The Glass Shield (1994) User Reviews

Gripping police drama exposing corruption at L.A. precinct...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 26 April 2009]

There's a strong resemblance to the much praised L.A. CONFIDENTIAL in this vivid story of crime and corruption on the police force, based partially on a true story involving these events.

Basically, it's the tale of a black police rookie who tries to fit in by covering corrupt practices and tries to uncover the truth behind the false prosecution of a black man (ICE CUBE). The black rookie (MICHEAL BOATMAN) suffers slurs inherent with being the first black man on the force and other social injustices within the department.

All the performances are first rate, beginning with Boatman, who does a fine job, MICHAEL ANDERSON, BERNIE CASEY (especially good as Ice Cube's lawyer), and ELLIOT GOULD--all first rate. LORI PETTY is also convincing as the only woman rookie who helps Boatman in his investigation. MICHAEL IRONSIDE is chilling as one of Anderson's most corrupt officers.

Given terse direction by Charles Burnett in well paced, brisk, documentary style, it maintains a grip on the attention throughout as it unravels a tale of police corruption and the hard decisions that have to be made.

Still Relevant

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 18 August 2020]

What year was this made again? 1994. Oh, I thought it was made 2020. That just goes to show how long there have been issues between Black folks and the police. Not that I needed "Glass Shield" to inform me of that. The '92 Rodney King verdict was enough to wake me up.

"Glass Shield" is an upsetting movie. It taps the nerve center. Conspiracies and corruption always elicit a strong reaction--mix racial injustice in there and you have a real deadly brew.

John Johnson (Michael Boatman) was a wide-eyed rookie sheriff just added to the Edgemar station in L.A. County. He was the only Black sheriff, but he wasn't going to let that upset his plans to become a cop.

His loyalties were tested when an officer Bono (Don Harvey) detained Teddy Woods (Ice Cube) at a gas station. Johnson backed up Bono and backed him up again later on in court. Teddy Woods was arrested and later charged with murder which would be the central part of the overall plot.

"Glass Shield" at its core is about police corruption and the "thin blue line." It's not far-fetched corruption that a sound-minded person could never fathom; it is corruption right in the wheelhouse of what has been seen from our various law enforcement agencies: mysterious inmate suicides, improper arrests, tainted evidence, racial bias, and more. "Glass Shield" is a rousing movie that will stoke the emotions, it's unfortunate that it is still so relevant.

An action packed police film on an indie film budget.

[efrancis-15956 · 7/10 · 4 December 2015]

Charles Burnett sculpts the movie with star protagonist JJ or John Johnson played by Michael Boatman is a young African American Cop who is excited and eager to be a police officer. He soon realizes that being a police officer is not what he expected as he soon realizes the wrong and dishonest dealings going on with in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Our young Valen JJ teams up with another minority, young female officer Deborah Fields (Lori Petty) to right the wrongs and restore justice as any honest, moralistic young adult would do. These young officers' morals are what drives the plot and leads their actions to fulfill justice in their hypocritical department.

JJ's suspicions began when he is involved with the unlawful arrest of Teddy Woods (played by Hollywood Star Ice Cube). He is convincingly framed as a murder, so much that JJ believes this until other suspicious behaviors leads him to the truth. Teddy Woods's case goes to court and becomes the center of attention to the audience via Deputy Johnson's role in arresting Mr. Woods, to reveal the injustices of the department. Throughout the judicial fiasco JJ and Deborah are harassed by other officers about being a minority in the white male department. If that isn't enough JJ must deal with a frustrated relationship with his girlfriend (you will have to watch and see for yourself if their romance endures).

Young and Zealous JJ deals with more than just romantic issues and physical harassment. He develops an internal struggle with his morals over if it is more important to bring forth justice at whatever cost or bring justice through the law and in accordance with its procedures. This is strategically shown through JJ's interaction with friends and family outside of work. Johnson views many of his colleagues as men seeking to put the bad guys behind bars and willing to bend the rules in order to do so, a white lie as to why you pulled someone over if it means you are putting a bad guy behind bars.

Many viewers of the film will undoubtedly connect this film's message with the Black Lives matter campaign and other civil rights protests. This aspect of the movie connects generations of Americans in three generations. A grandparent may connect to it from the civil rights movement in the 1960's, their child may relate to the movie in the time that it was released (1994) along with the Watts Riots, and finally the potential grandchildren and my fellow peers view the movie as a prophecy of the Black Lives matter campaign.

