At the beginning of the last decade, the Russian director of Kazakh origin, Timur Bekmambetov, released ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ (2012), based on the novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith, where he presents to the public a fantastical and supernatural reinterpretation of the life of the 16th president of the United States. Benjamin Walker plays Abraham Lincoln, who, after the death of his mother at the hands of a supernatural creature, embarks on a mission of revenge that leads him to discover and fight a legion of vampires. The plot follows Lincoln from his youth to his presidency, showing how his actions as a vampire hunter become intertwined with his political and moral fight to abolish slavery. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Todd Lincoln, his faithful wife, while Rufus Sewell plays the evil vampire leader Adam, providing a menacing and charismatic presence. The New Zealand actor of Hungarian origin, Marton Csokas, and Anthony Mackie, famous for playing the superhero Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, complete the cast. The film is currently available in the Disney + catalog.
‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ was absolutely and completely ignored in the international awards and film festival circuit, not obtaining a single recognition. From a technical point of view, the film stands out for its innovative use of special effects and choreographed action. Timur Bekmambetov, known for his distinctive and dynamic visual style, applies his talents to adrenaline-filled combat scenes that combine impressive stunts with elaborate visual effects. The cinematography by six-time Oscar nominee Caleb Deschanel provides a dark and gothic aesthetic that perfectly complements the film’s theme. The production design and costumes also deserve special mention, as they faithfully recreate the American Civil War era, with a supernatural twist that adds a touch of fantasy to the historical narrative.
To prepare for the role of Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Walker not only studied the life and speeches of the American president, but also He trained intensely in combat and acrobatics. Walker spent months training with a team of stunt performers to perform many of his own stunts, bringing a greater level of authenticity to the film’s fight scenes. Additionally, multiple historical locations were used during filming, including the historic Vicksburg National Park in Mississippi.
Criticism of Stills from ‘Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter’ delved into Bekmambetov’s ability to bring to fruition a product as delirious as this one: “I don’t know how much premeditation and how much of a confluence of creative and industrial coincidences has kept this film from the expected craziness, but, of course, it has been for good. The Russian-Kazakh is skilled in choreographing and breaking down violence, thanks to a use of the multiplicity of points of view that never renounces staging nor reaches the mere exercise of routine multi-camera capture to which others have reduced the worst recent action movie. And he knows well what his work in Hollywood is about: provide box offices with robust entertainmentdizzying and intended for an audience that neither enjoys mixed tones nor pays attention to subtleties.”
