STILL The Best Civil War Movie To Date!

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2002)

This movie falls into the "must see" category for historical dramas. Much like the films Saving Private Ryan and Last of the Mohicans, Glory stands as the war film to beat for its time period.
Glory arguably contains the most technically realistic and memorable Civil War reenactment scenes ever shot. Who didn't wince and watch in horror when Shaw and his regiment were blown to bits during the Antietam scene (which I would guess it was the West Woods portion of the Antietam battle??)? Who didn't feel uplifted when the 54th cuts down the Confederate cavalry charge which foolishly thought it would be no problem to break the lines of an inexperienced -and black- regiment? And finally, who didn't watch with solemn pride the dramatic climax of the Fort Wagner assault.
This movie shows that even though the men were treated as (even below) second class citizens by their own country and army, they still had the integrity and honor to fight the best they could for the Union - and eachother. That's why those men in the 54th and every other black regiment stood out from the rest. They must have known of America's potential even before America did and fought to develop that and win black people the dignity and respect they always deserved but never got. Glory puts that struggle on film for us to experience - and doesn't disappoint.