While the ending may have been to potential of lack of money (as often is the case in independent films), this eight-million-dollar film does a great job of wrapping the viewer into the film to see a struggle that still is not resolved in our society despite the horrible acting that "hurts like getting hit with a bat". Yes, that is an actual line from the movie that comes during one of the worst scenes of acting I have ever seen. However, director Charles Burnett shows us hope through JJ.

A film that tackles blackmail and race relations in the LA sheriffs office

[LONE SOLO: CRITIC · 26 December 2000]

This was a great low budget police film about corruption in the LA sheriffs office. The film revolves around a young black cop, who stumbles onto a corruption case invovling police brutality towards minorities. The film also highlights just how easy it is to get blackmailed by people who are supposed to be on your side. THE GLASS SHIELD while lacking the stigma of bigger films like LETHAL WEAPON, tells a human tale about a cop and his female partner, however, I feel Lori Petty's role could have been bigger. There was another part of this film that touched on something briefly, sexism on the law enforcement circuit. The trailers for thisa movie suggest it was edited heavily and that the character played by Ms. Petty played a significantly larger role in that version. The logical direction for this film would to have been having the black cop and the woman police officer piercing the layer of corruption together in lA. A great film that tells a stroy from a african american point of view. The film also highlights the conflict within the african american/black community towards police and police brutality and how it is hard for even them to sometimes accept black police officers. An interesting film with a interesting and powerful premise. Don't expect a 600 rd. shoot out with "yuck yuck" laughter and Riggs and Murtaugh in this one...expect substance.

Ok thriller still actual

[bellino-angelo2014 · 7/10 · 23 October 2022]

John J Johnson (Michael Boatman) is a rookie in the Los Angeles police department that is also the only black cop in his office, but he won't let the racial prejudices stop his plans. After clashing with deputy Deborah Fields (Lori Petty), they gradually become friends and do their best for exposing corruption in the police department. It begins when deputy Bono stops Teddy Woods (Ice Cube) at a gas station, finds a warrant for Woods' arrest in his car and even a gun that Woods reveals he stole it, and Woods is also a prime accused for a murder, but Johnson and Fields will do everything for uncovering the truth even against their chief Gene Baker (Michael Ironside). There is a lot more than this but it's best if you just see it for yourselves.

While it may look like a made for TV vehicle and the plot is a bit too complicated for explaining it full, it's still worth a look. While Michael Boatman has never been an household name Lori Petty, Michael Ironside and Ice Cube give very decent performances. There are various twists and turns as well that are well inserted in the plot, and also some nice 1990s music as well. The themes are very actual even for 2022 as it talks about prejudices on the job derivating from the skin colour.

Overall, not an outstanding movie but one that falls in the time passer category. If you don't have high expectations, it can make your day.

A good film, though the previous comments are not without truth

[Vaslo77 · 7/10 · 26 July 2005]

Glass Shield is an intriguing film, starring Michael Boatman, Ice-T, Bernie Casey, and Lori Petty. The film centers around the corruption of the Ingomar Station around LA.

Its one of those films you need to watch several times to understand all of the details. You know, one where there are 900 names thrown around and they expect you to remember all of them even when the names don't depict a character in the film.

The comment about this being a leftist movie is definitely true: Anyone black, female, supportive of civil rights, adoptive of children outside your race, etc is good. Anyone white and male in this film is evil (minus the one cop that works in the holding cell).

The film is definitely worth watching. It is very suspenseful, and is a very intriguing story. Just be open minded that the writer, or at least the casting director, is probably one of those people who blames white males for everything (crime, racism, etc) without checking the violent crime statistics first.

Fairly powerful urban cop drama.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 25 April 2024]

Michael Boatman ('Spin City') plays J. J. Johnson, an ambitious young black policeman who gets singled out for an honor: he is posted to the Sheriffs' Department at Edgemar Station. As the only black lawman there, he is a definite outsider, as is Deborah Fields (Lori Petty, "Point Break"), the only female cop with the department. J. J. Is at first content not to make waves, and to support his fellow officers, but he comes to learn just how crooked and racist they all are.

The main story thread deals with an innocent young black man, Teddy Woods (Ice Cube), who is hassled and turned into a convenient suspect when a mans' wife is murdered.

This is a good story inspired by a real-life case and an un-produced screenplay by Ned Welsh. We do see how these men in these positions of authority have been abusing that authority for a long time, and we are properly frustrated at seeing how hard it is to take them down. It benefits from having a lead character who is not so squeaky-clean, making his big mistake by initially taking the side of his fellow officers. The antagonists are all thoroughly disreputable types guaranteed to get some viewers' blood boiling.

