The first black regiment in the American Civil War prepare to meet their destiny.

Rating: 9/10 (26 December 2003)

Great war-movie with a unique viewpoint, detailing the battles and setbacks suffered by the men of the 54th Mass. Regiment which lead to their ultimate test: a frontal assault over open terrain against a fortified enemy.
Some people may say the movie's score is a bit too emotional and perhaps melodramatic. Frequently we hear the angelic voices of the (Harlem) boys' choir during the film. In my opinion however, Ennio Morricone did an excellent job. Remember this film must be seen with the attitudes of the people living in those days in mind. Fighting in battle, killing and dying, were seen as honorable and one of the highest things Man could achieve.
SPOILER
In hindsight, after you have seen the film, everything falls into place perfectly. The attack on the Confederate fort is doomed from the start on. Colonel Shaw and his men know they have little chance of succeeding or even surviving. But when Shaw volunteers his men for this suicide charge, there is not one dissenting voice among the men of the 54th Mass. On the contrary, armed with their rifles and bibles, they know their sacrifice will prove their critics wrong: black men can fight like real men, they're not just a bunch of freed slaves. Denzel Washington's character's statement in boot camp sums it up perfectly: 'A black man can stop a bullet as well as a white man, and for less money!'
The voices of angels accompany the men when they march to the beach to prepare for their charge. Director Zwick also says in the commentary that it's really the image of a glorious funeral march. On a technical note, the most impressive aspect about this film is the visual effects during the charge. 'Glory' was made before the digital revolution. Then again, computer effects could never match the intensity of realistically portrayed combat, as is evidenced by Spielberg's 'Band Of Brothers'. For realistic shell explosions and bullet wounds, nothing beats the trusted non-digital techniques when shooting close-combat scenes.
As a European, I will say that eventhough I did know a bit about the American Civil War, this film was a big eye-opener to me because I had not known until then that black soldiers made up as much as 10 percent of the combat troops during the last years of the American Civil War.
My real criticism is not against the movie, but against the (lack of) tactics during the American Civil War. If you have the sense to dig in and take cover, then why can't you provide decent suppression fire for your advancing troops? But the same can be said about the First World War, where millions of men marched to their deaths over open ground, exposed to enemy machine gun fire and artillery... And they were using the same 'tactics' then as they did during the Civil War!