Glory
Tags: inspiring, violence, historical

Plot synopsis:
During the American Civil War, Captain Robert Shaw, injured at Antietam, is sent home to Boston on medical leave. Shaw accepts a promotion to Colonel commanding the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first all-black regiments in the Union Army. He asks his friend, Cabot Forbes, to serve as his second in command, with the rank of major. Their first volunteer is another friend, Thomas Searles, a bookish, free African-American. Other recruits include John Rawlins, Jupiter Sharts, Silas Tripp, and a mute teenage drummer boy.
The men learn that, in response to the Emancipation Proclamation, the Confederacy has issued an order that all black soldiers will be returned to slavery. Black soldiers found in a Union uniform will be executed as will their white officers. They are offered, but turn down, a chance to take an honorable discharge. They undergo rigorous training with Sergeant-Major Mulcahy, which Shaw realizes is to prepare them for the challenges they will face.
Tripp goes AWOL and is caught, Shaw orders him flogged in front of the troops. He learns that Tripp left to find shoes to replace his worn ones; his men are being denied supplies. He confronts the base's racist quartermaster on their behalf. Shaw also supports them in a pay dispute, as the Federal government pays black soldiers $10 not the $13 per month white soldiers earn. Tripp encourages the men to go without pay in protest; Shaw tears up his own pay stub in solidarity. In recognition of his leadership, Shaw promotes Rawlins to the rank of Sergeant-Major.
Once the 54th completes its training, they are transferred under the command of General Charles Harker. On the way to South Carolina they are ordered by Colonel James Montgomery to sack and burn Darien, Georgia. Shaw initially refuses to obey an unlawful order, but agrees under threat of having his troops taken away. He continues to lobby his superiors to allow his men to join the fight, as their duties to date have involved manual labor for which they are being mocked. Shaw finally gets the 54th into combat after he confronts Harker and threatens to report the illegal activities he has discovered. In their first battle at James Island, South Carolina, early success is followed by a confrontation with many casualties. The Confederates are defeated and retreat. During the battle, Thomas is wounded but saves Tripp. Shaw offers Tripp the honor of bearing the regimental flag in battle. He declines not believing the war will result in a better life for slaves.
General George Strong informs Shaw of a major campaign to secure a foothold at Charleston Harbor. This involves assaulting Morris Island and capturing Fort Wagner, whose only landward approach is a strip of open beach; a charge is certain to result in heavy casualties. Shaw volunteers the 54th to lead the charge. The night before the battle the black soldiers conduct a religious service, and several make emotional speeches to inspire the troops, and to ask for God's help. On their way to the attack, the 54th is cheered by the same Union troops who had scorned them earlier.
The 54th leads the charge on the fort suffering heavy casualties. At night the bombardment continues, forestalling progress. Attempting to encourage his men, Shaw is killed. Tripp lifts the flag rallying the soldiers to continue the charge. He is shot but holds up the flag until he dies. Forbes takes charge, and the soldiers are able to break through the fort's outer defenses. Outnumbered, Charlie Morse is killed and Thomas is wounded. At the end of the battle it is implied that Forbes, Rawlins, Thomas, Jupiter, and the two Color Sergeants are killed by canister shot. The morning after the battle, the beach is littered with bodies of Union soldiers; the Confederate flag is raised over the fort. The corpses are buried in a mass grave, with Shaw and Tripp's bodies next to each other.
Closing text reveals Fort Wagner was never taken by the Union Army. The courage demonstrated by the 54th resulted in the Union accepting thousands of black men for combat, which President Abraham Lincoln credited with helping to turn the tide of the war.

Review: "Glory" is a modern film classic that highlights a little-known chapter of the Civil War.I recently purchased the DVD, and was just as moved (if not more so) as the first time I saw it.Broderick, Freeman, and Washington, along with a stellar cast play it faultlessly.
I felt every nuance of the burden he carried, and thought Broderick did a wonderful job.Denzel Washington's powerful acting may never again have a showcase like it did in "Glory." His beauty, rage, and pride scream in every frame.
The men look to him for his calming wisdom and reasonable, fair demeanor.Films like "Saving Private Ryan" raised the technical bar for battle scenes.The fighting scenes in "Glory" are, unfortunately, it's weakest element.
