Gore Vidal's Lincoln
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.48 You Save: $4.47 (64%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.47 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Gore Vidal's Lincoln
Movie Review: History Buffs
Summary: 5 Stars
Gore Vidal does good work. I have Billy the Kid film by GV and this one did not dissappoint me either.Movie Review: magnificent film
Summary: 5 Stars
Brings Lincoln during his presidency back to life. For Lincolnfans a real must.Movie Review: lincoln
Summary: 5 Stars
this was a good flim, if you want a good flim on lincoln get this oneMovie Review: Backstairs in the Lincoln's White House
Summary: 4 Stars
Much of Abraham Lincoln's life has been accounted for and reaccounted for a thousand times over. The facts play around in our minds, much without emotional anchors to hold them down. Prolific and outspoken writer Gore vidal penned a "fictional" account of Lincoln in his marvelous book, which a few years later, adapted into a made-for-TV movie. The result, then as now, is an intriguing insights into the personality of the Lincoln family.
The movie starts with Lincoln slinking into Washington DC, for fear of a secessionist uprising in Balitmore, under disguise, for which he was much aligned. Constrasted with Mary's arrival, with hoopla and a thousand suitcases, shows the underlying dichotomy in the famous first couple. Jumping from historical event to historical event, the drama digs a bit deeper into the effects of the events on the family. By the time you've finished the movie, you felt like you've not only have a deeper understanding of the Civil War, but of the Lincolns as well.
Sam Waterson nails, absolutely nails, Lincoln. We see all sides of him. It must have been a daunting role to play. We have solely deified Lincoln, almost erasing his humanity. Waterson brings it back in full force, with all the humor and sadness needed. At first, hearing that Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd Lincoln seems like a joke. Who would ever thought that Mary Richards could play someone Hay and Nicolette called "Hell Cat?". But she does. Her decent into madness at the death of Willie is heartbreaking. Richard Mulligan's performance as Sweard is canny, and the ever stalwart Ruby Dee plays Mary Lincoln's dressmaker Mrs. Keckley with all of the sassiness and care required.
I rated this movie four stars, not for content or for acting, but for the DVD transfer. It's simply on the verge of being terrible. The picture quality lacks any quality at all. It appears fuzzy and smoky on my screen quite a bit. As for any special features, forget it. This wasn't ever enough to detract from my enjoyment in watching the show, but this DVD looks like a hack job for sure.
However, Gore Vidal's Lincoln deserves a place in my video library as an interesting examination of a well-known time; well-acted, and tells a great story. I recommend this to anyone wanting an insider's look of a fascinating man and family.
Movie Review: a very human Lincoln who is principled yet a master manipulator
Summary: 4 Stars
Waterston does a great job portraying Lincoln not as an Icon, but as a human being. It is the best portrayal I have ever seen of Lincoln on the screen and quite faithful to the original novel by Gore Vidal. You feel Lincoln's sense of purpose, his ability to read people and manipulate them in accordance with it, and his emotional life. It is subtle, at times shocking, but always engaging.
The viewer also gets a good glance at the major events of the Civil War in outline, in just about enough detail for the casual viewer: the suspension of Habeas Corpus in Maryland, the stodgy Union Generals, the important battles, the human toll. It is all bound with Lincoln's political purpose, to save the Union at any cost, and stimulates the appetite for more. It covers Lincoln's difficult relationship with the notorious popinjay McClellan, the deterioration of Mary Todd Lincoln (I did not like Mary Tyler Moore much in the role), and the tensions within the cabinet. The gravelly Ulysses Grant is also excellent.
That being said, it was impossible to get all the nuance of Vidal's novel (his finest by far) into 3 hours. You get allusions to the themes, but cannot experience such things as the deep conversion of Seward from a scornful enemy to devoted friend, the love of John Hay for the exploited Kate Chase, or Linclon's shrewd maneuverings around the power-hungry Salmon P. Chase. If you liked the film, you should definitely read the book. Finally, for Civil War buffs, there really isn't enough detail to satisfy the most sophisticated appetite, however successful this is as entertainment.
Recommended. This is a great introduction to a fascinating cast of characters in America's most decisive conflict.