Abraham Lincoln experts discuss new biopic, how presidents are treated in film
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- Created on Monday, 12 November 2012 19:58
- Written by Imperial Valley News
Hollywood, California - Abraham Lincoln experts discuss new biopic, how presidents are treated in film:
Richard Fox is an expert on Abraham Lincoln and the politics of his day. Fox blogs for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum at "From Out of the Top Hat," recently writing about previous depictions of Lincoln in film. "Lincoln the emancipator is back, after being banished ever since the beginning of commercial film. Spielberg and his screenwriter Tony Kushner have delivered the first Civil-Rights era Lincoln, and Daniel Day-Lewis has outdone himself in creating a character as richly layered and warmly mysterious as the original hero."
Steven J. Ross is an expert on Hollywood and politics. He is the author of "Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics." - "Lincoln is Speilberg's fantasy of what a great president should be like--and what post-partisan politics might look like if we ventured back to 1865. I say fantasy, because Lincoln was never as loved in his lifetime as he was after his death. Throughout his presidency, he consistently came under attack by conservatives and radicals. Only later, did people - including scholars - come to appreciate his moderating sensibilities."