A good biographical film is based on the accurate restoration of historical figures and can make the audience empathize with it. "Darkest Hour" released last year was a good biographical film, and was praised by the media at home and abroad, but after watching this film, I immediately thought of Spielberg's "Lincoln". Two great leaders, Churchill and Lincoln, are objects of my admiration. However, compared to "Darkest Hour", "Lincoln", a long, serious and slightly boring film, made me cry.
The New York Times commented on "Lincoln": "Take your children to see this movie, even if they find it boring or can't understand it, know that boring and confusing are part of democracy. "Lincoln" is a simple and A noble masterpiece of democratic power." Indeed, Spielberg used no exaggeration in the narrative of the entire film. The whole film revolves around the background of the era of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment and the end of the Revolutionary War, showing the audience a real Lincoln in a solid and diligent manner. The whole tone of the film is extremely restrained, and the expression of emotions is extremely forbearing, making people feel like they are reading a serious literary work that is unsmiling. The great man empathizes with us, making us feel how this great man shouldered the mission and responsibility, provoked the burden of history, and fulfilled his promise in a turbulent age of war.
For the present era, Lincoln is a historical figure. However, I don't think this statement is accurate, because Lincoln's greatness has gone far beyond his own significance as a historical figure. He is not so much a member of the torrent of the times as he is an era. He was the lingering sign of an age of oppression for people of color, the only ray of light left in the darkness after the endless darkness. He is the messenger of God's promise, the hope for balance, fairness, and justice. Lincoln's greatness cannot be written completely, and his greatness must be experienced by us walking with him. I believe that this is also the value of "Lincoln", and it is a gift to our descendants.
The film focuses on Lincoln's efforts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment. The historical background at that time was at the end of the Civil War. At this time, the Civil War had crossed from the stage of "limited war" to the stage of "revolutionary war", and the purpose of the war had also changed from the initial national unification struggle to a new life for the freedom of black slaves. battle of war. Due to the huge disparity and the influence of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Confederate army was already exhausted at this time, and the end of the war was imminent. However, fearing a resurgence of slavery after the war, Lincoln was determined to bury slavery once and for all by getting the House of Representatives to pass the Thirteenth Amendment by 3:2 on the basis of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, the abolition of slavery was unacceptable in the American political arena at the time. Except for a small number of Republican radicals who advocated abolition of slavery, the Democrats representing the southern states and the moderates within the Republican Party did not support or fully support it. this decision.
Lincoln's task at this time was daunting. He must withstand the pressure of the war, defy all arguments, and make the Thirteenth Amendment the ultimate goal of victory; he must not compromise, back down, and turn back; he must use all means, use all tricks complete this work. It was such a stoic man who finally rewrote the history of black people, the history of the United States, and the history of the world.
Lincoln is undoubtedly a man of lofty spirit and firm belief, so the film must integrate the characters into historical events, reinfuse flesh and blood, and make them full when creating characters. The character must be realistic, full and familiar to the audience. This Lincoln must be the Lincoln depicted in history, and it must be the unique Lincoln. I'm thankful for Director Spielberg because he did it. Daniel Day-Lewis's Lincoln gives viewers a near-distancing glimpse into his life, work and emotions. From the film we see Lincoln's courage, kindness, sense of responsibility, leadership and his beliefs:
1. Courage
Abraham Lincoln's courage was best shown in his adventurous spirit that challenged convention. It’s always easy to talk about history today, but really looking back on that time, it’s hard to challenge a white man’s steadfast and unshakable authority. Just the thought of it flashing through your mind is unbelievable, let alone eradicating it completely legally. At that time, almost all whites believed that the difference between blacks and whites was in the laws of nature, and to admit equality meant denying the laws of nature. Maybe it's just that they are unwilling or afraid to admit the fact that blacks and whites are human beings, created by God and have no distinction between high and low. There is no doubt that racial equality was a taboo subject in orthodox society at the time. Lincoln's courage lies in daring to tear open the taboo coat and reveal the vivid and undeniable facts inside to everyone. Even if he is threatened or ridiculed, he is not afraid or retreats in the slightest.
In addition, his courage is also shown in the face of the ignorant world without timidity. In addition to Lincoln, there are indeed white people who want to abolish slavery. For example, George Yemen of the Democratic Party mentioned in the movie, he has the same vision for abolition of slavery as Lincoln, but his conservative thinking makes him unable to accept his prayer, because he cannot Imagine how the world would work after the abolition of slavery. He was afraid that the change would lead to more disputes, that black people would be given the right to vote, that more compromises would follow after a compromise was made. In fact, many of us, like him, have a fear of the unknown, so rather than changing the future, it is better to maintain the status quo. But Lincoln was different. He was not afraid at all, even though he knew that once slavery was abolished, changes would come, and riots and doubts would certainly ruthlessly attack the results achieved, and even the abolition of slavery might be unacceptable. Comeback. It was this courage that made him a true fighter.
