Lincoln is a powerful history lesson to an audience with an attention span of 140 characters and one-sentence soundbites. I was riveted for 2 hours and 29 minutes, following Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) through the difficult last few months of his presidency and life.

Daniel Day-Lewis is, in my estimation, one of the best living actors in the world today. It is rumored that he turned Spielberg down when he was initially offered the role. Not getting Day-Lewis, Spielberg was scrapping the project. Only through behind-the-scenes machinations by their mutual friend Leonardo DiCaprio did Day-Lewis finally accept. And this masterpiece was made.

The movie chronicles the last few months of Lincoln in office, after his reelection. During that time, he ended the Civil War and he passed the 13th Amendment, ending slavery in the United States. The bickering and fighting for votes in Congress reminded me of today. While mudslinging today is done through debates, tweets and soundbites, it was done face to face on the floor of Congress in 1865. Nothing much has changed in politics from the days of Lincoln to today. Securing of votes through coercion, outright bribery and in some cases blackmail was just one of the methods of getting things done in the middle of the 19th century.

Lincoln was a funny, thoughtful, clever and calm manipulator, who made his point by telling stories or quoting books. Almost without any formal schooling, Lincoln rose from very modest surroundings of farm yards in the Midwest to the presidency, and many of his contemporaries thought of him as a country bumpkin, albeit one that was their commander-in-chief and one they had to listen to.

I enjoyed seeing realistic pictures of Congress and the White House during the Civil War. No cars, no airplanes, no helicopters. When Lincoln traveled, he walked through the muddy streets, he rode in an open buggy, or he was exposed on horseback, just like all his contemporaries. If he only could have seen what the United States would eventually become. If he only could have known that in 2009, a “negro” would be moving into the White House to conduct the business of the chief executive. He would then have known that his life quest was successful.

Lincoln is a Spielberg masterpiece, acted superbly by Day-Lewis and an expert cast of supporting actors. It’s a time travel journey to 1865.

Rating: ****