Glory(1989 film)

Gloryis a 1989 Americanepichistoricalwar drama filmdirected byEdward Zwickabout the54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment,one of theUnion Army's earliestAfrican Americanregiments in theAmerican Civil War.It starsMatthew Broderickas ColonelRobert Gould Shaw,the regiment's commanding officer, andDenzel Washington,Cary Elwes,andMorgan Freemanas fictional members of the 54th. The screenplay byKevin Jarrewas based on the booksLay This Laurel(1973) byLincoln KirsteinandOne Gallant Rush(1965) byPeter Burchardand the personal letters of Shaw. The film depicts the soldiers of the 54th from the formation of their regiment to their heroic actions at theSecond Battle of Fort Wagner.

Glory
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Edward Zwick
Screenplay by	Kevin Jarre
Based on	Lay This Laurel byLincoln Kirstein One Gallant Rush byPeter Burchard
Produced by	Freddie Fields
Starring	Matthew Broderick Denzel Washington Cary Elwes Morgan Freeman
Cinematography	Freddie Francis
Edited by	Steven Rosenblum
Music by	James Horner
Production company	Freddie Fields Productions
Distributed by	Tri-Star Pictures
Release date	December 15, 1989(1989-12-15)(United States)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$18 million
Box office	$27 million

Glorywas co-produced byTriStar PicturesandFreddie Fields Productions,and distributed by Tri-Star Pictures in the United States. It premiered in limited release in the United States on December 15, 1989, and in wide release on February 16, 1990, grossing $27 million worldwide on an $18 million budget. The film was nominated for fiveAcademy Awardsand won three, includingBest Supporting Actorfor Washington. It also won awards from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts,theGolden Globe Awards,the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the Political Film Society, and theNAACP Image Awards.

Plot

During the American Civil War, CaptainRobert Shaw,injured atAntietam,is sent home to Boston onmedical leave.Shaw accepts a promotion toColonelcommanding the54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,one of the first black regiments in the Union Army. He asks his friend, Cabot Forbes, to serve as his second in command, with the rank of major. Their first volunteer is another friend, Thomas Searles, a bookish, freeAfrican-American.Other recruits include John Rawlins, Jupiter Sharts, Trip, and amuteteenage drummer boy.

The men learn that, in response to theEmancipation Proclamation,theConfederacyhas issued an order that all black soldiers will be returned to slavery. Black soldiers found in a Union uniform will beexecutedas well as their white officers. They are offered, but turn down, a chance to take an honorable discharge. They undergo rigorous training with Sergeant-Major Mulcahy, to prepare them for the challenges they will face.

Trip goesAWOLand is caught, Shaw orders him flogged in front of the troops. He learns that Trip left to find shoes to replace his worn ones; his men are being denied supplies. He confronts the base's racistquartermasteron their behalf. Shaw also supports them in a pay dispute, as theFederal governmentpays black soldiers $10 rather than the $13 per month white soldiers earn. Trip encourages the men to go without pay in protest; Shaw tears up his own pay stub in solidarity. In recognition of his leadership, Shaw promotes Rawlins to the rank of Sergeant-Major.

Once the 54th completes its training, they are transferred under the command of GeneralCharles Harker.On the way to South Carolina they are ordered by ColonelJames Montgomeryto sack and burnDarien, Georgia.Shaw initially refuses toobey an unlawful order,but agrees under threat of having his troops taken away. He continues to lobby his superiors to allow his men to join the fight, as their duties to date have involved manual labor for which they are being mocked. Shaw then finally gets the 54th into combat after he blackmails Harker and Montgomery by threatening to report the illegal activities he has discovered. In their first battle atJames Island, South Carolina,early success is followed by a confrontation with many casualties. The Confederates are defeated and retreat. During the battle, Thomas is wounded but saves Trip. Shaw offers Trip the honor of bearing the regimental flag in battle. He declines not believing the war will result in a better life for slaves.

General George Strong informs Shaw ofa major campaignto secure a foothold atCharleston Harbor.This involves assaultingMorris Islandand capturingFort Wagner,whose only landward approach is a strip of open beach; a charge is certain to result in heavy casualties. Shaw volunteers the 54th to lead the charge. The night before the battle the black soldiers conduct a religious service, and several make emotional speeches to inspire the troops, and to ask for God's help. On their way to the attack, the 54th is cheered by the same Union troops who had scorned them earlier.

