Great Civil War Movie

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 2017)

Glory was an excellent civil war movie that perfectly portrayed the journey of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and their leader Col. Robert Gould Shaw. It was more than just an ordinary war movie about gunfire and blood, it was a fight against racial prejudices and a fight to prove that blacks are just as capable to serve their country as whites are. The producers did a good job in minimizing the fighting and gore, as the movie was about more than just the war, it was about showing the glory and courage of 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The actors picked for the starring roles, Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman, all did an excellent job in playing their parts and working together. I especially liked the way Washington played his character as feisty and non-compliant while slowly changing throughout the movie and becoming a real leader by the end. There were many moments in the movie that showed the real courage and fight of the soldiers such as when no one backed down after learning about the Confederacy's Proclamation to kill anyone involved in a black infantry and the willingness of Shaw and his infantry to lead the battle at Fort Wagner, knowing they were certain for heavy casualties. It was quite tragic in the end to see that many of the soldiers and leaders had perished in the Battle of Fort Wagner especially since the Union forces didn't prevail there. But it was truly amazing to see how some of the white leaders such as Shaw had transformed and dropped their racial prejudices and literally gave their lives to a black regiment during these times, and the movie Glory portrayed that perfectly. It was also great when the producers added the writing at the end saying that even though the 54th regiment didn't win the battle it resulted in the authorization of many more black troops because of their courage in the battle and so Lincoln credited them with turning the tide of the war. There were a few historical inaccuracies that brought the movie down a tiny bit, such as the fact that the regiment was made up of mainly illiterate runaway slaves, when in reality they were actually educated free blacks. However, this was just to add to the effect and meaning and did not really harm the amazing movie.