Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2007)

OK, I have never before written a review for a movie on IMDb, but this movie forces me to do so. If my review can get one more person to watch "Glory", then I will be happy.
The acting is superb. Denzel Washington has always been a favorite of mine, and I believe he stole the show. However, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick turned in wonderful performances as well.
The score is as close to perfect as a movie score can be. You don't really notice it until after its over, or even until a second viewing, but the music is beautiful and truly enhances the emotion and action throughout.
The story, well, that you just have to experience for yourself. Being a male under 21, I enjoy most war movies. But "Glory" stands out above the rest. The action is never entertaining or "cool", its brutal. People forget how horrible Civil War conditions were: no sterilized medical equipment, no anesthetic, and men literally being blown to pieces while standing in formation in the middle of a field.
The development is what makes this movie. As the black regiment trains, becomes ready for combat, you as the viewer begin to feel frustration at the prejudice that is keeping them from action. As the white officers and the black soldiers spend more time together, you can see them build a mutual respect for each other.
Finally, I know this might sound melodramatic, but this is the first movie to make me shed a tear since Fox and the Hound. These men actually went through this horror, and we seldom hear about them today. What the recent movie '300' has done for Spartans, I really wish 'Glory' would do for the first black battalions.
One of the most powerful movies I have ever seen.