D.W. Griffith's Abraham Lincoln [Blu-ray]

old but worthy
This film crackles with age, but is still worthy viewing, and is historical for more reasons than just because it is about our 16th president. It was D.W. Griffith's first "talkie", and has a resplendent performance by Walter Huston. It also boasts a script by poet and novelist Stephen Vincent Benet, and beautiful cinematography by Karl Struss, of placid pastoral scenes, exquisitely lit interiors, and depictions of the Civil War.
Huston's marvelous portrayal of Lincoln is broad and strong, with angular body language and a "gentle giant" feeling.

The film starts at Lincoln's birth, through the struggles of his youth and love for Ann Rutledge (Una Merkel), marriage to the eccentric Mary Todd (Kay Hammond), whose mental fragility is subtly demonstrated in how she tries to get out a spot in some fabric, his persistence in keeping the Union together through the war at all costs, and his assassination.
A wonderful "biography" film, and a good...

D.W. Griffith takes a Money Shot at talky films...
Accused of fostering racism in America after his Masterpiece, "The Birth of a Nation", David "D.W" Griffith takes a shot at making sound (talky) films with Abraham Lincoln (1930). Griffith was heavily influenced by the still photography of Matthew Brady and that influence can be seen in the almost "Newsreel" like feel of this movie. Many have criticized the performance of Hollywood legend Una Merkel (Ann Rutledge). However, a lot of her performance can be attributed to the dialogue and the fact that this was D.W. Griffith's first of only two talking movies. Walter Huston gives an award winning performance as Abraham Lincoln even though he was somewhat handicapped as an actor with the slow pace of the film. You can see that there is an amount of unease with Griffith and the new technology. All told, this is the greatest telling of the life of Abraham Lincoln from a true film master.

D.W.GRIFFTH;S LINCOLN
this movie was done very well and walter huston did a very good job as Lincoln but the price for the idem is to much

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