After watching Saving Lincoln directed by Salvador Litvak (2013), there are many things to be said about the cinematography as well as the performances, and historical accuracy of this film. This film stands out as compared to other Lincoln films, as Litvak made the artistic choice to include actual images from the civil war as green screen backgrounds to scenes. While the concept was interesting, it made the movie seem more like a play as the images did not always suit the action occuring in front of them. After watching films such as Spielberg's Lincoln (2012), it was hard to get into the movie and feel as though you were actually watching Lincoln, or actually watching parts from the civil war as it seemed almost comical. That being said, the performances by Tom Amandes as Abraham Lincoln, among others, was a good attempt, however it did not help the already comical tone. Amandes only resembled Lincoln through his top hat and beard, nothing else about him portrayed Lincoln accurately. That also being said, it felt as though the inclusion of History was such a focus, that the entertainment aspect to the film was not given much attention. While a lot of the plot as well as the events are true to history, it lacked to hold my interest. It felt almost as if it was a live action documentary, not a movie. Although it is 2020, seven years after its release, I hadn't watched this movie until right after watching Spielberg's Lincoln recently. That did not help make this movie seem any better. When you compare this film to older Lincoln films from the 1900's, such as D.W. Griffith's Abraham Lincoln (1930), or John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), this movie has a lot more value and interest due to its modernism and historical accuracy. However, when compared to more recent, and critically acclaimed films such as Spielberg's Lincoln it does not even come close. Overall this was a good concept, however lacked the luster to make it a good watch.
Review of Saving Lincoln
