Young Mr. Lincoln is an excellent, if hagiographic, biography with a great performance by Henry Fonda in the title role. It traces Lincoln's early years, with an emphasis on his first criminal case as a lawyer.
The linchpin of the piece is Fonda's performance. He captures Lincoln's gravitas while still portraying him as an ordinary human being. In particular, he captures Lincoln's plainspoken manner, lending him an every man status even as the film glorifies him.
The film also benefits from some back door social commentary, particularly in a scene where his clients are about to be lynched. Although Lincoln's speech is directed to the situation at hand, it offers a pointed criticism of the lynchings then common in the South.
The film does at times slip into hagiography, particularly the ending, which features Lincoln walking into an oncoming storm in a bit of over the top symbolism. Still, it is a great, well made film worth your time.
The linchpin of the piece is Fonda's performance. He captures Lincoln's gravitas while still portraying him as an ordinary human being. In particular, he captures Lincoln's plainspoken manner, lending him an every man status even as the film glorifies him.
The film also benefits from some back door social commentary, particularly in a scene where his clients are about to be lynched. Although Lincoln's speech is directed to the situation at hand, it offers a pointed criticism of the lynchings then common in the South.
The film does at times slip into hagiography, particularly the ending, which features Lincoln walking into an oncoming storm in a bit of over the top symbolism. Still, it is a great, well made film worth your time.