The Myths of Abraham Lincoln Film Series

sponsored by Phi Alpha Theta

Over the last century and a half, Abraham Lincoln has become one of the most enduring symbols of the United States.  While Lincoln’s presidency polarized his contemporaries, over the years his stature has only risen and he is now embraced by Americans of all political persuasions. Several myths associated with Lincoln have contributed to his ever-growing popularity: “Man of the People,” a “Self-Made Man,” the “Savior of the Union,” and “The Great Emancipator.”  These collective memories have demonstrated the enduring strength of United States nationalism, defined the attributes of a model U.S. citizenry, and offered the promise of racial transcendence.  The “Myths of Lincoln Film Series” will explore these mythologies and their legacy in the cinematic representations of Abraham Lincoln over the last 70 years.

"Man of the People"

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - directed by John Ford

Summary: This film by legendary director John Ford is a highly fictionalized account of Lincoln's early years as a lawyer centering on his sympathetic defense of two young men wrongly-accused of murder. Ford's depiction of Lincoln as a humble but clever man concerned with simple justice has become one of the most enduring cinematic portraits of the President.

Date: February 4, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: 112 Huff Hall





"Self-Made Man"

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) - directed by John Cromwell

Summary: Covering similar ground as John Ford's film one year earlier; Abe Lincoln in Illinois offers a more complete depiction of the several decades Abraham Lincoln spent in the state of Illinois. The film's depiction of Lincoln as a rough-hewn prairie politician complements the "man of the people" of Ford's film and also emphasizes the conflicted ambition behind Lincoln's ascendency through Illinois politics to the presidency.

Date: February 11, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: 112 Huff Hall




"Savior of the Union"

Gore Vidal's Lincoln, Part 2 (1988) - directed by Lamont Johnson

Summary: Based on a novel about Abraham Lincoln by Gore Vidal, Lincoln provides a recent take on the long-popular “Savior of the Union” myth.  The film closely follows the events of the Lincoln’s presidential years and is largely concerned with the personal weight of the war on Lincoln as well as the sense of national redemption implicit in his inevitable death.

Date: February 18, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: 112 Huff Hall

 

 



"The Great Emancipator "

Abraham Lincoln: A New Birth of Freedom (1992)

Summary: One of many recent documentaries about Lincoln, this PBS film uses still photography, interviews with “experts,” and dramatic editing techniques in a manner reminiscent of the massively popular Civil War series, which debuted a few years earlier.  In particular, the film reflects on the role of Lincoln at the end of slavery, his personal views on race, and his relationship to the broader struggle for racial justice in the United States.

Date: February 25, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: 112 Huff Hall