PhantomKnight Goes Spielbergian

There seems to be something of a debate in certain circles about what the last great Steven Spielberg movie has been. Some say Munich, while others say Lincoln (sidenote: I think The Fabelmans has negated said debate, but that's for another time). I've now seen Lincoln a grand total of three times, and I'll say this: this most recent viewing has been where my appreciation for this film most strongly solidified, to the point where I can comfortably go so far as to say that I think Lincoln most definitely seems to be one of Spielberg's more underappreciated films, but do I fully love it? Not quite, but make no mistake -- this is still a really damn good movie.

And when I say underappreciated, it feels odd, considering all the awards love and recognition that this film got upon release. But there still seems to be this certain perception of this movie that it's another stuffy period drama to go along with the likes of War Horse, and I admit that I sort of bought into that perception myself at times in the years since it came out. Yet much like my subsequent viewings of The Post, my appreciation for Lincoln is now much deeper than it was the first time around. That's because this movie's positioning more as a political drama in the company of something like The West Wing is now something that captures my attention more. Of course, it certainly helps that aspects such as Spielberg's filmmaking itself feeling very assured and even subtly lively at times and the all-around knockout performances from the cast, particularly an amazing Daniel Day-Lewis, are there, but the story and overall approach for this film really does help elevate it above a vast majority of a lot of the typical biopic fare. To go back to The West Wing comparison, this has the same kind of vigor and whip-smart dialogue, characterization and plotting that you'd find in a lot of Aaron Sorkin's stronger works -- just delivered in a more understated, yet no less effective, style. I think it was a wise choice on Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner's parts to frame this movie more as an account of the last great and influential thing that Abraham Lincoln did in his Presidency before his death rather than another cradle-to-the-grave biopic. It helps the movie have a more clearly-defined purpose and narrative drive than just an account of a life. Let it also be said that Spielberg also pulls back a lot on some of the schmaltz that can often be associated with him on a lot of projects. Here, he focuses on just delivering a compelling and stirring drama, which he absolutely does. For a movie that essentially boils down to just people in rooms talking, there's still a certain rhythm here that holds your attention and keeps the events themselves engaging. And that's owed in equal parts to Spielberg's direction, Tony Kushner's screenplay and Daniel Day-Lewis's incredibly endearing performance.