Glory still stands today as one of the best Civil War dramas ever made. The film is a recounting of the events of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first colored regiment fighting for the Union.
The film begins in 1862 with the bloody Battle of Antietam. Captain Robert Shaw (Matthew Broderick) leads a company of men against the Confederate army. Although the Union wins the battle, Shaw loses most of his company and he himself is wounded but survives. Meanwhile, President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation which frees all slaves in the south. As the Union is starting to run a little low on men, Lincoln gives the order to put black men into service. Shaw is given the rank of colonel, and given the task of training and leading the 54th Massachusetts Regiment into battle. Among those who sign up are Trip (Denzel Washington), Thomas (Andre Braugher) and John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman).
Glory is an incredible true story, masterfully done. However, I will admit that before I watched it, I had doubts about the cast. I mean, casting Matthew Broderick in a serious movie? Far chance! Surprisingly, Broderick took this role seriously and gave his most accomplished performance I've seen. Cary Elwes co-stars as Union Major Cabot Forbes. Morgan Freeman plays Rawlings, and Denzel Washington, in a role that won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, plays Trip.
Glory does, however, fall just a hair shy of becoming one of the great war movies, perhaps because it's doesn't come out as strong as it could have. Nevertheless, I was still disappointed that this was not even nominated for best picture of the year. The film contains good direction by Edward Zwick, near excellent cinematography, and a few outstanding performances.
This is without a doubt one of the most memorable and emotional Civil War pics ever made on the screen. Its brilliance did not quite outshine Gettysburg, another excellent movie about that terrible war, but this was a very engaging, emotional and entertaining film.
**** ½/5
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