Saving Lincoln

Saving Lincoln (2013) is a film which I had mixed feelings about watching. Watching the trailer, I was both intrigued and puzzled with some of the directions the film took. Having just watched Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (2013) I had much lower expectations for this film. Yet, having invested my time in learning more about Lincoln over the last couple of months, I found it necessary to watch and see what the creators had in mind for this 2013 film. Suffice to say the film surpassed my expectations. Saving Lincoln tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's friend and bodyguard Marshall Ward Hill Lamon, the man who left his post at Ford's Theatre which ultimately led to Lincoln's demise. While nowhere close to Daniel Day Lewis's portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, Tom Amandes' portrayal of Lincoln incorporates much of the cleverness, compassion, humor and charm of the real-life Lincoln and does just enough to be believable. Other than Lincoln, Lea Coco's portrayal of Lincoln's friend Lamon is an interesting aspect which has never been focused on as much in past films. Aside from the acting the movie's cinematography is also an intriguing aspect of the film. The movie is filmed in a black and white background which is supposed to convey a historic feeling to the movie but is mostly hit or miss. At times the green screen look of the movie can seem cheap or cheesy, but at other times the style works surprisingly well as it shows real pictures from the civil war era which brings an interesting characteristic to the film. The films story itself incorporates a lot of historical accuracy of the era. Although the film is accurate for a lot of the movie, I did feel as though it tried too hard to list off every important event during the Civil war era of Lincoln's presidency without much depth. Overall, while the movie was better that I expected it is not a movie I would rave about to friends but it is worth a watch if you are even remotely interested in Lincoln.

During the years of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War there was quite a renewal of interest in the War Between the States and the massive Lincoln film came out the year before Saving Lincoln did. With all the honors that film received Saving Lincoln has been kind of pushed into the background. Still it is a film that stands on its own merits.

I remember Tom Amandes best from his reprise of The Untouchables as Eliot Ness. He certainly proved up to the challenge of playing Abraham Lincoln. One thing that is shown here and not often demonstrated was how politically shrewd and how deceptively cunning Lincoln could be at times. A quality lacking certainly in his immediate successor.

Also demonstrated is the amount of abuse Lincoln took and how now in history he rises head and shoulders above his critics. Presidential dignity was of paramount importance to him and to the men who were president who history has deemed great. I suspect had Twitter been available he would have disdained its use.

In terms of devotion to his chief Ward Hill Lamon was the ideal presidential aide. He was appointed a federal marshal for the District of Columbia to give him a kind of official status. His job simply was to guard Lincoln and Lincoln being our tallest president didn't make it easy. In real life Lamon was nearly that height himself.. The singular devotion is brought out by actor Lea Coco playing Lamon.

A key scene in the film is where Lincoln first meets Lamon. The attorneys who rode circuit with Lincoln and you see them in the tavern knocking back a few after a day's work were the people who were Lincoln's close associates. The guys who knew him when so to speak. The bonds formed there were the strongest ties Lincoln had, maybe even more so than his wife played here by Penelope Ann Miller.

Saving Lincoln will give you another perspective on the man most historians rank as our greatest president. He certainly faced the greatest challenge we ever had as a nation.

While this film was no doubt overshadowed by the theatrical release of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln", it's attempts at telling a story are admirable, with a rather modest performance by Tom Amandes as the 16th president, which serves as the true highlight of the film. Lea Coco plays the role of Ward Hill Lamon, Lincoln's self-appointed bodyguard, and merely plays second fiddle to Amandes while brandishing a Southern accent. Perhaps the biggest thing that stands out in the film is its reliance on a green screen for setting and background, which, due to the film's modest budget, is impossible to hide. However, the film succeeds in demonstrating the friendship between Lincoln and Lamon.

I'm sure there's some peculiar reason for this film film to be lambasted by a particular sort of fellow, but I'm really tired of those fellows. I wish there were a way to click a "hide spittle-flecked rants" toggle.

Alas. Not available.

This beautiful piece of work should be shown in classrooms if only to provide a break from the monotony of formal education and give even the most alienated young American a glimpse into a world not unlike our own-- and parallel to it. Where guys-- just guys like you and me-- found themselves having to act with dreadful nobility during a hateful stretch of misery while, all the while, wearing silly clothing. Pomp and circumstance and stovepipe hats and rivulets of blood and men in stifling wool uniforms blown apart by rifled musketry and women wearing linen tents like trade shows for textile millers...

Damn all war to hell. Hats off for Mr. Lincoln. Amen.

(If you liked this review, you'll like the movie. If not, skip it. There. Surely THAT was HELPFUL.)

This was the second picture over the Lincoln's bodyguard, I didn't remember the name of the first picture, but quite sure about the attempt to kill Lincoln at Railway station only, Saving Lincoln embrace a large range of this bodyguard, since the first meeting until the final, it's clearly is about a small budge, using along the picture several sepia photographs from those era, also has many valuable informations over the war, for instance Lincoln blaming himself for 300 thousand lives lost at civil war, discussing the matter of the black people's war as some politicians tried suggest on the heat of the battle, many matters comes to surface, the bodyguard played by Lea Coco is enough good, as Lincoln as well, marvelous portrayed by Tom Amandes, without forget Penelope Ann Miller who already lost her early beauty, the American civil war was the turning point to America's leadership on the eastern nowadays, if the whole country was split maybe today the such position might had not happened, fine picture despite wasn't a big picture, is another look over this magnificent character called Abraham Lincoln!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7