Filled with memorable and moving scenes - the look of sheer defiance on Trip's (Denzel Washington) face as his already scarred back is whipped, the men of the 54th telling their stories around the campfire on the eve of battle, Shaw (Matthew Broderick) turning loose his horse on the beach before Ft. Wagner.
Glory tells the story of a Civil War colonel (Matthew Broderick) who leads the war's first all-black volunteer regimen into battles and discovers along the way he has to confront the moral question of racial prejudice within, and outside of, his regimen.So as I'm sitting in history class watching "Glory," I immediately begin to perk up.
The movie progressed and I found myself becoming yet more and more drawn into the film--not just watching it, but actually EXPERIENCING every ounce of war, prejudice, and moral questions that face the characters in the movie.What's even more, is that you find yourself becoming attached to ALL of the characters--every single black soldier--in some strange way, so strange, that when these men fall in battle you feel a jolt of power inside of you that is converted to emotional sadness in your mind.The final scenes in Glory are mesmerizing.
You will almost feel like a new person.All of this paired with a beautiful score by James Horner, Glory is simply one of the best war movies of all-time.
As there always is...Based on the letters compiled and only two reference books (including "One Gallant Rush" by Peter Burchard, which I proudly own), this tells the tale of the heretofore largely unknown 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first Afro-American regimen in American history during the Civil War. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was a 26-year old bright eyed Bostonian who was chosen by favor to lead the "first colored regimen" at the apex of the Civil War. Matthew Broderick portrays Col. Shaw as accurately as possible, bringing the youth and zeal of the real Shaw to grand light.
But some scenes cannot escape the psyche...The morning after they've been read a proclamation stating that they will be put to death, black and white, if caught bearing Union arms, and there they stand as a unit for roll call, not one man deserting, at attention for duty, prouder and taller than ever...The aforementioned Corporal Punishment scene (which, by the way, was the same punishment white officers would suffer if they deserted as well)...The charge on Fort Wagner--Shaw finally returning to the seashore he so loved all his life for what he knows in his heart is the last time, feeling home again and yet feeling already a walking spectre--Rawlins with a divine inner pride in his eyes marching toward the fort as Thomas looks to the others and Trip with no longer the mad lashing-out force to kill but the aggravated determination to win--the company as a whole marching into Fate with a gallant unified step...The true meaning of "hero" is in the heart of a man who faces even death if it will prove himself a man, not only to others but to himself.
The movie has an excellent cast which includes Mathew Broderick(only three years after he was in Ferris Buellers Day Off), Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman.I first saw this in my eight grade history class when we were learning about the Civil War. This movie has a great score and it really captures the feel of the Civil War through its battle scenes.
While Denzel Washington's performance was far more forceful(and aptly so), I honestly found Broderick's character the mostcompelling in the movie.By the climactic battle, I felt great empathy for each of thecharacters, especially Col. Shaw.
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates .
The story is based on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first formal unit of the US Army to be made up entirely of African American men, as told from the point of view of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) , its commanding officer during the American Civil War. Captain Robert Gould Shaw leads a company of Union soldiers from a Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in an attack on Confederate troops at the Battle of Antietam, on September 17, 1862.
Numerous soldiers in the regiment charge up the parapet and die in the fighting too .This wonderful film with an enormous attention to period detail is full of thrills , with battle scenes are truly breathtaking , historical events and moving scenes .
Glory was a strong film and i think it is arguably the best civil war movie yet to be made.
The movie was seen through the eyes of Mathew Brodrick otherwise know as the white commander of the 54th regiment Robert Shaw and how he feels for his black soldiers, it was truly moving.
To call "Glory" a "war movie" is akin to calling "Hamlet" a "ghost story." While it is true that it is a movie set in the Civil War and complete with realistic battle scenes, authentically reproduced uniforms and weapons, and a film that introduces the viewer to an important part of American history that had been more or less ignored--the roles that African-American soldiers played in the Union army--it is still so much more than that.I don't think I will ever find the precise words to indicate how satisfying and wonderful this film is and how much I love it.
Every actor does his job marvelously, from the amazing portrayal of "Trip" by Denzel Washington, to the steady, inspiring character that Morgan Freeman creates perfectly, to the baby-faced Colonel Robert Gould Shaw played with sincerity and intensity by Matthew Broderick, down to the minor role of the butt-kicking Irish drill sergeant who abuses his black recruits physically and verbally, calling them "You Mexican African whores!" and other lovely epithets.