2. Kindness
Caring for the world, caring for the people, at the height of the temple is worrying about the people. For Lincoln, the "people" here are far from just white people who have the same identity as him, but also everyone in the entire country. From the first day of being a slave, the history of black people's struggle has been written. In an unequal, oppressed, and bullied country, no one but black people can see their suffering, and some are just endless. repression and exploitation. Being a slave is not just a humiliation, it is a pain, but the source of this pain is unreasonable, or justified by white people. Most people are extremely selfish. In a situation that is completely beneficial to us, we are very willing to ignore some established moral laws and only live according to the conditions that are beneficial to ourselves, instead of fighting for other groups who are discriminated and oppressed. In other words, how many people are willing to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of others? Lincoln would, because of the kindness in his arms that he could not turn a blind eye to the oppressed black community and nod to injustice. At a time when all white people were paralyzed by their own interests and "traditions" that had accumulated over time, Lincoln's benevolence made him clearly understand that unless slavery was abolished, fairness and justice in this world would not be manifested.
Kindness distinguishes Lincoln from other white people, and it also germinates the abolition of slavery, making it possible for all events to begin. However, on this thorny road, we may not be able to persevere if we have a benevolent heart. We can sympathize with all things without making changes. We don’t need to take any responsibility for tears. If you want to complete this career, you must have a sense of responsibility to provoke the lead. For Lincoln, a sense of responsibility was given by God, and it became the driving force of his struggle.
3. Sense of responsibility
We all hope that the responsibility is as small as possible, because it can be a burden or a shackle, and who would like to add a burden to himself and put a shackle on himself? But the great cause of freeing slaves was a responsibility in itself. Throughout the movie, the audience can see Lincoln's locked expression, yes, this generation of change always has more turmoil than other times, and the leaders of the times of change have to bear more than the leaders of other times. more responsibility. Sometimes these responsibilities are the demands of the people, and sometimes they are the demands of society, and I think Lincoln's sense of responsibility came from God, or more accurately, from the responsibility he gave himself by sensing God.
It is not easy to realize your responsibility, and it is even more difficult to have the courage to take it. One of the things I admire about Lincoln is that he took the wishes of others as his goal, and took it as his responsibility to provoke history. It is this spirit of selfless dedication and responsibility that has shaped his great character.
4. Leadership
As a brave man, a good man and a bearer of responsibility, Lincoln was undoubtedly a great leader. His leadership abilities make him stand out among all the above qualities.
We all know that Lincoln was a leader who loved storytelling. When the struggle and work fell into the predicament of confusion, his stories always touched people's hearts silently, with a silent charm of spring rain. Lincoln in the movie also maintains this characteristic. I didn't pay attention to how many stories Lincoln told in the movie, but a few stood out to me. One is that at 31:37 in the movie, Lincoln uses the "whaling man" metaphor when convincing Senator Ashley to bring the bill to Congress, which instantly reminds me of Melville's Moby Dick. Lincoln said they were in the final stages, and as soon as the whale's tail knocked down the stern again, everyone would fall into the abyss. After listening to his solemn speech, I suddenly felt a little more admiration in my heart. Indeed, the work at this time is already at a critical juncture towards success, and there is no need to delay. The second story that struck me particularly was Euclid's first axiom that Lincoln mentioned in the movie at 1:16:39: equal quantities are equal to each other. He used this famous mathematical theory as a metaphor for the idea of equality between blacks and whites, and he had to believe that this idea was so objective and unquestionable. He then explained to the two telegraph operators: We are created equal, this is origin, it is balance, it is fairness, it is justice. Tears welled up in my eyes after hearing this sentence, which in just a few sentences delivered the most deeply entrenched and contradictory answer in American history. I suddenly realized at this moment that Lincoln said this not only to the two young people, but also to himself. He persuaded himself at the last moment, pulled back from the precipice of almost irreparable, and finally cast legend.
In the same case, I saw that his leadership was also shown in the pressure resistance that was different from ordinary people. This is also a characteristic of all great men, and Churchill mentioned above also has such a characteristic.
5. Faith
Throughout history, Lincoln's religious beliefs have been a subject of much debate. Some say he is an atheist, some say he is a Christian. In the relevant records, it is not clear whether Lincoln had any religious beliefs. My personal interpretation is more biased towards him being a man of faith, and this belief may transcend religious definitions and eventually become beliefs.
Somewhere in the world, we will all become a specific individual, some say it is the manipulation of fate, and some say it is the guidance of God. But just like that, we silently form our own beliefs while being drawn to the forces we believe in. Lincoln's faith came from his sense of mission. Believing in one thing and acting on it is the best reward for belief. Faith enables him to face difficulties even in difficult situations, and to withstand pressure at the last moment; faith enables him to bear all the accusations against him even if he cannot express his own difficulties when questioned.
I want to write a lot, and I want to express a lot, but I can't explain or understand my admiration and admiration for Lincoln. It's hard for me to imagine what kind of flesh and blood and what kind of soul could make a character like Lincoln. He did not drown in history, but resolutely became history.
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The homework of the undergraduate elective course, I have read it carefully now, and I still have a deep understanding. Who would have thought that the racial issue in the United States, which was so emotional at the time, would be waved again this year. After thinking about the pain, I came back to my senses and felt a little dazed, how to balance the weight of equality and freedom. How this Rashomon ends in the end depends on the choices made by history.
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