Glory (1998, DVD)

Colonel Shaw [volunteering his regiment to lead the attack on Fort Wagner]There's more to fighting than rest, sir. There's character. There's strength of heart. You should have seen us in action two days ago. We were a sight to see! We'll be ready, sir. When do you want us?

Glory is one of the finest films ever made pertaining to the American Civil War. The film was based on letters that Colonel Robert Shaw wrote. The all-star cast did an excellent piece of work in making this Civil War classic. The directing by Edward Zwick is exceptional. The score is very good as well. The story was about the 54th Massachusetts, an all-black Union Infantry regiment. The film was based on their actual story and the events that took place with their regiment, The 54th Massachusetts.


Glory (1989)

Directed by Edward Zwick
Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Shaw
Denzel Washington as Pvt. Trip
Cary Elwes as Major Cabot Forbes
Morgan Freeman as Sergeant Major John Rawlins
John Finn as Sergeant Major Mulcahy


Storyline / Plot

Glory is a spectacular film about a group of runaway slaves, free black men and a couple of white officers that form The 54th Massachusetts. After the American Civil War had started President Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. He also called for black volunteers to serve in the Union Army. With battles like Antietam and Fredericksburg producing huge amounts of casualties along with defeats, President Lincoln was in dire need of additional troops. Over 180,000 black soldiers would serve in the Union Army during the Civil War. With out a doubt, they helped turn the tide of the war. Glory is about one regiment of these 180,000 men, The 54th Massachusetts. Colonel Robert Shaw (Matthew Broderick) had been wounded in the battle at Antietam / Sharpsburg. While he was home convalescing, he was asked if he would consider commanding an all-black regiment. He was reluctant at fist but decided to accept command of the all-black The 54th Massachusetts. Blacks were only allowed to serve as enlisted men, so Colonel Shaw chose a few white officers to serve under his command.


Things were very difficult at first. The men had no supplies, no shoes, no guns and no uniforms. What they did have was heart, and a lot of it. They were also provided with one hard assed old Irish training Sergeant, Sergeant Major Mulcahy (John Finn). Sergeant Major Mulcahy was extremely hard on the regiment. He would thump a knot on their heads at the drop of a hat! The one good thing that came from his brutal style of training was the end result, one highly trained and competent regiment. As training went along Colonel Shaw grew to be fond of his men because of their heart and vigor. As their commander he was hard on them at first but grew into a soldiers commander as time went on.


The Colonel went through many paradigms during the training phase of the regiment. One of his pet peeves was the fact that, not one of his men had deserted. Then one day a deserter was caught, Private Trip (Denzel Washington). Colonel Shaw had him whipped by the Sergeant Major in front of the regiment. The floggings a soldier received in those days for desertion was atrocious. I quit counting at twenty lashed across Pvt. Trips back. Trip was sent to the infirmary to heal up. In the mean time Colonel Shaw went to the eldest soldier in regiment to get his take on how the men were doing. He needed someone that he could talk to concerning the men in his regiment and Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) was the man. Rawlins told the Colonel that the only reason Trip was out of camp is that he was looking for some shoes. The men s feet were a real mess. The point being that these men were not deserters and they wanted to fight more than any man alive. They just needed some supplies.


This made Shaw feel like a real heel. His entire attitude changed after that incident. Colonel Shaw and his Executive Officer, Major Forbes (Cary Elwes) started getting things done on behalf of the men of the 54th Massachusetts. Colonel Shaw s father was a politician that had clout all the way to President Lincoln. After Shaw put his mind to it and a few letters to his father, supplies started coming in. The men received shoes, socks, rifles and brand new blue uniforms, which they took great pride in wearing. The men of the 54th Massachusetts had everything that they needed. They had received all of their gear and supplies. Their training was complete. It was time to fight for their freedom.


[SPOILER PARAGRAPH]
The 54th Massachusetts was used for labor. The men were never going to see combat. If not for Colonel Shaw s father, they never would have. After several months of his regiment working at union labor camps, Colonel Shaw pulled every string that he could to get his boys to the front. His wish was granted. The 54th Massachusetts was sent to assist in the attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. Upon his arrival, Colonel Shaw volunteered his regiment to lead the attack. The attack was ill planned and suicidal. Over half of the men that charged with the 54th Massachusetts were lost. Consequently, Fort Wagner was never taken by any assault.


Conclusion

Glory is among the best American Civil War movies ever made. It is with out a doubt the most emotional Civil War film that I have seen. It is a very thought provoking film with several disturbing issues. The story was very good. The acting doesn t get any better. Denzel Washington s performance was brilliant and won him an Academy Award. The Cinematography was also as good as it gets, and also won an Academy Award. The score was excellent. Morgan Freeman gives us his usual perfect performance and Broderick is at his best in Glory. I would recommend this movie to anyone. I give Glory two thumps up and 5 big stars.


Quotes From Glory

Colonel Shaw There's more to fighting than rest, sir. There's character. There's strength of heart. You should have seen us in action two days ago. We were a sight to see! We'll be ready, sir. When do you want us?
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Awards

Glory won the following 1989 Academy Awards:
Best Supporting Actor (Denzel Washington)
Best Cinematography
Best Sound

Features From The DVD: Glory

Original Theatrical Trailer

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RUNTIME 1 hours 57 minutes
Rated: [R] For violence

Thanks for the read,
~Mac

2004 Joe McMaster