Young Mr. Lincoln

1939 was a great year for John Ford: he turned out three classic films, including Stagecoach, Drugs Along the Mohawk, and Young Mr. Lincoln. The latter film is a pitch-perfect, poetic ode to Americana, a celebration of American democracy and one of its most revered figures.

Abraham Lincoln (Henry Fonda) is an unschooled Illinoisan who takes up law after the death of sweetheart Ann Rutledge (Pauline Moore). Lincoln finds himself the defense attorney in an extremely sticky case: two brothers (Richard Cromwell and Eddie Quillan) stand accused of murdering a farmer, but only one seems to have actually done it. Lincoln determines not only to defend the boys, but to clear them of the crime altogether.

No film director has more thoroughly defined America's past than John Ford. As in Drums Along the Mohawk, Ford eschews the "traditional" view of history, with its privileged men in wigs making history: it's the little people, the hard-working, rough-hewn frontiersmen (and women) who really shape a nation's destiny. The movie expects us to know Lincoln's historical achievements, providing only clever hints - his rivalry with Stephen Douglas (Milburn Stone), his flirtation with Mary Todd (Marjorie Weaver). Of more interest is the man behind the monument, the man haunted by personal loss (not only Ann, but most of his family), determined to do right by the truth and Constitution. In John Ford's America, justice is always done.

Ford provides a masterful directing job, lacing the film with beautifully metaphorical sequences: a well-handled fair epitomizing Ford's reverence for community, Lincoln facing down a lynch mob, the climactic storm. The courtroom scenes sparkle with wit and tension, well-crafted by screenwriter Lamar Trotti, and the twist is well-handled (if a bit obvious in retrospect). Ford establishes a distinct cinematic language, presaging his later works: Fonda leaning back on a rocking chair, like in My Darling Clementine; Alfred Newman's poignant love theme, later re-used in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. There's more than a bit of cornball humor and sentimentality, but this comes with the Ford territory. It's a cinematic poem, and realism oughtn't be a concern.

Henry Fonda gives perhaps his best performance. His Lincoln is a beautiful creation, embodying everything good about the American character: hard-working, curious, intelligent, honest and witty, driven by healthy ambition. Fonda makes the character credible, and he's simply a joy to watch. The supporting cast is good if unspectacular: Donald Meek (Stagecoach) gets a juicy supporting role as Fonda's blustering courtroom adversary; the ubiquitous Ward Bond and Jack Pennick turn up in small but important parts.

Young Mr. Lincoln is another classic John Ford film, and a must-watch for his fans.