Glory Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Very Close To 5 Stars

A film that follows the story about the the first ever black regiment in the US Army as it battles in the American Civil War.

If you have any interest in American history then you have to see this film. At times the film verges on cheesiness but there's too much substance to the film to really allow that to happen and I can wholeheartedly recomment this for anyone with an interest in war films that have more than just big explosions.

Deserved every Oscar

Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick. Need I say more? Denzel will have you in tears, and not from laughter. Matthew Broderick's Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who lead the first black regiment into action during the American Civil War. Shaw is a compassionate example of a good military leader. He faces disgrace and treachery from other white officers who would do terrible things to their black regiments and have them do terrible things to settlements. Shaw's men died to a man, but he kept a journal and he knew a journalist. Just before his last stand, he gave those journals and letters to his family to the lad and asked that his story be remembered. And here it is. Elwes is an excellent junior officer and Shaw's (Broderick) best friend. Morgan Freeman is the first black sargeant who looks after his men, a wise old dog of a sargeant who always provides excellent guidance to the young Shaw when he asks it. They deal with requisitions officers who would rather sell the regiments shoes and supplies rather than clothe them. They defy the President in allowing the black soldiers to wear the uniform. The soldiers take half pay, and then no pay at all, in being discouraged from entering the war. Through many hardships and punishments, they march long and hard rising and falling together as a unit. It is beautiful and humanist. How anyone could watch this and not be taken is beyond me. The soundtrack is performed by the Boys' Choir of Harlem. The cinematography is BEYOND COMPARISON, the viewer will feel they are looking in on a period Civil War painting at all times. The troubles and tribulations are real, as they did happen and these men did exist and I personally have been to the filming location outside Savannah, Georgia on a little island called Tybee Island at a small beach fort. It was expertly performed and took a great deal of talent to deliver this emotional masterpiece. I bought the soundtrack in 1990 and still have it. I'll be getting the DVD next.