2/8/13 Steven Spielberg`s Team Lincoln` Is in Oscar Forefront - NYTimes.

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David James/DreamWorks Pictures and 20th
Century Fox
THE CARPETBAGGER
L Took u VIIIuge Lo IIm 'IncoIn`
David James/DreamWorks Pictures and 20th Century Fox
Steven Spielberg, center, setting up a shot for "Lincoln.
By MELENA RYZK
Published: February 6, 2013
BEVERY HS, CuIII. - I LIere were un oruI IIsLory oI LIe mukIng
oI IncoIn, IL mIgIL sLurL wILI u 6-yeur-oId SLeven SpIeIberg vIsILIng
LIe IncoIn MemorIuI In WusIIngLon one wInLer. wus IreezIng my
IILLIe LusI oII, und my uncIe brougIL me Lo meeL LIIs gIunL, Ie
recuIIed In un InLervIew Iere on Monduy. Iud no Ideu wIo Ie wus
excepL Ie wus bIgger LIun me und reuIIy InLImIduLIng.
TIe young SLeven wus so scured Ie
dIdn`L wunL Lo Iook LIe sLuLue In LIe
eyes. TIen, jusL beIore IeIL, dured
myseII Lo Iook up InLo IIs Iuce und
suddenIy IeIL IIke we were In some wuy
reIuLed, Ie suId. L wus u very
IumIIIur IeeIIng, u very wurm IeeIIng,
und IeIL very suIe und proLecLed jusL
uL u gIunce.
TIuL, Ie udded, wus un Imuge never IorgoLLen.
CuL Irom LIIs momenL, wILI ILs cIIIdIood expressIon oI
LImeIess wonder (u sLure LIuL Ius come Lo be known, In
movIe-geek cIrcIes, us LIe SpIeIberg uce), Lo u seL In
RIcImond, Vu., neurIy 6o yeurs IuLer, wIere Iundreds oI
urLIsuns, LecInIcIuns und perIormers ure IuborIng Lo geL LIe
IusL Iew monLIs oI AbruIum IncoIn`s IIIe on screen. TIe
mood, muny suId, wus reverenLIuI: DunIeI Duy-ewIs, us
IncoIn, wus cuIIed LIe presIdenL even wIen Ie wusn`L In
IronL oI LIe cumeru, und wIen rudIos cruckIed wILI word
LIuL Ie wus enLerIng u scene, LIe seL wenL quIeL.
WIy Cun Some
KIds HundIe
Pressure WIIIe
OLIers uII
ApurL?
House oI
Commons
Approves Sume-
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2/8/13 Steven Spielberg`s Team Lincoln` Is in Oscar Forefront - NYTimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/movies/awardsseason/steven-spielbergs-team-lincoln-is-in-oscar-forefront.html?ref=movies&_r=0&pagewanted=all 2/4
Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln.
L Iud LIIs sucred quuIILy, Jounnu JoInsLon, LIe IIIm`s
cosLume desIgner, suId.
IncoIn Ieuds LIe Oscurs wILI u dozen nomInuLIons - spreud umong muny wIo ure
uIreudy nomInees und wInners muny LImes over - buL IL wus u beur Lo muke, even Ior
proIessIonuIs uL LIe Lop oI LIeIr IIeId. L Iud been decudes, Mr. SpIeIberg suId, sInce
IncoIn`s sLory wus drumuLIzed on LIe bIg screen, u gup Ie Iound duunLIng.
Are wIser, more suge mInds or IIImmukers LeIIIng me LIuL Ie`s unuLLuInubIe? Mr.
SpIeIberg suId Ie usked IImseII. BuL IIs scIooIboy IuscInuLIon - Ie sLudIed encycIopedIu
enLrIes ubouL IncoIn (PopuIur? No, wusn`L, Ie suId) - drove IIm on.
wus InLeresLed In somebody LIuL Iooked so uwkwurd und Iooked so uncomIorLubIe In IIs
skIn, couId Iuve done LIe LIIngs Ie dId, Mr. SpIeIberg suId. TIe mosL compeIIIng LIIng,
growIng up reudIng ubouL IncoIn, wus LIuL Ie seemed Lo be more u mun oI LIe peopIe
LIun mosL presIdenLs ure gIven credIL Ior. ConsLILuenLs Look LIeIr probIems dIrecLIy Lo
IIm, Ie suId, und LIe IucL LIuL Ie ucLuuIIy IIsLened Lo LIem wus provocuLIve und kInd oI
sLIrrIng Lo me.