Boatman does a solid job anchoring the tale with his sincere performance, and has good chemistry with Petty. But this thing has an *amazing* supporting cast full of familiar faces, including, but not limited to, Richard "Oscar Goldman" Anderson, Don Harvey ("Die Hard 2"), Elliott Gould ("The Long Goodbye"), Bernie Casey ("I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"), Wanda De Jesus ("Blood Work"), Victoria Dillard ("Ali"), Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers"), Sy Richardson ("Straight to Hell"), and M. Emmet Walsh ("Blood Simple"). Casey is a standout as a savvy defense attorney.

Scripted and directed by Charles Burnett, whose other pictures include "Killer of Sheep" and "To Sleep with Anger", this made for a compelling tale indeed.

Seven out of 10.

An insult to your intelligence!

[Bronco46 · 3/10 · 28 January 2013]

I'm surprised this wasn't a made for TV film! It has the look of a TV production, it was most likely video taped. The writing and direction is not up to movie standards. While they do have some veteran actors; they performances were tainted by poor writing. The writer decided that rather then rely on well written story with just a few of the points he wanted to make; he decided to throw every racism cliché into this one. And while the story is just plain silly; the poor direction leads to some pretty poor performances. I'm sure many of the actors in this film don't list this as one they are proud of. We all know that there are abuses by law enforcement; but this writer/director is beating us over the head with this script. If your looking for a well written, well acted story that make you feel like you got your monies worth; avoid this film like the plague. Written at about a 4th grade level.

Still relevant, still excellent

[kid_clementina · 10/10 · 24 May 2005]

I just saw _The Glass Shield_ for the first time since it was released theatrically. I'm very glad to say it hasn't gone stale with time. Despite the violent overtones, the film is a subtle and compelling parable on race, power, and sex in the US. It won't satisfy anyone with the attention span of a fruit-fly or a fetish for blood and guts, but it gets under your skin (so to speak) if you pay it the slightest bit of attention.

As a side note — this is one of the very few feature films chosen by the Whitney Museum of American Art for its biennial surveys of contemporary art (there was another film that year as well, _The Hours and Times_, also excellent).

A movie with a solid premise but inconsistent execution

[kevin_robbins · 6/10 · 14 April 2023]

The Glass Shield (1994) is a movie that I recently watched on Prime. The storyline follows a black police officer on the force who is trying his best to fit in to the culture of the department. He witnesses an arrest that he knows is wrong; but to fit in, he bites his tongue and lets it go to trial. Once faced with the task of testifying, he will need to decide what's more important - the truth or his job.

This movie is written and directed by Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep) and stars Michael Boatman (Hamburger Hill), Lori Petty (Tank Girl), Ice Cube (Boyz n the Hood), Michael Ironside (Total Recall) and Erich Anderson (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter).

The storyline is well written, and the circumstances are a challenge to this very day and the cast is pretty good in name...but Ice Cube is the only performance that is well executed. Lori Petty delivers a strong supporting character also, but the villains were a bit cliche, even if their characteristics are a challenge within our society. Michael Boatman's mannerisms, facial expressions and overall delivery of the main character left a lot to be desired. The dialogue is very well written, as is the court drama, and the ending is worthwhile.

Overall, this is a movie with a solid premise but inconsistent execution. I would score this a 6/10 but strongly recommend it.

Tiptoes Around an Interesting Question.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 15 June 2004]

The movie itself isn't very good. It moves slowly and is badly photographed. The lighting makes too much use of neon blue, a popular fad around the time this appeared.

The acting is okay, though, except for Ice Cube, who cannot seem to act. The score is routine. The script has two good things going for it.

One is that the cops, though authoritarian in manner and attitude, are humanized without being sentimentalized. I'll give an example of what I mean by this. One scene, between Walsh and Ironsides, reveals to us and to Ironsides, that Walsh's cancer which had been though to be in remission has now metastasized and he's dying. Nothing much is made of the scene. Nobody breaks into tears. And Ironsides doesn't offer any false hope or, indeed try to comfort his friend in any way. He simply sits there and listens while Walsh, again without going into it, quietly talks about how he'd like to leave his family with a little something. The script and the director handle Walsh's death scene in the same understated way. Walsh's comrades try to revive him and finally give up. None of the assembled cops says anything. Cops wouldn't. But they are clearly moved by the passing of their friend. That's what I mean by "humanizing" them without "sentimentalizing" them.

