Lincoln

Originally aired on the History Channel, this two-part documentary covers many of the salient events in President Abraham Lincoln's career, but does so in the context of a psycho-historical analysis, with the overarching theme being that Lincoln's lifelong struggles with depression (called “melancholy” by 19th-century observers) deepened his understanding of others and his sense of determination. The program further argues that Lincoln's later empathy toward Southern slaves perhaps derived from an unhappy childhood (during which his uncouth father treated him virtually like a bondsman), and that the succession of personal tragedies he experienced, both before and after being elected president, fortified his character and helped steel him for the arduous responsibility of leading the nation during the Civil War. On the more playful side, Lincoln also explores the man's love of language and storytelling that sometimes led people to consider him unsophisticated, only to reverse their judgment as they came to know him (there's also brief mention of the recent suggestion that Lincoln was homosexual, though it's quickly debunked). Combining archival stills, recreations (including periodic inserts following the course of Lincoln's last day, leading up to the assassination), and excerpts from interviews with those who have written on Lincoln (including Gore Vidal) and a specialist on depression, Lincoln is obviously not a standard panegyric on the Great Emancipator, but is instead an intriguing character study that will serve as an excellent complement to more conventional biographies. The sole DVD extra is a brief “making-of” featurette. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)