Debuting the same night as the first 2012 Presidential Debate, the second trailer for Steven Spielberg‘s Lincoln reminds us why Honest Abe was arguably the greatest president in U.S. history. (And why Daniel Day-Lewis will probably never play Mitt Romney.)
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Opening with a montage of important events in American history, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, WWII, and post-9/11 New York, this new trailer explicitly targets the immense political strife and violence that ripped the nation apart during The Civil War. Drawing parallels to political leaders as varied as Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Ghandi (both of whom have had big, Hollywood biopics made of their life), the focus of the trailer is, appropriately enough, all on Lincoln.
Lincoln’s powerful, final words in the trailer, “I am President of the United States of America, clothed with immense power!” are taken directly from records of the Congressional on the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, which came down to the wire. Lincoln gave that speech to procure the two votes he needed for the amendment to pass.
You can check out all the civil unrest, bloody battles, and stovepipe hats for yourself when Lincoln opens in theaters November 16th.
