As I watched Lincoln, I expected to see a tall bearded American “Hero” do what many history books portrayed him to do. I was expecting Lincoln to free the slaves and somehow make America great, a truth that I have learned be much deeper and complex.

At the basic level, “Lincoln” is all about Abraham Lincoln trying to secure votes to pass a bill in Congress, and for a man whose face we carry in our wallets almost daily I couldn’t help but be surprised at the premise of the film. Daniel Day Lewis fit the role of  Lincoln very well, Lincoln appeared to be socially withdrawn but very intelligent and understanding, qualities which we had learned Lincoln possessed but where hard to imagine.

The movie made Lincoln appear as a tired old man, sick of the consequences and trials of war. In most history books, presidents are depicted as men of steel with powerful personalities and a tough hard to break interior.

When in reality, it is easy to see how such a tremendous toll can have its effect on someone, referring obviously to the Civil War.  So Lincoln, although not a man of weakness was still a man.

I almost wish the movie had not ended with Lincoln’s assassination, as the movie was not about his death. As the movie ended with the quote, “Now he belongs to the ages,” I was left thinking about the affects Abraham Lincoln had on the United States.