We've seen a few Lincoln movies lately, each taking vastly different
approaches to humanizing the man. Spielberg's massive ensemble film depicted
Lincoln in the political fight of his life, while "Honest" Abe was
satirized in the historical horror comedy Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
The Better Angels is an attempt to humanize him further by offering a
sober portrayal of his tough upbringing in the Indiana backwoods. Set in 1817,
a young Lincoln (Braydon Denney, newcomer) basks in the glow of his adoring
mother (Brit Marling) while enduring his harsh, abusive father (Jason Clarke).
If that sounds like the synopsis for Malick's The Tree of Life, well
you're right, and clearly Edwards was influenced by the film in more ways than
one. There's little story to speak of here as Edwards puts the emphasis on
sweeping, ethereal atmospherics. Edwards has a similar awe of nature's majesty
and focus on these things: water trickling down a river, dust floating
gracefully in the sunlight, wind-swept forests. If Malick wasn't on board as a
producer The Better Angels would almost come to resemble a parody of the
man's directorial tropes. Well, it still kind of is but unintentionally
so. 
There's a reason why so many emulate Malick and it's because the images he
creates are truly memorable, and The Better Angels looks beautiful and
vivid, even in soft black & white tones. Edwards wants you to get swept up
in the surreal cinematography and it's hard not to. It serves as a distraction
from the lack of any narrative momentum. Lincoln barely utters a word
throughout and is basically a satellite character in his own story, soaking up
the influences of those around him. But it's hard to get a sense of who Lincoln
is when the structure is so fragile that we rarely see the repercussions of
anything. When milk sickness takes his mother's life, Lincoln barely registers
a reaction before we're ushered into the next scene. Instead we see his father
becoming sterner, angrier, before finally going out and bringing home another
wife (Diane Kruger) who becomes one of Lincoln's strongest confidantes. Hushed
voice-over, another Malick staple, informs us how to perceive Lincoln,
suggesting the greatness growing within him, but the one we actually see is
aloof and unsure. 
Despite its obvious problems, The Better Angels is at least a gallant
effort to tell a different kind of Lincoln story. It doesn't attempt to idolize
the man, but to chart the factors in his life that built him into one of our
most accomplished Presidents. The effort is worthy even if the execution falls
way short. Edwards is obviously a talented filmmaker to emulate Malick to such
an indistinguishable degree, but The Better Angels would have been
better served with a more original approach.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
