Glory (1989)

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers (WGA):

Robert Gould Shaw (letters)
Lincoln Kirstein (book)

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives. Nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Prejudice | Civil War | Black Soldier | Soldier

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Matthew Broderick	...	Col. Robert Gould Shaw
Denzel Washington	...	Pvt. Trip
Cary Elwes	...	Maj. Cabot Forbes
Morgan Freeman	...	Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
Jihmi Kennedy	...	Pvt. Jupiter Sharts
Andre Braugher	...	Cpl. Thomas Searles
John Finn	...	Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy
Donovan Leitch	...	Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse
JD Cullum	...	Henry Sturgis Russell (as John David Cullum)
Alan North	...	Gov. John Albion Andrew
Bob Gunton	...	Gen. Charles Garrison Harker
Cliff De Young	...	Col. James M. Montgomery (as Cliff DeYoung)
Christian Baskous	...	Edward L. Pierce
RonReaco Lee	...	Mute drummer boy
Jay O. Sanders	...	Gen. George Crockett Strong

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 (2000) (DVD) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | USA:PG (edited version) | Norway:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

African-American National Historic Site - 14 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Andre Braugher's movie debut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scene the night before the big attack on Fort Wagner, you can to see the men's breath, which is unlikely for South Carolina in July.

Quotes:

John Rawlins: Where about you from?
Trip: I'm from around Tennessee. I ran away when I was 12 years old and I ain't never looked back.
Sharts: What ya doin' since then?
Trip: I run for President.
[laughter]
Trip: I ain't winning, though.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "South Park: The F Word (#13.12)" (2009)

Emotional experience

There are few military films which allow us, the viewer, to explore our feelings and emotions on the total war experience. Glory, Patton, The Longest Day, explore and create great emotional value. Many more try to cash in on our emotional appeal as a commodity. Yeah, we'll watch Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, etc.,, and i hate to blasphemy these good, visually effective movies, but Glory is not out to exploit those senses. I love a good blow up movie, except not the actual movie BlowUP. Regards to Antonioni.

Now take two anti-scenes as i like to call them. Denzel getting whipped. Kills me every time, those eyes of his, staring at Col. Shaw. Hate filled. The other "colored" soldiers are standing around watching not in acceptance as soldiers, but in acceptance as a sort of slave to the union. And we're wondering, will they be upset. Will the black soldiers try to leave again. Will they rise up in anger. There is a not only misunderstanding between the officers and the enlisted, but an absolute distrust. The officers are equal to the slave owners.

My anit-scene is much later in the film. The soldiers have gathered around a fire and are praying to God, before battle. No imagery, just total emotion. Praising the Lord they know. Asking and praying, But not a single dissent about serving in the white man's army now. The have formed a proud military unit. Something most of us will never understand. And there is my emotional experience. Something i never imagined was part of the Civil War. The truth is I am compelled to feel too many emotions while watching this film. I would recommend this to anyone. and especially to those in the south.