Wonderful Telling Of An Important Chapter In American History

Rating: 9/10 (10 June 2006)

Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), a young officer in the American Civil War, is singled out for heroism at the bloody Battle of Antietam. Promoted to colonel, he is commissioned the commander of the 54th Massachusetts infantry - a regiment made up entirely of black soldiers. With the help of his friend Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes) and a loud-mouthed Irish drill sergeant (John Finn), Shaw whips his recruits into a fine unit. However, he learns that his superior officers - namely crooked department leader General Harker (Bob Gunton) and Colonel Montgomery (Cliff De Young), his racist brigade commander - have no intention of letting his troops into action. However, they finally do get a chance, winning a skirmish with a Confederate patrol and then leading an assault on Fort Wagner, one of the Confederate forts protecting Charleston, South Carolina. The attack fails, Shaw is killed, and over half the regiment with him - but the 54th Massachusetts earns its place in history.
If nothing else, "Glory" deserves credit for shining the light on one of the most overlooked chapters in American history. While thousands of white men died for the Union in fruitless charges from Fredericksburg to Shiloh, white leaders throughout the North were reluctant to arm blacks, for a variety of reasons - they couldn't fight, they would incite the border states to leave the Union, white soldiers wouldn't allow it - but finally, it occurred. The 54th Massachusetts was not the first black regiment raised, nor was it the first to see combat in the Civil War - but it was arguably the most important. After its attack on Fort Wagner, even the most bigoted white politicians had to admit that blacks were just as good as whites. By war's end over 100,000 blacks were in uniform, and black troops of the Union XXV Corps were the first to enter Richmond after its fall to Union forces in April 1865. This is movie is a perfect tribute to the men of the 54th, and to every black soldier who overcame the odds to prove themselves worthy.
The cast is amazing in this film, with Matthew Broderick giving a bravura performance as Shaw. Shaw himself is only in his twenties, but is forced to become the leader of some 700 men, most of them older than him, and train them to be good fighters. Shaw is doggedly determined to prove himself, and other than one or two overlong speeches, Broderick does a marvelous job (despite a ridiculous Boston accent) portraying this heroic figure. Denzel Washington got a well-deserved Oscar for his role as Trip, the bitter black soldier who struggles to find himself while serving in the regiment. Morgan Freeman as usual is amazing as Sergeant Rawlins, the gravedigger-turned-soldier who becomes a father figure to Shaw's ragged men. Jhimi Kennedy and Andre Brougher are also solid as other black soldiers, while Cary Elwes, John Finn, Cliff De Young, Bob Gunton, Jay O. Sanders, Richard Riehle, and Alan North are all fine in supporting roles.
Edward Zwick's direction is stellar, catching the feel of Civil War times with splendid detail. The battle scenes are spectacular, with the final assault on Fort Wagner one of the most heart-pounding action scenes in any war movie. Kevin Jarre's screenplay is exceptionally well-written, and a world apart from the more witty script he would write for "Tombstone" several years later. And James Horner's haunting score is an instant classic.
While it can be argued that the unsuccessful assault on Fort Wagner had little importance to the overall Civil War, it did have massive importance for America's black community and showed that they too had a place not only in the military, but in society as well. "Glory" is a fitting tribute to men who are overshadowed by the glories of Gettysburg and Chickamauga, but are just as deserving of recognition for their extraordinary heroism.
Nine stars.