Glory

1989

2h 2m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

1.7K

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3 Videos

65 Images

Drama

History

War

Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

Directors

Edward Zwick

Writers

Kevin Jarre(screenplay by)

Stars

Matthew Broderick

Denzel Washington

Cary Elwes

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Top cast

Matthew Broderick

Col. Robert Gould Shaw

Denzel Washington

Pvt. Trip

Cary Elwes

Maj. Cabot Forbes

Morgan Freeman

Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins

Pvt. Jupiter Sharts

Cpl. Thomas Searles

Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy

Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse

JD Cullum

Henry Sturgis Russell

Bob Gunton

Gen. Charles Garrison Harker

Cliff DeYoung

Col. James M. Montgomery

Christian Baskous

Edward L. Pierce

RonReaco Lee

Mute Drummer Boy

Jay O. Sanders

Gen. George Crockett Strong

Alan North

Gov. John Albion Andrew

Richard Riehle

Quartermaster

Peter Michael Goetz

Francis George Shaw

Mark Margolis

10th Connecticut Soldier

Directors

Edward Zwick

Writers

Kevin Jarre(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Based on historical fact and on letters written to his parents by Col. Robert Gould Shaw, this dramatises the creation of the first all-black regiment in the Union army that fought in the US Civil War. It was created as the Confederacy looked dominant and there was an element of desperation, rather than because the army had great faith in this new squad, but the newly promoted Shaw had faith in these men. What now ensues illustrates that their foes were not just those wearing grey uniforms, but that their own side was fairly sceptical as to their effectiveness. Indeed, one of the first tasks for Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is to equip them. With shoes. With socks. With basics. What’s also clear here is that these men are not all of the same mind, either, and that’s well enough demonstrated by Sgt. Mjr. Rawlins (a powerful effort from Morgan Freeman), Pte. Trip (Denzel Washington) as well as by Major Forbes (Cary Elwes) who is the Colonel’s long term ally and friend. This is a story that is well worth telling, but I didn’t really think Broderick had quite the skills to hold this together and without a solid anchor, much of the poignancy of the history was rather lost in a sort of television movie realm. It might actually be Elwes who delivers better here as at least his character has some more strength and elements of conflict to it. The rest of the cast deliver a story of courage and defiance strongly enough, but it hasn’t quite the punch I wanted and the wartime effects are all just a bit too expertly choreographed and sterile to really sell the ghastliness and brutality of the war they were fighting and of the skin these men really had in a game where as many on their own side were hostile as elsewhere. It is worth a watch, if only to point towards some reading on these trailblazing soldiers, and it definitely doesn’t play at all to sentiment, but somehow the film underwhelmed and left me needing a much more powerful lead actor.

Geronimo196722 Mar, 2025