SLIII, LIe movIe Look more LIun 1z yeurs Lo come LogeLIer. L sLurLed wILI u cIunce
conversuLIon beLween Mr. SpIeIberg und LIe IIsLorIun DorIs Keurns GoodwIn beIore u
mIIIennIum ceIebruLIon In WusIIngLon. Mr. SpIeIberg bougIL LIe rIgILs Lo Ier book Teum
oI RIvuIs even beIore sIe wroLe IL, und sIe senL IIm u cIupLer uL u LIme.
EurIy scrIpLs encompussed uII Iour yeurs oI LIe IncoIn presIdency us weII us bIg buLLIe
scenes, und, wILI Ium Neeson screen-LesLIng us IncoIn, LIe producLIon Iud u sLyIIzed
vIsuuI IeeI.
L wus mucI more ubouL IncoIn`s premonILIons und dreums, Junusz KumInskI, LIe
cInemuLogrupIer, suId. WIen Tony KusIner sIgned on Lo udupL LIe screenpIuy, LIed Lo LIe
pussIng oI LIe 1LI AmendmenL uboIIsIIng sIuvery, LIe deLuIIs oI IncoIn`s IIIe cume InLo
Iocus, Mr. KumInskI suId.
We see IIm noL jusL us u Ieuder oI LIe nuLIon und u mun wIo cIunged LIe worId Iorever,
buL uIso u IuLIer, us u Iusbund, us u mun wIo Ius Lo deuI wILI u wIIe wIo Is obvIousIy u
IILLIe bIL menLuIIy dIsLurbed, wILI LIe Ioss oI IIs cIIId, Ie udded. So you Iuve u cIunce Lo
see LIIs Icon us u reguIur guy.
Mr. KumInskI, un Oscur wInner Ior SuvIng PrIvuLe Ryun und ScIIndIer`s IsL, Is one oI
LIe muny veLerun SpIeIbergIuns wIo worked on LIe IIIm, uIIowIng Ior u cInemuLIc
sIorLIund.
L`s very mucI un InsLIncLIve process, RIck CurLer, LIe producLIon desIgner, suId.
JoIn WIIIIums, LIe composer - und wILI q8 nomInuLIons, LIe second-mosL recognIzed
person In Oscur IIsLory, uILer WuIL DIsney - creuLed u score LIuL Ie vIewed us un
uccompunImenL noL Lo LIe vIsuuIs or emoLIons on screen buL Lo Mr. KusIner`s dense scrIpL.
PrIncIpuIIy our roIe wus Lo Lry Lo IInd LexLures und Lempos LIuL were suILubIe Lo LIe puce
oI LIe dIuIogue, Ie suId. TIe soundLruck, perIormed by LIe CIIcugo SympIony OrcIesLru,
wIIcI Mr. WIIIIums conducLed, Is quIeLer und Iess drumuLIc LIun mosL oI IIs IIIm
composILIons (SLur Wurs, Juws).
MIcIueI KuIn Ius been Mr. SpIeIberg`s edILor sInce CIose EncounLers oI LIe TIIrd KInd,
IIImed In 1q;6. TIey edIL us LIey go, IookIng uL IooLuge u duy or Lwo uILer LIey sIooL IL. Mr.
SpIeIberg spenL more LIme In LIe edILIng room Ior IncoIn LIun Ior prevIous projecLs, Mr.
KuIn suId.
TIey IIngered on LIe ucLors` gIunces. SLeven und Iuve done so muny ucLIon pIcLures, buL
LIIs wus dIIIerenL, Mr. KuIn suId. TIIs Is u good dIuIogue pIcLure. And wIuL IncoIn suId
Is so ImporLunL und so IIsLorIcuI, und so we were IeIsureIy. We sLuyed wILI peopIe und IeL
LIem LuIk LIIngs ouL.
Mr. KuIn, wIo uLLended AbruIum IncoIn HIgI ScIooI In Coney sIund ( wus meunL Lo
be on LIIs sIow, Ie suId, IIs BrookIyn uccenL InLucL), wus sunguIne ubouL crILIcIsms oI LIe
movIe. `ve been on so muny movIes wIere LIey`ve uIwuys suId IL`s Loo Iong; you Iuve one
endIng, you Iuve Lwo endIngs, you goL Iour endIngs, und yeL we`ve done weII, Ie suId. I
LIey IIke LIe sIow, LIey`II IIke u coupIe oI mInuLes more.
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2/8/13 Steven Spielberg`s Team Lincoln` Is in Oscar Forefront - NYTimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/movies/awardsseason/steven-spielbergs-team-lincoln-is-in-oscar-forefront.html?ref=movies&_r=0&pagewanted=all 3/4
A version of this article appeared in print on February 7, 2013, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: t Took
A Village To Film 'Lincoln'.
