Glory, based on books by Peter Burchard and Lincoln Kirstein - 9.4 out of 10

Glory, based on books by Peter Burchard and Lincoln Kirstein

9.4 out of 10

This Glorious motion picture is more than just a formidable pleasure that we take in an afternoon at the theater, it goes way beyond that, for it is more than educational, it is inspiring and the story of the all-black volunteers serves to enlighten those of us who had not been familiar with some of the aspects of the American Civil War – better said most or all aspects of it – offers us plenty of role models, as well as the insight into what these heroes have had to put up with, even when they tried to offer their services and ultimately their lives for the North, they had to cope with adversity, trauma, humiliation and more.

Indeed, for some time, they did not even have shoes or boots for their legs, resulting in unbearable suffering –and in one memorable case, Private Trip aka iconic, winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the Golden Globe and other prizes for his part, tries to get some proper replacement for the terrible shoes he has to wear, only to be punished as a deserter, with lashes and torment – because some stupid, cruel racist is having fun at the idea that the African American troops will just have to endure anything.

Colonel Robert Gould Shaw aka the excellent Matthew Broderick is gentle, sensible, reluctant to press other officers in the Unionist Army, until he sees that the all-black troops he commands would suffer terribly for their decision to join the fight, and he would enter the office of the man who has to provide for the soldiers and starts throwing around things and makes it clear that he would not stand anymore for the idea that wounds and scars would cover the feet of his men, just because some fool would not do his job.

After this incident, Shaw has to join the units commanded by Colonel James Montgomery and basically obey his orders, even when this monster attacks villages that were in the confederate area, with the intention of inflicting pain and revenge, killing innocents – well, they were in enemy territory, but civilians and thus their murder would be a war crime – and setting fire to their property, fields, homes and everything else and when there is protest that this is not respecting the rules of engagement, the brute mentions a court martial and demands obedience.

The film is splendid also in that it does not deal only with the war, fighting, the brutal combat scenes, wherein people shoot and kill each other, some in the name of high ideals, but others just to maintain slavery and for what would be abominable themes, but it is also an invitation to meditate on what happens beyond the Civil War and Private Trip is the one rebel who is shedding light on the race relations.

Morgan Freeman is as always superb and has the role of Sergeant (he would be advanced to that position) Major John Rawlings and this is the man who would have an argument with Private Trip (after defending him in front of the white command, explaining that he had tried to get shoes and not run away from his unit) and state that so many whites have joined the War and have given their lives for you (fool) and thus would combat his position that the African Americans would gain nothing from the war and is rather pointless and wrong – especially when the white soldiers are paid more than the black ones…

Evidently, Trip is right in saying what we know so well, that once the conflict would be over, black people would continue to suffer segregation, discrimination and much worse – lynching was for them, although the present calamity that tens of millions of Americans so much admire has spoken of what is a constitutional process as “lynching” – and he has a dialectical conversation with his superior officer, colonel Shaw, in which he refuses to be the one who carries the flag of the fighting unit, although at a crucial moment in a decisive fight, he would take the drapeau and try to continue towards the enemy…

Colonel Robert Gould Shaw would show his stamina, bravery, dedication, spirit of self-sacrifice and honor in many instances, one of which would be when he confronts general Charles Garrison Harker and Colonel Montgomery, after the infernal raids and the period in which his men had been misused only for menial, laboring tasks and no fighting, declaring that he knows about the misdemeanors and illegal activities in which the two commanding officers had been involved, from the killing of innocents to the traffic of goods that they took in their possession, only to transfer as personal luggage up north, to smuggle and use on the black-market, for profit and speculation.

Given that Colonel Shaw has a very influential father, with access to the highest ranking officials in the Union, he mentions that he would use that power to get what he wants, unless the general would provide his unit with the possibility to fight the enemy, which happens almost instantly, highlighting the ardor, patriotism, courage, grit, valor of the all-black unit which was ready to engage in the fight, just as their white counterparts, if not more, even in conditions wherein many die in a horrible assault on a fortified front, where the first attackers suffer immense casualties, including many, most of those we have come to like and sympathize with…

A phenomenal film, winner of three Academy Awards – including the one for Denzel Washington – and many other prestigious trophies, a triumphant motion picture…