Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, February 4, 2018



Honest Abe

The wisdom of his words is almost impossible to ignore. Even when he jokingly insists that his office is in his hat there is something in the way he delivers his words that forces people to take a moment and ponder their meaning. They are never rushed or chaotic, misleading or disrespectful. He uses simple but meaningful words that instantly allow him to connect even with complete strangers.The crucial event that makes it painfully obvious that Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) was born to be a leader comes toward the middle of the film. After an exhausting cycle of Independence Day festivities, a man is accidentally killed in a fierce brawl and two more are immediately arrested and put in jail. An angry mob quickly gathers and a few loudmouths then demand that the 'killers' are lynched so that justice is instantly served. Lincoln stands up in front of the mob's leaders and with only a few sentences quickly forces them to reconsider their plan. The jailed men are eventually taken to court where Lincoln defends them and the truth about their actions during the tragic night is revealed.It is important to clarify that John Ford's Oscar-nominated film was never intended to be an accurate biographical summary of Lincoln's entire life and legacy. Naturally, it focuses only on a specific period of time and actually reconstructs a series of key events primarily as imagined and understood by Ford and screenwriter Lamar Trotti. Now, this isn't to imply that by doing so the film is free of factual information and therefore the profiling of Lincoln isn't credible, but rather to emphasize that the focus is actually on the socio-cultural environment in which Lincoln emerged and established himself.The narrative is structured in a way that basically makes it inevitable that a small dose of cinematic melodrama sneaks in, but it is not of the type that could degrade or even collapse an entire film. On the contrary, in this case it actually gives the film a vintage quality that feels rather necessary. The bulk of the melodrama is most noticeable during the trial where it is easy to see that Ford is carefully highlighting some of the key beliefs that would later on define President Lincoln's vision of a free, caring and prosperous America.At first Ford was apparently reluctant to take on this project and Fonda also had some serious reservations, but both reconsidered for different reasons. Over the years their portrayal of Lincoln and certain aspects of Fonda's performance in particular have been the subjects of some quite interesting debates that have produced legitimate criticism, but it is difficult not to agree that Ford and Fonda's collaboration actually remains one of the very best of its kind. (This reviewer likes a lot Adrian Moat's made-for-TV docudrama Killing Lincoln , though obviously its treatment of historical facts, style, and goal are very different).Ford worked with cinematographer Bert Glennon, who also teamed up with the great director for such classic westerns as Stagecoach Wagon Master , and Rio Grande