accuracy. The film centers on its …show more content…
The key civil war elements of Lincoln are the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, the Thirteenth Amendment and ultimately the end of the civil war. Though these themes are represented with varying accuracy in order to create feelings of suspense and newness among viewers who are already familiar with themes, Lincoln succeeds in depicting Abraham Lincoln as an individual at the intersection of these crucial historical …show more content…
Following this bloody battle, Lincoln gave a speech for the dedication of a soldiers’ national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, implicitly highlighting the reasons for the war and hoping to boost morale in a time of death and despair. This speech would go on to become one of the most famous, well-recognized American political speeches in history. In the opening scene of the film, amidst mud and sweat, black Union soldiers recite snippets of the Gettysburg Address to Lincoln, highlighting the significance of this address in garnering support and increasing morale during this time. The way in which the address itself acted as a catalyst for the renewed dedication and spirit of the Union soldiers and supporters of abolition is made clear in this opening scene.
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is delivered at a turning point of American history, in between the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and its ratification, and just months before the end of a gory, four-year war. In the film, the end of the war is never depicted but instead is foreshadowed by the closing scene that depicts, via flashback, Lincoln’s reading of his Second Inaugural Address which is delivered only one month before the end of the Civil War and his own death by
Cynthia Stretch
ENG-218-01W-Spring_2016
2/23/2016
Lincoln’s Legacy: Lincoln’s Historical Representation of the Civil War
Lincoln is a highly acclaimed historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg. Since its premiere in October 2012 at the New York Film Festival, Lincoln has gone on to receive critical acclaim and is currently “Certified Fresh” at 90% by popular movie review aggregate RottenTomatoes (RottenTomatoes). The film has been met with positive reviews and has been heralded as being “among the finest films ever made about American politics” by The New York Times (Scott).
Since its release, historians and film critics alike have recognized Lincoln for its emphatic performances and historical accuracy. The film centers on its …show more content…
The key civil war elements of Lincoln are the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, the Thirteenth Amendment and ultimately the end of the civil war. Though these themes are represented with varying accuracy in order to create feelings of suspense and newness among viewers who are already familiar with themes, Lincoln succeeds in depicting Abraham Lincoln as an individual at the intersection of these crucial historical …show more content…
Following this bloody battle, Lincoln gave a speech for the dedication of a soldiers’ national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, implicitly highlighting the reasons for the war and hoping to boost morale in a time of death and despair. This speech would go on to become one of the most famous, well-recognized American political speeches in history. In the opening scene of the film, amidst mud and sweat, black Union soldiers recite snippets of the Gettysburg Address to Lincoln, highlighting the significance of this address in garnering support and increasing morale during this time. The way in which the address itself acted as a catalyst for the renewed dedication and spirit of the Union soldiers and supporters of abolition is made clear in this opening scene.
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is delivered at a turning point of American history, in between the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and its ratification, and just months before the end of a gory, four-year war. In the film, the end of the war is never depicted but instead is foreshadowed by the closing scene that depicts, via flashback, Lincoln’s reading of his Second Inaugural Address which is delivered only one month before the end of the Civil War and his own death by