-
Survey: Childhood Favorites -
'Into Darkness'' Mystery Villain -
The Marky Mark Workout -
Weird Pull Quote Theater! -
VODetails: 'American Mary'
-
James Franco, Film Critic -
Cannes Reviews: 'Bling Ring' -
Cannes Critics to Follow on Twitter -
'Dead' and Loving It -
Ebert Series at Cinematheque
-
Favorite Underrated Comedies -
Uwe Boll Got Better (and Worse) -
AP Critics Resign -
Shots That Should Be Retired -
Best Indiewire Criticism
-
Review Report -
Weird Pull Quote Theater! -
Ebert Honored by Sundance -
Zacharek on Criticism -
Survey: Best Young Directors
-
McConaughey on Critics -
Baldwin on Critics -
Watching 'Star Wars' For 1st Time -
The State of Movie Projection -
VODetails: 'Norman'
-
Defending the Mandarin -
Marlon Wayans on Critics -
French Announces Retirement -
Defending John Ford -
The Week's Best Indiewire Criticism
-
A New Review Aggregator -
Survey: Comic Book Movies -
Early 'Star Trek' Reviews -
VidCritz: New Jersey Jokes -
Shane Carruth's Superhero Movie
Watch 'Not Fade Away'
The Internet Troll of Filmmakers
Ebertfest Day Two
A Tribute to Roger Ebert
In Praise of 'Tintin'
The Richest Woman in TownFrom the Wire: A Jewish Lincoln?
"As imagined by Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln’s Lincoln is the ultimate mensch. He is a skilled natural psychologist, an interpreter of dreams, and a man blessed with an extraordinarily clever and subtle legal mind. A master storyteller who speaks in parables and employs slyly self-deprecating humor, he is a small 'd' democrat glad to converse with anyone, willing to shoulder the solitary burden of historical tragedy, and, although capable of righteous wrath, ruled by compassion for all."
Hoberman then goes on to trace how the Great Emancipator -- should we call him the Great Oy-mancipator in this case? Sure, why not -- was championed and exalted almost immediately after his death by American Jews who recognized a modern day Moses in his story. Like that founder of the Jewish faith, Hoberman says, Lincoln was a man who "successfully led the oppressed out of bondage but was unable himself to enter the Promised Land." Using excerpts from historical speeches, he connects the history of American Judaism with Lincoln hero worship.
I confess when I watched "Lincoln" last week, none of this struck me -- but reading Hoberman's piece, it now feels facepalmingly obvious. That's good film criticism for you -- it goes straight-up Old Testament on you.
Read more of "Avraham Lincoln Avinu."
2 Comments
pikachu | November 15, 2012 1:30 AM
I'm so glad to know what constitutes a real Jew or not, i.e. born of a Jewish mother, etc... I don't think it was the anti-semites that deseminated this info, either.
John | November 14, 2012 1:35 AM
I'm so glad J. Hoberman knows every last obscure Jewish screenwriter on earth (yes, I know Kushner is not obscure at all), yet somehow manages to "miss" that Daniel Day-Lewis was born of a Jewish mother, so he definitely counts as Jewish, too (I'm sure Hoberman wouldn't have had this problem if Day-Lewis was an obscure screenwriter).
Lincoln's son is played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is totally Jewish, so yet again...