It crossed my mind that those dark days during Lincolns presidency set a precedent for intrigue worthy of a scene right out of the movies...the mob movies...the Godfather of Emancipation..and Taxes that we're all slaving for to this day to pay. Emancipator? Bullshit!! He was Vito Corleone in backwoods hick disguise.
Take some classic film scenes...weave them into the Lincoln drama and you have the stuff of Peckinpah meets Joe Pesci! For example...the great assassination scene. Our American Cousin has begun on the stage at the Ford Theater (Notice too..Ford is a car brand, as is a Lincoln, in fact Ford makes Lincolns. Make sense? or Cents? One Cent..a Lincoln penny for your thoughts?) Booth sneaks into the presidential box and whacks the Godfather. He then leaps to the stage, drops his gun and someone in the audience shouts out..."Leave the gun, take the canolis!!"
Then cut to the pres box...General Grant sits on the ground cradling Lincolns head..Grant weaves back an forth uncontrollably mumbling softly.."Papa, Papa..." General Sherman breaks into the booth and screams..."Goddamn it ..you're not Fredo..or even Frodo..you're a goddamned drunk and I'm nuts but I love you like a brother!"
In an effort to end the bloodbath...Lincoln calls in his top General..Grant..granted he was not first choice..Lincoln says to him.."I'm sending you to Richmond, to make Davis an offer he can't refuse. If he does I want a horses ass found in his bed...no I don't care what he does with hind end..he is a southern after all and you can't keep them out the barn looking for dates...
Cut to Appomattox..Grant and Lee engaged in a sit down....they first met on the battlefield when Lee's forces were forced to retreat an flee..Grant yelled after him..."You don't walk out on me..I walk out on you" than back to the courthouse after battlefield flashback...as they sit at the table and Grant shows him the articles of surrender..Lee snickers...Grant gets angry and says to him.."Do I amuse you? Am a funny...funny how? Funny like a clown general." Finally Sherman sneaks up behind Lee and shoots him in the head and they both begin kicking him on the ground senseless ala Billy Bats in Goodfellas. Even the opening line of our film has a young Lincoln dressed in his Sunday best with dialogue overlap..."Ever since I was a young rail splitter I wanted to be a President..."
Flashback to Gettysburg and the address....Lincoln gives his speech and although not from mob flick someone shouts out..."You talkin' to me? You must be talkin' to me..I don't see anyone else...and it's Jefferson Davis in full Confederate drag. Lincoln after the assassination is transported across country to Springfield, Illinois...not far from Capones Chicago...Capone says.."Hot damn, this funeral is bigger than Deannie O'Bannions..." and some one in the crowd counters with..."It's bigger than US Steel!"
Lincoln is gone....in his wake he left us taxes, the draft, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the Indian Wars and a penny that ain't worth a plug nickle...freedom? All relative..but damn...he was Lincoln..the Man, the Car and the Tunnel!!!