(That latter actor, incidentally, wanted so badly to be a part of the film that he offered to work for free!)I'm frustrated when I recommend this movie to friends and others and they respond with "I don't like war movies." Sure, Welles's "Citizen Kane" is a movie about business, and Chaplin's "City Lights" is about panhandling, not true?But like those two wonders, "Glory" tells its story perfectly, complete with great characters that you love, beautifully realized photography and action, and a deep, emotional wellspring that leaves a viewer lifted high above and beyond the TV room sofa.
From the sound track by James Horner and the singing of the Harlem Boys Choir to the acting of Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and the rest of the cast, this movie was most excellent and outstanding.
The movie showed me how the African Americans soldiers of the 54th Massachusett regiment felt during the civil war.
I enjoyed looking at the movie, I encourage others to watch this movie especially if you would like to understand how African Americans soldiers felt during the civil war..
Maybe, by the second viewing after I had watched thousands of movies since first seeing this, I just got tired of the "race issue." Yeah, I am sure black people had to get treated with little respect back in the Civil War days, as well as many other days until recent decades, but I don't need to be shown the evil white man for two straight hours.
Cary Elwes too gives a very good performance as Broderick's pal officer, and the rest of the cast is great, specially the actors who play the soldiers of the black regiment.
Based around the actual letters sent by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to his parents, this Civil War picture tells the story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first black regiment to fight under the American flag.
Matthew Broderick (Shaw), Denzel Washington (Academy Award Winner Best Supporting Actor) (Trip), Morgan Freeman (John Rawlins) and Andre Braugher (Searles).We follow this regiment from their initial formation, here they are ill equipped and never taken seriously, it appears that this army is not even worthy of being canon fodder.
This ultimately leads to their place in American history with the culmination of events at South Carolina's Fort Wagner (a stunning emotive finale that booms out of the screen).Heroic and tragic is the tale of Glory, but the chief point of enlightenment through historical facts, and the message of heroics having no colour, makes Glory a truly inspiring movie that demands to be seen and totally respected.
Screenwriter Kevin Jarre (from Robert Gould Shaw's letters and two novels) presents a well-told tale about the first black regiment of the Civil War in America.There are strong performances from Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman and Academy Award winner Denzel Washington.
This film explores one of the African American contributions to the American Civil War, through the story of the 54th Regiment, an experimental fighting force lead by white colonel Robert Shaw.
I'll make this short and to the point:"Glory" is the most beautiful war movie ever made, carried from beginning to end by a faultless cast and rousing sequences that really gives more depth and meaning to a comment made by a Union soldier close to the film's end, "Give 'em hell, 54th!" The 54th Regiment is one of history's most underrated and under-appreciated moments, and 1989's "Glory" follows its beginnings with a largely volunteer army of Freedmen and former slaves (who faced certain death from the Confederacy if they were ever caught), to its intense scrutiny by the supporting white brigades, and up until its final "glorious" moment when they were ushered into history when the 54th laid siege to Fort Wagner.
The movie's attention to historic detail is pretty good (although the last scene where they storm the Fort is a little inaccurate) and I can safely say there will never be a better Civil War movie than this.I swear to you that when Matthew Broderick goes out to see if his troops have deserted him and the music kicks in when he finds out, I cry EVERY SINGLE TIME.
With many aspects of historical contexts, it seemed very realistic to the Civil War. A great cast of the always great Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman along with a great portrayal of Robert Shaw by Matthew Broderick fit the movie very well.
Glory, directed by Edward Zwick, follows Robert Gould Shaw through his journey of leading the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first all black infantry in the Civil War. The film begins on the fields of Antietam where Robert watches men die and is grazed by a bullet himself.
Edward Zwick directed this stirring true life account of how Officer Robert Gould Shaw(played by Mathew Broderick) took the unprecedented step to lead the first all-black army unit during the American Civil War. It was the Massachusetts 54th infantry unit(played by actors like Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, and Denzel Washington, who won a best supporting actor Academy Award) who eventually came together under his leadership to distinguish themselves, and become the hated targets of the confederacy, as well as the bigotry from their own side, though they persevere, until the fateful charge on Fort Wagner leads to disaster...
