Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

People are voting emotionally.

Good concept, poorly executed.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Young Mr. Lincoln from Director John Ford, is engaging and simple. Engaging in that Henry Fonda plays up some of the more well known qualities that we know and love about the real-life man. Such as his aptitude for speaking in front of a crowd: and the charisma he exuded that told people to listen when he spoke. The movie paints him as a simple man from a small town. He's amiable enough, with a good head on his shoulders and a sense of justice that colors his interactions with the hot-headed and weeping alike. Though this movie only covers a very short span of his life: and the Hollywood lens has no doubt had some influence in this-- (and in the case of most portrayals of historical figures,)it still feels as though Lincoln, as well as the other characters that are introduced throughout the duration of the movie are all very tangible and possible versions of who may have been a part of his early life at the time. About a quarter-way through Young Lincoln; as the main plot reveals itself, it's surprising just how much it keeps you guessing as to how it will all end. I highly recommend this movie for history buffs as well as those interested at all in the innate drama of law and courtrooms.

This film is slow starting but once its going it gets pretty good. Cinematography to the film is not exactly spectacular, but story-wise it is a good one and does have some good acting to it as well. Normally I find the courtroom-type of films/shows very interesting, but unfortunately with this film it did have some slowness in it throughout the film. I would recommend the film, just don't expect to be wow'd but sit there and enjoy a nice story instead.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), John Ford is the fictionalized tale of Abraham Lincoln as he pursues a career in Law in Springfield. As an older black and white movie I found it to hold up quite well due to its well put together mise-en-scene, while the shots in the movie are nothing to write home about artistically they are composed well enough to keep the viewer engaged in the visuals. The writing is also quite good, achieving a nice balance between serious and light hearted. The pacing of the movie is quite nice with the first half setting up the characters and location and the second half focusing on Lincoln handling the court case the movie eventually focuses on. The acting is quite good, with Henry Fonda playing a easy to like Lincoln and the actors in the supporting cast are no slouches either. Overall I found Young Mr. Lincoln quite and enjoyable watch and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in courtroom settings or historical fiction.

This film really threw me for a loop. First, I would like to make a comment about how the actor playing Abe Lincoln, Henry Fonda, really fit the image of Mr. Lincoln very well. He brought the character to life and carried the character the way that I feel Abraham Lincoln truly would have been. The rest of the acting was great, something that I find myself paying the most attention to when watching older films. Secondly, the plot was clearly thought out and unpredictable considering how I went into this movie blind, having never heard a single comment about it. Using the first 20 minutes or so to build up Lincoln's character before unveiling the focus of the film allowed for viewers such as myself to develop a liking for him and hope for his success. Without spoiling anything in the film, I would like to say that the conclusion was completely unexpected and left me kicking myself for not picking up on certain details, something that I haven't done yet watching the movies I have reviewed! Lastly, needless to say I'm very impressed by how well thought out this was and honestly wasn't expecting this when I sat down to watch it. Not to mention, it portrayed an important piece of Lincoln's life, something not taught in history classes, without being dry and sleep inducing. Being taught this tidbit of Abraham Lincoln's past through entertainment made a very likable man even more impressive.