
Silent film master DW Griffith's first talkie works as a companion piece to his classic BIRTH OF A NATION providing a detailed biographical sketch of the 16th president We see his birth in a log cabin the tragic death of his first love Ann Rutledge (Una Merkel) his debates with Douglas his accepting of the presidency the terrible toll of the Civil War & finally the tragic assassination at Ford's Theater Griffith shows his usual meticulous attention to period detail & the framing of the various vignettes has the feel of historical photographs come to life Walter Huston is excellent in the title role with a portrayal that subtly evolves from laconic wizened rascal to noble elder statesman This is a fascinating worthy film & an interesting historical document in & of itself