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Acudemy Awurds (Oscurs)
Duy-ewIs, DunIeI
Mr. SpIeIberg udded LIuL IndIvIduuI scenes In IncoIn were some oI LIe IengLIIesL oI IIs
cureer. wunLed LIe uudIence Lo IeeI IIke LIey were euvesdroppIng on LIese momenLs In
IIsLory, Ie suId.
or LIe producLIon urLIsLs LIe IIIm wus un opporLunILy Lo deIve InLo perIod reseurcI. TIe
sound desIgner, Ben BurLL, senL someone Lo LIe KenLucky HIsLorIcuI SocIeLy Lo record LIe
LIckIng oI IncoIn`s pockeL wuLcI.
Ms. JoInsLon, wIo worked on orresL Gump und SuvIng PrIvuLe Ryun, wouId noL
uIIow even unseen unucIronIsms, IIke pIusLIc buLLons, LIougI sIe Iud Lo dress Ier IurgesL
cusL yeL, 1qo speukIng cIurucLers, us weII us exLrus. TIe presIdenL`s wurdrobe, sIe noLed,
wus noL IuvIsI. or Mr. Duy-ewIs sIe mude jusL Lwo sLovepIpe IuLs, und Ie wore onIy u
Iew juckeLs. DunIeI us weII wus very keen on LIe Ideu LIuL we wouIdn`L Iuve Iouds oI
cIunges, sIe suId. You Iud u couL, you wore IL, IL wore ouL und you`d geL unoLIer couL.
Mr. KumInskI, mIndIuI LIuL 1qLI-cenLury IIgILIng cume Irom cundIes, gus Iumps und
wIndows, sLuged ucLIon neur LIose, und wenL Iong on LIe sIudows. He dId Luke some
IIberLIes. I Ie were compIeLeIy IuILIIuI Lo LIe perIod you wouId noL be ubIe Lo see
unyLIIng, Ie suId.
Mr. CurLer, LIe producLIon desIgner, sIIk-screened wuIIpuper und muLcIed IIsLorIc WIILe
House rugs.
He wus InspIred by u LrIp Lo LIe WIILe House In zoo, wIen Ie vIsILed LIe IncoIn
Bedroom, orIgInuIIy IncoIn`s oIIIce, und wuIked LIe IuIIwuys. TIuL spuce, Ie suId, IeIL
IuunLed - noL u durk or neguLIve IuunLIng, buL LIe burden LIuL wus currIed by IncoIn
In IIs LIme.
rom LIe very begInnIng we knew LIIs wouId be u psycIoIogIcuI spuce, Mr. CurLer
udded.
Mr. SpIeIberg Ius spenL u nIgIL In LIe IncoIn Bedroom, wIere u copy oI LIe
EmuncIpuLIon ProcIumuLIon Is kepL. He Ius been Oscur nomInuLed u IuII-dozen LImes Ior
dIrecLIng, buL Ie Ius won onIy Ior ScIIndIer`s IsL und SuvIng PrIvuLe Ryun. He IeeIs u
need, Ie suId, Lo muke IIsLorIcuIIy bused IIIms.
LIInk do Iuve u responsIbIIILy, Ie suId, us u kInd oI counLermeusure Lo beIng ubIe Lo
uIso LeII sLorIes LIuL couIdn`L possIbIy Iuppen.
And Ie Ieurned more wIIIe mukIng IncoIn LIun wIIIe workIng on uny oLIer movIe, Ie
suId. SpecIuI eIIecLs, IIgI-genre concepLs, bIg seL pIeces, evenLIzIng IIsLory Ius been wIuL
`ve been doIng wILI boLI my ImugInuLIon und on IIIms LIuL ure bused on IIsLorIcuI IucL,
Ie suId. BuL `ve never beIore mude u IIIm wILIouL uII oI LIose neLs Ior me Lo IuII InLo. `ve
never mude u IIIm wIere LIIs wus goIng Lo succeed or IuII bused on LIe wrILIng und bused
on LIe perIormunces.
TIuL, Ie udded, Is one oI LIe scurIesL LIIngs `ve ever gone InLo.
EspecIuIIy sInce, In LIIs cuse, Ie IeIL LIe exLru weIgIL oI IncoIn`s Iegucy. Muybe LIIs Is LIe
quIeLesL dIrecLIng `ve done In my IIIe, Mr. SpIeIberg suId.
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2/8/13 Steven Spielberg`s Team Lincoln` Is in Oscar Forefront - NYTimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/movies/awardsseason/steven-spielbergs-team-lincoln-is-in-oscar-forefront.html?ref=movies&_r=0&pagewanted=all 4/4
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