Glory (A or 4/4 stars)
'Glory', directed by Edward Zwick & written by Kevin Jarre, is a glorious American Civil War motion picture that tells the true story of the all-black 54th Regiment of Massachusetts. Commanded by Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick), this Federal Army regiment was mostly comprised of ex-slaves who were ready & willing to fight for the North. The government had been undecided about how to utilize black soldiers {at 1st, the intention was to use them for manual labor}, but by the end, they honorable fought in combat. The backdrop against which 'Glory' transpires is, for the most part, historically sound; Zwick made sure to get as many details right as possible. Additionally to that, the characters in 'Glory' never seem less than 3-dimensional; and that's a tribute to Jarre's very thorough screenplay.
The film opens with a brief prologue at the brutal Civil War battle sites, Antietum. During the fight, then-Captain Shaw suffers an injury, is left for dead, but survives & convalesces home for a spell. There is a scene showing the hideous horrors of the medical facilities during which we see moment that is lifted straight from Gone With the Wind in which a soldier is gets his leg amputated while still conscious. When offered by the government to command this new all-black 54th Regiment, Shaw accepts, is promoted to Colonel, & convinces his friend, Maj. Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), to join, as well. Along with Shaw & Forbes, 'Glory' focuses on the small group of black men who share a tent: angry & resentful troublemaker, Priv. Trip (Denzel Washington); Priv. Jupiter Sharts (Jhimi Kennedy), a rifle expert with a nervous temperament; Corp. Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), an educated man who grew up with Shaw & Forbes; and the kindly wise gentleman, Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), a runaway slave with reason & wisdom to spare.
The 1st half of the story follows the Massachusetts 54th as they undergo rigorous training. There are several times when Col. Shaw appears well out of his depth; such as when he has Trip publicly flogged for desertion {during this then-standard punishment, scars from past whippings are revealed on Trip's back ... powerful scene}. During the film's 2nd half, the regiment heads-out on active duty. At 1st, they perform menial tasks {like burning an unprotected town}. However, Col. Shaw convinces the army to use the Massachusetts 54th in actual combat and, after winning a melee, they become the vanguard for an all-out ambush on the seemingly impenetrable Fort Wagner. War action, historical intrigue, & intense drama ensue.
What a movie. Edward Zwick's masterpiece {at least, according to me} not only contains epic sweep, fine acting, illuminating storytelling & great visuals ... but his most effective element would be how he creates such a vast historical cinematic tapestry without losing sight of his characters. To that, 'Glory' COULD have been a one-sided affair in showing Shaw's perspective, but rather, he ensures that we see several points of view: Shaw's, Trip's (Denzel), Jupiter's (Kennedy), Thomas' (Braugher) & John's (Freeman). The balance presented with these 5 characters is admirable. Furthermore, it is incredible that the 54th proved to the army that black soldiers could be relied on to fight with the very same patriotism & tenacity as the whites. And on the flip side, Zwick also goes to show that even then, white UNION soldiers still assumed black soldiers would be incapable in their abilities. Racism all around.
Zwick also finds ample time to highlight a sense of brotherhood & camaraderie in the story. Because of the forces set against them, the 54th regiment members become quite close. One memorable scene occurs the night before the shattering Fort Wagner assault in which members sing, pray, & offer up words of great inspiration. 'Glory' also goes to show just how isolated Shaw is. As a white man & colonel, he is a bit separated from his men; a divide he slowly closes through action {getting shoes & uniforms for the men; foregoing his paycheck when they decline theirs; fighting for them to go into battle}.
Matthew Broderick's headlining this cast was an intriguing choice. To date, he'd only proven himself in light fare. But playing Shaw gave him the chance to show his range; providing a sound foundation for which the rest of the story could be established. I liked how hard he was on his men; only because he KNEW they could be 1st rate soldiers who could show equal - or more - discipline & courage in battle. Broderick has a unique, likeable charm {as always}, but imbues Shaw with real gravity. Some of that gravity could be attributed to a sobering real life tragedy in which he was driving in a car with actress Jennifer Grey and accidentally struck & killed someone. I believe that personal experience served his serious performance.
Denzel Washington, of course, steals the film. His Trip starts out fairly unlikeable & defiant, with a large chip on his shoulder. And while everyone else around him is either sincere, earnest, or racist ... it is his Trip who is the most complex & flawed of all. When the camera lingers on his him as he is being flogged for desertion - and we see the scars on his back from prior whippings - his outwardly stoic, yet subtly trembling facial reactions concluding with one tear trickling down his face is just a stunning moment -- this singular instance of fluttering rage, pain & humiliation is what probably won him his 1st Academy Award. Fine work by Morgan Freeman, Jhimi Kennedy, Bob Gunton, & particularly Andre Braugher, round out the cast.
Ed Zwick films all look & sound astounding. On a fairly modest budget, he is able to bring such visual poetry & power. Zwick employed actual Civil War re-enactors to populate the combat scenes and, that opening battle is a cracker; containing one particularly gory shot of a solider getting his head blown up. Freddie Francis' cinematography is crisp, clear, & epic in its visual acuity. The period sets, costumes & make-up work are highly authentic. And James Horner's thoroughly stirring music score is a perfect accompaniment to the images we see onscreen for the film's potent 122 minute run time.
