Glory-less

Rating: Null/10 (27 March 2001)

What many bill as the greatest war movie of all times falls well short of the mark. It tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the brain-child of Governor Andrew and Fredrick Douglas. Every detail of the life of the soldier is provided, from training to camp life to combat. Unfortunately, the film's message is diluted by making the soldiers of the 54th look like a bunch of revenge-seeking ex-slaves. In fact, the majority of the regiment's members were free-men; Fredrick Douglas's son was the regiment's first Sergeant-Major (portrayed by a grave digging ex-slave). What is more moving, an historically accurate, is that a group of men, born free, elected to give up that freedom to help other's gain theirs.