Watching the movie, I feel as though I could understand in some cases the depth of pain and emotion the men felt.Overall, 'Glory' is truly moving, allowing viewers to have a good understanding of what exactly black soldiers faced during the Civil War and the path they traveled on to secure the freedom for all.Though there are the occasional mishaps in the movie, the majority of the film has a touching and mainly accurate portrayal of the time that these men served in the Union.'Glory' is definitely a film not to be missed, no matter what your preference is..
Based on true historical events, this Civil War epic sees a charismatic cast of Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, and Denzel Washington each in one of their most alluring roles of their career, with performances that shine like gold and a beautifully written story that drives on an irresistibly powerful journey through the heart of one of America's harshest periods.
The film tells the intriguing story of Colonel Robert Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick) following his injury in the devastating Battle of Antieham, a soldier of the Union Army who lead the first African American infantry unit on the battlefield with his childhood friend Lieutenant Cabot Forbes (played by Cary Elwes)second in command.
Some of his unit recruits include former slave Private Silas Trip (played by Denzel Washington) and Sergeant Major John Rawlins (played by Morgan Freeman) as these brave men sprawl across the South in a blood-raging battle against the Confederate Army.What becomes of a war for freedom costs the lives of the brave ones who are willing to fight for it, and this historical epic doesn't pull the punches when showing this.
I have to say in my perspective actors such as Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman were instrumental along with the rest of the cast and crew in making Glory one of the best civil war depictions next to Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.
"GLORY" is a war film directed by Edward Zwick and stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Andre Braugher.
Denzel Washington as private Trip was a great performance showing how tough he is to the whites but caring and passionate towards the freedom of blacks which gave him a well earned Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, Morgan Freeman was excellent in the movie, given that he can do no wrong, it clearly shows here.
Glory is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast.The movie is a very interesting and probably a very realistic look at how the US Civil War was fought.I didn't particularly enjoy Matthew Broderick as Robert Gould Shaw,he wasn't as bad as I thought he was going to be,but getting Ferris Bueller to be the main role of a serious war film was just a strange and risky casting decision,however,this movie was saved by two actors that were relatively unknown at the time but have gone on to become some of the biggest names in Hollywood,Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman,I loved seeing these characters develop and watch their personalities change drastically over the course of the movie.Glory is as intense and it is dramatic,and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good history or war film.
An army officer must become the leader of a group of black soldiers during the civil war.Best Performance: Denzel Washington Worst Performance: Cary Elwes.
Matthew Broderick as the baby-faced Shaw is matched dramatic moment for dramatic moment by the likes of Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher and Cary Elwes- and the gut-wrenching score by James Horner drives home the point(s) further still.
The entire cast was extraordinary...from Matthew Broderick as the white Col who led the black soldiers to his Sgt Major, played by Morgan Freeman and of course, Denzel Washington, who played Pvt Trip.
To even think that such a regiment of soldiers, fighting against so many enemies, could distinguish themselves is the ultimate.The performances by Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman were just so, so outstanding.
I finally saw this film in its entirety in a high school history class, and I remembered it to be very powerful, dark and depressing - upsetting feelings of despair and dismal only war could bring.It's a pretty suspenseful and intriguing story about Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) commanding the US Civil War's first black volunteer company to battle the Union army and the Confederates.
Matthew Broderick stars in this Civil War movie about the Massachusetts 54th, the first all- black regiment in history.
He does a great job as an actor and I loved the character and his awesome facial hair.Broderick was good, Freeman was great as always, but the glory behind the movie was Denzel Washington, pun intended.
Starring Matthew Broderick, "Glory" tells the poignant story of the Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment and their role in a half forgotten battle that, in Lincoln's own words, changed the tide of the war.The entire cast was incredible in their unforgettable roles.
The story may be based on Shaw's letters, but Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Andre Braugher, and Jhimi Kennedy add dimension to the Civil War by bringing their diverse characters to life because it really is a rich man's war and a poor man's fight.The action is disappointing only if you watched expecting to see the blood and gore that many war films exhibit.
The first time I saw this movie was in my History class.The movie was a very good movie, it has Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman as main characters.The movie is about a group of African American soldiers who face hardships throughout the Civil War.I was very touched when you see what they faced as a group, but they overcame their problems.
Shaw (Broderick) and with very interesting characters from Denzel Washington and Morgan freeman, this film is both entertaining and thought-provoking as a war film.
During the Civil War, Robert Shaw(Matthew Broderick) becomes colonel of the 54th regiment, which is an all-black regiment.