How this film won Best Supporting Actor, Cinematography & Sound at the Oscars - and also nominated elsewhere - yet missed noms for Best Picture & Director is beyond me. Driving Miss Daisy won the coveted Best Picture award that year - no complaints on that front - but 'Glory' deserved to be up there standing aside that film. You know, Glory's climax is an exemplary mix of both tragedy & triumph -- an elegy to the 54th regiment, while also uplifting our souls. The film puts an accent on courage, freedom, & standing up to insidious racism. And Zwick accomplishes all of this by steering clear of overt manipulation in favor of painstaking historical accuracy, rich character development & a stellar dramatic narrative structure. Fantastic film.
The film opens with a brief prologue at the brutal Civil War battle sites, Antietum. During the fight, then-Captain Shaw suffers an injury, is left for dead, but survives & convalesces home for a spell. There is a scene showing the hideous horrors of the medical facilities during which we see moment that is lifted straight from Gone With the Wind in which a soldier is gets his leg amputated while still conscious. When offered by the government to command this new all-black 54th Regiment, Shaw accepts, is promoted to Colonel, & convinces his friend, Maj. Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), to join, as well. Along with Shaw & Forbes, 'Glory' focuses on the small group of black men who share a tent: angry & resentful troublemaker, Priv. Trip (Denzel Washington); Priv. Jupiter Sharts (Jhimi Kennedy), a rifle expert with a nervous temperament; Corp. Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), an educated man who grew up with Shaw & Forbes; and the kindly wise gentleman, Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), a runaway slave with reason & wisdom to spare.
The 1st half of the story follows the Massachusetts 54th as they undergo rigorous training. There are several times when Col. Shaw appears well out of his depth; such as when he has Trip publicly flogged for desertion {during this then-standard punishment, scars from past whippings are revealed on Trip's back ... powerful scene}. During the film's 2nd half, the regiment heads-out on active duty. At 1st, they perform menial tasks {like burning an unprotected town}. However, Col. Shaw convinces the army to use the Massachusetts 54th in actual combat and, after winning a melee, they become the vanguard for an all-out ambush on the seemingly impenetrable Fort Wagner. War action, historical intrigue, & intense drama ensue.
What a movie. Edward Zwick's masterpiece {at least, according to me} not only contains epic sweep, fine acting, illuminating storytelling & great visuals ... but his most effective element would be how he creates such a vast historical cinematic tapestry without losing sight of his characters. To that, 'Glory' COULD have been a one-sided affair in showing Shaw's perspective, but rather, he ensures that we see several points of view: Shaw's, Trip's (Denzel), Jupiter's (Kennedy), Thomas' (Braugher) & John's (Freeman). The balance presented with these 5 characters is admirable. Furthermore, it is incredible that the 54th proved to the army that black soldiers could be relied on to fight with the very same patriotism & tenacity as the whites. And on the flip side, Zwick also goes to show that even then, white UNION soldiers still assumed black soldiers would be incapable in their abilities. Racism all around.
Zwick also finds ample time to highlight a sense of brotherhood & camaraderie in the story. Because of the forces set against them, the 54th regiment members become quite close. One memorable scene occurs the night before the shattering Fort Wagner assault in which members sing, pray, & offer up words of great inspiration. 'Glory' also goes to show just how isolated Shaw is. As a white man & colonel, he is a bit separated from his men; a divide he slowly closes through action {getting shoes & uniforms for the men; foregoing his paycheck when they decline theirs; fighting for them to go into battle}.
Matthew Broderick's headlining this cast was an intriguing choice. To date, he'd only proven himself in light fare. But playing Shaw gave him the chance to show his range; providing a sound foundation for which the rest of the story could be established. I liked how hard he was on his men; only because he KNEW they could be 1st rate soldiers who could show equal - or more - discipline & courage in battle. Broderick has a unique, likeable charm {as always}, but imbues Shaw with real gravity. Some of that gravity could be attributed to a sobering real life tragedy in which he was driving in a car with actress Jennifer Grey and accidentally struck & killed someone. I believe that personal experience served his serious performance.
Denzel Washington, of course, steals the film. His Trip starts out fairly unlikeable & defiant, with a large chip on his shoulder. And while everyone else around him is either sincere, earnest, or racist ... it is his Trip who is the most complex & flawed of all. When the camera lingers on his him as he is being flogged for desertion - and we see the scars on his back from prior whippings - his outwardly stoic, yet subtly trembling facial reactions concluding with one tear trickling down his face is just a stunning moment -- this singular instance of fluttering rage, pain & humiliation is what probably won him his 1st Academy Award. Fine work by Morgan Freeman, Jhimi Kennedy, Bob Gunton, & particularly Andre Braugher, round out the cast.
Ed Zwick films all look & sound astounding. On a fairly modest budget, he is able to bring such visual poetry & power. Zwick employed actual Civil War re-enactors to populate the combat scenes and, that opening battle is a cracker; containing one particularly gory shot of a solider getting his head blown up. Freddie Francis' cinematography is crisp, clear, & epic in its visual acuity. The period sets, costumes & make-up work are highly authentic. And James Horner's thoroughly stirring music score is a perfect accompaniment to the images we see onscreen for the film's potent 122 minute run time.
How this film won Best Supporting Actor, Cinematography & Sound at the Oscars - and also nominated elsewhere - yet missed noms for Best Picture & Director is beyond me. Driving Miss Daisy won the coveted Best Picture award that year - no complaints on that front - but 'Glory' deserved to be up there standing aside that film. You know, Glory's climax is an exemplary mix of both tragedy & triumph -- an elegy to the 54th regiment, while also uplifting our souls. The film puts an accent on courage, freedom, & standing up to insidious racism. And Zwick accomplishes all of this by steering clear of overt manipulation in favor of painstaking historical accuracy, rich character development & a stellar dramatic narrative structure. Fantastic film.