Glory (1989)

Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

Kevin Jarre (screenplay), Lincoln Kirstein (book)

Stars:

Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 18 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 Jr.	...	Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse (as Donovan Leitch)
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

Storyline

Shaw was an officer in the Federal Army during the American Civil War who volunteered to lead the first company of black soldiers. Shaw was forced to deal with the prejudices of both the enemy (who had orders to kill commanding officers of blacks), and of his own fellow officers.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | american civil war | black soldier | military uniform | soldier | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

14A

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Debbie Allen's favorite film.

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Goofs

The night before the attack on Ft. Wagner, the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts are gathered around a campfire singing a Negro spiritual in which Noah counts the animals boarding the ark two-by-two. The song mentions kangaroos, which were unknown to most Americans at the time. Southern slaves, denied education, were even less likely to have heard of them. The educated northern blacks who actually made up the regiment likely wouldn't know work songs originating in the fields of southern plantations, never mind adding new lyrics.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: Robert Gould Shaw, the son of wealthy Boston abolitionists, was 23 years old when he enlisted to fight in the War Between the States. He wrote home regularly, telling his parents of life in the gathering Army of the Potomac. / These letters are collected in the Houghton Library of Harvard University.
Colonel Robert G. Shaw: Dear Mother, I hope you are keeping well and not worrying much about me. You mustn't think that any of us are going to be killed. They are collecting such a force here, that an attack ...

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Alternate Versions

The PG version that was put out for school use has an introduction by Montel Williams.

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Connections

Referenced in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York/My New Gun/Bad Lieutenant/The Efficiency Expert (1992)

User Reviews

One of the most intricately perfect films

This is an ambitious film and is successful in everything it sets out to accomplish. Glory does not rely on the visual aspects to accomplish its perfection, but rather it relies on the emotional to convey its message and humanity. This is a film that managed to get some of the best actors of our time, as well as, withdraw from these actors their best abilities. While the film does show the realities and horror of war, especially when it involves good people thrown in, it captures the viewers attention by making us empathetic, as opposed to simply sympathetic. The score of the film is done by the brilliant James Horner, which compliments the film, but at times envelops the film completely. Director Zwick shows the various levels of humanity, one scene can display the blunt bravery of these men, and yet the next scene reminds us how scared and how human these men are. I wish I could write a paragraph on each actor, but I must mention Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washingtion, Andre Braugher, Cary Elwes, and Jihmi Kennedy. The characters of this film are wonderfully well-developed and the relationships between these men adds a dimension that is rarely seen in modern films. Each performance is Oscar-calibur, overall, this is a film that should now be ranked as a classic for all time. Simply amazing.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 February 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Glory

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,661, 17 December 1989

Gross USA:

$26,979,166

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$26,979,166

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Freddie Fields Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1