The second interesting thing about the film is that it dips a toe into some curious and seldom-dealt-with sociological waters. It brings up the question of primary allegiances. That is, to whom do we owe our main loyalty? Which group are we willing to make the most sacrifices for? Some groups are far more demanding of us than others. I may not care much about being a mailman, for instance, but I care an awful lot about being, say, an African-American mailman. Most ethnic groups are surrounded by clear social borders -- you're either one of us or you are not one of us. The same is true for some other groups -- doctors, airline pilots, U. S. Marines, and stunt men, to mention a few examples that I'm familiar with. Cops demand that kind of loyalty too.

And here we have two "minority" members who find themselves working for the Sheriff's Office. Boatman is black and is a cop. Lori Petty is a woman (and a Jew, I think) and is a cop too. Which allegiance takes priority -- the allegiance to the minority group or to one's comrades on the police force? What happens when loyalties come into conflict?

The film brings the question up but soon dumps it. Both rookies try to show their loyalty to their partners by hiding mistakes and so forth, but then they quickly return to the politically correct corners. Boatman realizes that he is black before he is blue. And why not? There's not a bad African-American to be seen. Petty undergoes a similar transformation.

It's kind of a cheap way out. We can all feel satisfied now that our true identities have been found and all the corrupt and dissembling cops have been cleaned out. Sure.

I wouldn't recommend this, really. The missed opportunities are wincingly obvious. It's rather overlong, too, and the story resembles "Serpico." Even the title is second-hand. "The Glass Shield." It sounds like a variation on the pop culture phrase, "the glass ceiling," suggesting that the female cop, Lori Petty, will run into prejudices. (She does, but that has nothing to do with the plot.) The title also references other paradoxical titles like "Steel Magnolias," "Iron Butterfly," "Led Zeppelin," "Limp Biskit", "The Glass Key." If it took more than five seconds to arrive at the title, the writers didn't deserve their paycheck.

Such a surprising film

[Objectivity · 9/10 · 27 May 2007]

I was hesitating between giving 8 or 9 and decided for a 9 when I thought "It was so difficult watching this film - it really showed well how frustrating some things can be in Life; I'm exhausted".

And that in itself sums up this film : it does not have the top notch direction of Crash which won the 2006 Oscars, but, just like Crash, I was on the edge of my seat till the very very end of the film. I was punching the wall out of feeling as frustrated as some of the characters, I was tense and worried that someone was going to get shot, I was a total ball of nerves by the end. And for that alone I went for a 9 rather than an 8 : this film is 10 out of 10 in terms of drawing the viewer into the frustrations of police corruption, racism, sexism, cover-ups, minor mistakes which come back to haunt you big time, the effect on communities, fate. It is not a traditional Police film, it is a hundred times more than that.

If you liked Crash 2006 (the one which won the Oscars), then you'll like this film. Guarantee.

Why can't we just all get along?

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 19 June 2004]

Try to fit in or decide to do the right thing? Ambition is one of the things that stands in the way of J.J. Johnson(Michael Boatman)...the other is that he is a rookie state trooper with the LA Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at his first assigned station. Who is he teamed with? The station's only female deputy Deb Fields(Lori Petty). This movie progresses with nonstop suspense and explosive decisions to be made. Johnson and Fields uncover mass corruption when they discover that a well known criminal(Ice Cube)has been framed and jailed for a vicious murder. Do they break the unwritten code of silence or do the right thing? Well...what makes for a better movie?

This gritty police yarn is filled with obligatory violence and an all-star cast of actors like: Richard Anderson, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Ironside, Bernie Casey and Elliott Gould. I was really impressed with Boatman and Ice Cube. On the other hand I have never been or will be a fan of Petty. Overall the truth proves to be pretty damn powerful.

An Excellent Film

[Craig-32 · 7 May 2000]

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.

Very good cop show.

[jag001961 · 1/10 · 22 June 2002]

Show was very interesting regarding newcomer cops, especially blacks and females. I really hope this no longer goes on in precincts but unfortunately, it probably happens more often than we'd like to think. Michael Boatman played a very dramatic believable officer - definitely worth watching!

RE: Worst Film?

[WarHater · 8/10 · 4 April 2008]

How your comment makes the top response for this film proves not only how naive you are, but how culturally bankrupt and immoral this nation is. The fact is, there are pockets of Russia and China here in the US not on community levels, but in the government as well. You have never heard of SERPICO or Rodney King obviously, it is no surprising Americans are completely out of touch. They elect a man like Bush, who invades a hornets nest, indebted your children and grandchildren, and runs a police state media called Fox network. The US government installed Pinochet in Peru, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, then orchestrate his execution. You are saying there is no such thing as the mafia or corrupt police and racism is not real. This film shows and tests the police as humans. Not everyone likes being pushed around by the police and not everyone is as passive and out of touch as you, thank God, if he exists.

