The Glass Shield (1994)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Charles Burnett

Writers:

Charles Burnett (writer)
John Eddie Johnson (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

In a world filled with violence... his only weapon is the truth!

Plot:

J.J. is a rookie in the Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at that station. Racial tensions...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Murder | Corruption | Police | Anti Semitic Slur

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Erich Anderson	...	Dist. Atty. Korn
Richard Anderson	...	Massey
Michael Boatman	...	Johnny 'J.J.' Johnson
Bernie Casey	...	Locket
Wanda De Jesus	...	Carmen Munoz
Victoria Dillard	...	Barbara
Elliott Gould	...	Greenspan
Don Harvey	...	Bono
Tommy Redmond Hicks	...	Rev. Banks (as Tommy Hicks)
Ice Cube	...	Teddy Woods
Michael Ironside	...	Baker
Natalia Nogulich	...	Judge Helen Lewis
Lori Petty	...	Dep. Deborah Fields
Sy Richardson	...	Mr. Taylor
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Hal

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #33023) | Norway:15 (video premiere) | UK:15 (video premiere)

Company:

CiBy 2000

Goofs:

Continuity: When the officers push Johnson down onto the desk and Baker shoves a revolver in his mouth, the gun is shown already cocked. Then in the next cut, Baker cocks the gun again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Love and Death on Long Island (1997)

An Excellent Film

Being that I was only thirteen when this film came out, I vaguely remember the promos for THE GLASS SHIELD. As usual, the Hollywood establishment misrepresented this film during its release and I fear no one saw it, and those who expected 1) Ice Cube to have a huge role or 2) Lori Petty to get naked were severely disappointed. (I think this came out very close to CLOCKERS, too, which might have confused some people.)

I've been hearing a lot of underground talk about Charles Burnett, lately, so I picked up this film (thinking it was a usual cop-meets-gangsta film previous to my knowledge that Burnett directed it.) I must say that it is an excellent, incisive picture that manages to duck every convention one expects from Hollywood. I was reminded of IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, but this was without the Mr. Tibbs-like over-the-top innocent; JJ (an excellent Michael Boatman) is truly a real character, with real guilt and real problems. Ice Cube plays his role well, and Lori Petty is good, but it is the creepy fraternity of mustachioed white cops that makes this film truly frightening. They are bad, but not outright evil; they are, instead, men too pumped up on the power of the badge and the sidearm and the encouragement of their peers.

This is a riveting film with less than two "action" scenes; the tension exists instead in the idea that terrible violence awaits every character at every turn, and when the higher-ups descend to the levels of insane criminals, we realize the significance of the title, and the vulnerability of peace.

Highly recommended.