Glory
Description of Film:
Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off) stars in Edward Zwick’s
(The Last Samarai) poignant Civil War
picture. Broderick plays young Robert
Gould Shaw, the man who led the 54th regiment,
the first all-Black, volunteer company.
The star-studded cast includes Morgan Freeman
(Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby)
as the wise Sergeant Major John Rawlins, Denzel
Washington (Training Day, Malcolm X )
as the wise-cracking instigator Private Trip,
Cary Elwes (Princess Bride) as Major
Cabot Forbes, and Andre Braugher (Get on
the Bus) as the reserved and educated Thomas
Searles.
When the movie begins, Robert Gould Shaw is
engaged in battle at Antitem. The opening scene
makes it clear that this movie has a lot to
do with Shaw’s inner conflict as well
as the one going on around him. He is
clearly sickened by war, but at the same time,
his sense of duty pushes him on. He is
assigned to lead the first all-Black regiment;
this regiment’s struggles become the focal
point of the film. The men in the regiment
gave up their freedom and their lives to be
a part of this company. All they want
to do is fight in the war and have a chance
to win “glory” and their freedom.
However, no one wants them to fight; the war
department was just using them as manual labor.
Nonetheless, the 54th finally makes their mark.
This movie features graphic violence; after
all, it’s a war picture. There also is
some strong language.
This movie earned five Academy Award nominations
and won in three categories: Best Actor
in a Supporting Role (Denzel Washington), Best
Cinematography and Best Sound. It also
was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best
Editing.
Why I recommend it: I
recommend this movie because it offers a remarkable
look at the Civil War through the eyes of those
most affected by its outcome. These men
were not only fighting for the Union and the
President, they were fighting for their own
freedom.
Why This is Important:
This movie is based on a true story. Robert
Gould Shaw was actually a real person and the
real leader of this company. The Civil
War may have taken place over a hundred years
ago, but the events that took place before,
during and immediately after have shaped our
history and our future as a country. When
the Civil War is discussed, it always seems
as though we begin by talking about how the
Union (comprised of White soldiers) fought for
the emancipation of the slaves. But, that’s
not all there is to be said. People of
color also were fighting. Those who literally
fought for their own freedom clearly had a more
powerful reason to fight than many other people.
This
movie is based on Lincoln Kirstein’s “Lay
This Laurel,” Peter Burchard’s “One
Gallant Rush,” and the letters of Robert
Gould Shaw.
Favorite Quotation: Rawlins
and Trip have a heated conversation about the
word “nigger.” Trip uses this word
to refer to everyone until Rawlins says:
“And who are you? So full of hate
that you have to fight everybody, because you've
been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that
might not be living, but it sure as hell ain't
dying. And dying's been what these white
boys have been doing for going on three years
now, dying by the thousands, dying for you,
fool. I know; I dug their graves.
And all this time I keep askin' myself, ‘When,
O Lord, when gonna be our time?’ Gonna
come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up
and kick in like men, LIKE MEN! You watch
who you callin' nigger! If there's any
niggers around here, it's YOU. Just a
stupid-ass, swamp-runnin' nigger! And
if you not careful, that's all you ever gonna
be!” |