Glory
(1989)
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GLORY recounts the bravery of a group of Civil War soldiers often overlooked by history--the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts, a troop of free black men who fought to help win liberty for their enslaved brothers. Based on the historical novels ONE GALLANT RUSH by Peter Burchand and LAY THIS LAUREL by Lincoln Kirstein and the letters of Robert Gould Shaw, the film follows the youthful Colonel Shaw (Matthew Broderick) as he takes responsibility for readying these soldiers for battle. Shaw, a privileged young Boston Brahman, finds the job harder than expected because many of the men balk at taking orders from him. Private Trip (Denzel Washington) is especially resistant to Shaw's leadership, but over time the two come to an understanding as they endure the hardships of the war. On July 18, 1863, Shaw volunteers the 54th for the honor of leading the charge against Ft. Wagner, a mission that means almost certain death, with Trip carrying the regiment's colors into battle. This gritty and realistic vision of the horrors of war is a moving and critical examination of a lost piece of history. Beautifully shot and triumphantly acted (by a cast that also includes Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher), director Edward Zwick's film serves as a tribute to the courage and selfless bravery of the black soldiers of the Civil War. |
This Civil War tale is a long overdue tribute to America's first black regiment to go into combat, the 54th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry. The details are culled partly from the letters of the 54th's commander, Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), a sensitive 25-year-old (but already a veteran) from an abolitionist family who's determined to lead his men into full battle. Shaw faces resistance from both above and below: his racist superiors won't even allow the soldiers boots, and the troops resent the white man's leadership, especially rebellious runaway slave Denzel Washington. While there are undoubtedly pockets of stereotyping, such as the embarrassing scene in which Morgan Freeman, Washington and the rest of the black cast burst into spiritual harmonies, the lasting impression is of Washington's performance in particular and the plight of the men in general. Fabulously photographed by Freddie Francis and with brilliantly staged (and shockingly violent) battle scenes, Glory will bring tears to the steeliest eye.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Moving, if sometimes sanitised, account of the stirrings of black freedom.