War film about race

Rating: 8/10 (19 July 2009)

Glory, the film that made the careers of a lot of people, Edward Zwick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Cary Elwes, and turned Matthew Broderick from a teen star to a movie star.
Glory tells the story of the first all-black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, who fought in the American Civil War. This new regiment was set up by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew and black intelligent Frederick Douglass. It was both a PR stunt and a way to gain support of free Black slaves from the South. The commander of this new regiment was a young Captain who gets promoted to Colonel, Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). He trains the black soldiers, he is tough, but he makes them into an effective unit. He doesn't have to battle the South because of racism within the officer corp of the Union Army. They prevent the Black troops getting supplies and refuse to let them fight on the front line. Shaw sets out to prove otherwise. With the regiment are Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), Shaw's friend who questions his harsh techniques. John Rawlins aka Gravedigger (Morgan Freeman), an older black soldier who acts a both a father figure to the soldiers and as the link between the soldiers and officers. Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), a intelligent free black man and a childhood friend of Shaw and Forbes, who finds army life tough. The pessimist of the group is Trip (Denzel Washington), an escaped slave who questions what the war is really about. Finally they is a Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy), a young stuttering soldier.
Many of the characters have a strong backstory and have fine actors in the roles. This is easily the strongest performance I have ever seen by Matthew Broderick. He is at first seemingly weak and mis-casted but he grows into the role and is believable. Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman are both great actors, especially Freeman. Washington even won an Oscar (but personally I think it could have gone to Freeman as well). Andre Braugher was also a decent. I however found the character Sharts pretty annoying.
There are good war scene, taking a pretty realistic, down to earth tone. This film started the trend towards realist violence in war films. The warfare was tough, fighting in the woods, plain fields and against forts.
They is a pretty strong script by Kevin Jarre: easily his best work. They is a focus on character and the issues as well as the action, which he and Edward Zwick do very well. Zwick is an action director that gives his film a heart and issue to focus on. He has made some pretty good films in his time.
The film is strong for the most part, but there are a couple of problems. First they are some historical inaccuracies which you just couldn't imagine really happening (but is still a lot better then Braveheart and Pearl Harbor). As I mention I thought the Sharts was a bit annoying and they are elements of the film which are clichéd. Finally I thought James Horner's score was overpowering, taking power away from the scenes. Sometimes silence is golden.
Overall, a good film, 4 out of 5.