JUST OKAY - (5 stars out of 10)

[BJG-Reviews · 5/10 · 27 January 2019]

The stage curtains open ...

Based on the true story of John Eddie Johnson, "The Glass Shield" chronicles the events surrounding the arrest and incarceration of an innocent black man based solely on circumstantial evidence - and the corruption involved behind the scenes within the Sheriff's Dept where Johnson worked as a deputy.

This wasn't a bad film, though it really does have a made-for-television feel to it. I felt like I was watching a true crime story on TV rather than a movie with a wide screen release. It is low on violence and high on emotion - a morality tale in which, we as the viewers, can sense and experience the frustration that John Johnson (played by Michael Boatman), deputy Deborah Fields (played by Lori Petty), and Teddy Woods (played by Ice T) all went through. All of the actors, for the most part, did a standard job with nothing outstanding between them except for Michael Boatman's performance. He really did put his all into the part as this was his big chance to step up in a starring role.

This movie is part crime story and part courtroom drama - playing out almost like a Law & Order episode. Overall, I did enjoy the movie, but it wasn't something I would necessarily recommend anyone to see. If you are flipping through the channels one night and it is on, it's worth a watch. Not bad, not great. Just okay.

The outsiders

[BlueSkies765 · 8/10 · 28 May 2020]

Competently helmed police drama. From the Rodney King/OJ era it has the vibe of that era. It is about racial issues and corruption within a police department. Ice Cube is in it too. Cube seems to be a good role picker. I've yet to see him in a movie I don't like. Not really a big role in this movie but fits right in this movie. Ice Cube in that era was known for his music that specifically spoke out against police corruption and racism.

The movie is based on a true story but with movies it's not always clear when it's dramatization and when something might have actually happened the way it's shown on screen. However The Glass Shield does feel realistic. Particularly the aspect of the newcomer in a corrupt system. I like how the movie is subtle sometimes. You feel something is not right and sometimes the rottenness comes to the surface, but a lot of the time it's elusive, deeply ingrained not being able to really get a hold on the evil that has a grip on that reality.

The choice of actors was also good. The newcomer had a naive demeanor very fitting for his situation. I also liked effort they put in to make it feel like you're watching people doing a real job in a real world. From the mundane to the procedures in the office and in the field. It was no 'supercop' movie but the cops were human and vulnerable. And the people fighting the corruption from the legal field or the community gave the movie the necessary depth that the corruption is hard to defeat. Overall a nice engaging drama.

Remarkable Depiction of what has, and what can happen

[anitatanky · 22 December 2002]

The movie sends a good message. As clichéd as it sounds: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. As other viewers have noted, this movie is low budget and not overtly action packed. But it does showcase very well what can happen when trying to fit in: Loosing sight of what is right and wrong, then trying to do what is right and getting penalized for it from different directions. Many movies do an awesome job in telling a tale. This is one of them. The message of being drunk with power and corruption among peers is something that is not only seen in the law enforcement institutions, but in the corporate and higher education areas as well. It just appears that corruption is more harmful in law enforcement because there is the higher probability that people may become physically and psychologically damaged (on the deepest level) as a result of corrupt people misusing their guns, badges, and utmost authority). The movie is more likely to hit home for someone who is female and/or a minority who has had some in-depth exposure to law enforcement. While many police officers are, for the most part, decent and on the level, I would say that EVERY law enforcement agency has some level of corruption occurring. The corruption can be a lone officer or two belittling citizens unjustifiably (and getting away with it), or a group of them who systematically abuse power. Perhaps a film like this would be worth mandatory viewing for new police recruits. There is something in it for everyone. Not only is there the lesson of how wrong and nasty discrimination is (especially in groups), but there is also the lesson of your own well meaning, however wrong actions, coming back to haunt you. And finally there is the lesson of how harassment, alienation and adversity are often used as cruel weapons in attempts get others to conform to wrongdoing.

Terrible movie

[Esteban168 · 30 September 2003]

This movie has got to be one of the worst, most leftist, racially biased movie ever made about cops and non-black people. It feeds into the racial tensions and further perpetuates the myth that all cops and people in office are evil and corrupt. I was watching this movie thinking it should be taking place in Mexico or Russia. However I can't imagine the corruption being that bad even in those countries. This movie had absolutely no technical advisors, no realism, no factuality and was poorly written. On one scene, I saw one of the main character wearing his police uniform with white sneakers. I've never seen that before. The list goes on and on but I wont waste anymore our my time or yours. This is something I would totally expect though from rapper Ice Cube. I'm surprised Snoop Dog didn't make an appearance in this movie. Don't waste your time on this trash.