Lincoln: A Brief Screening Report

One of the most important scenes in the movie Lincoln occurred in the very beginning.  It began at about 06:15 into the movie and was the scene where Mary Lincoln figures out that Abraham wants to create a 13th amendment, to free the slaves.  The scene begins with a dream that Abraham has, then goes into him laying down and Mary sitting by a mirror, and they are conversing.  Throughout the course of the scene Mary guesses what Abraham’s dream was about (freeing the slaves), and suggests that he should not try to get something as big as that passed.  Not someone with as much public approval as he has.  “The people love you.  No one is loved as much as you.  No one has been loved as much as you.  Don’t waste that power on an amendment bill that is sure of defeat” Mary tells him.  Throughout the scene he looks distraught by his thoughts but we all know that he goes through with it and succeeds.  This scene is important because it is the first time that someone finds out about Abraham’s intent on abolishing slavery.  This is what sets up one of the biggest parts of the movie.  If it weren’t for the thirteenth amendment, Lincoln would not be known as well as he is.  

Photo courtesy of http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01811/lincolnSUM_1811021c.jpg