The 54th leads the charge on the fort suffering heavy casualties. At night the bombardment continues, forestalling progress. Attempting to encourage his men, Shaw is killed. Trip lifts the flag rallying the soldiers to continue the charge. He is shot but holds up the flag until he dies. Forbes takes charge, and the soldiers are able to break through the fort's outer defenses. Outnumbered, Charlie Morse is killed and Thomas is wounded. At the end of the battle it is implied that Forbes, Rawlins, Thomas, and Jupiter are killed bycanister shot.The morning after the battle, the beach is littered with bodies of Union soldiers; the Confederate flag is raised over the fort. The corpses are buried in a mass grave, with Shaw and Trip's bodies next to each other.

Closing text reveals Fort Wagner was never taken by the Union Army. The courage demonstrated by the 54th resulted in the Union accepting thousands of black men for combat, which PresidentAbraham Lincolncredited with helping to turn the tide of the war.

Cast

ColonelRobert Gould Shawin May 1863

Matthew Broderick portrays Shaw inGlory.

• Matthew Broderickas ColonelRobert Gould Shaw
• Denzel Washingtonas Private Trip
• Cary Elwesas Major Cabot Forbes
• Morgan Freemanas Sergeant Major John Rawlins
• Andre Braugheras Corporal Thomas Searles
• Jihmi Kennedy as Private Jupiter Sharts
• Cliff DeYoungas ColonelJames Montgomery
• Alan Northas GovernorJohn Albion Andrew
• John Finnas Sergeant Major Mulcahy
• Mark Margolisas 10th Connecticut Soldier
• RonReaco Leeas Mute Drummer Boy
• Donovan Leitchas CaptainCharles Fessenden Morse
• Bob Guntonas GeneralCharles Garrison Harker
• Jay O. Sandersas GeneralGeorge Crockett Strong
• Raymond St. JacquesasFrederick Douglass
• Richard Riehleas Quartermaster
• JD CullumasHenry Sturgis Russell
• Christian Baskous asEdward L. Pierce
• Peter Michael Goetzas Francis Shaw
• Jane Alexanderas Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw (uncredited)

Production

Development and script

The Robert Gould Shaw Memorial at Boston Common byAugustus Saint-Gaudens

The title of the film recalls the"glory"for which the July 28, 1863, edition of the weeklyColumbus Enquirerreported thatFirst-SergeantRobert John Simmons,mortally wounded at Battery Wagner, came to fight (Simmons himself wrote, in an account of theBattle of Grimball's Landingthat was published in theNew York Tribuneon December 23, 1863: "God has protected me through this, my first fiery, leaden trial, and I do give Him the glory" ).

Lincoln Kirsteinhad first approached Lloyd Fonvielle to write the script. Fonvielle was too in awe of Kirstein to collaborate effectively with him and introduced Kirstein to his friend,Kevin Jarre,who had worked onRambo: First Blood Part II;they were originally going to write the script together, but Fonvielle got tied up in another project, leaving Jarre to write the script on his own.

A Civil War buff since he was a child, Jarre met with Kirstein and talked about the 54th. As Jarre stated: "Lincoln’s interest was deeper. It related to his whole philosophy about surrendering yourself to something bigger, some larger cause. He’d always wanted to make a movie about the 54th".

Jarre's inspiration for writing the film came from viewingthe monument to Colonel Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryinBoston Common.His screenplay was based on several sources, including the booksBrave Black Regiment - History of the fifty-forth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry(1891) by the 54th's CaptainLuis F. Emilio,Lincoln Kirstein'sLay This Laurel(1973), andPeter Burchard'sOne Gallant Rush(1965), as well as the personal letters ofRobert Gould Shaw.

Jarre moved into Room 421 at theGramercy Park Hoteland worked around the clock, writing the script in a few weeks on spec.

Kirstein showed the script to producerJames IvoryofMerchant Ivory Productions.Ivory liked the script but wantedRuth Prawer Jhabvalato give it a rewrite. According to Fonvielle, Kirstein then got up, shook Ivory’s hand warmly, pulled him to his feet, said, “Jim, thanks so much for coming down,” and ushered him out the front door.

The script was then sent to directorBruce Beresford,who committed to do it and brought in producerFreddie Fields,who then set up a deal atColumbia Pictures,but whenDavid Puttnamleft Columbia, pre-production had stopped. Beresford left the project, and Fields then took the script toTri-Star.The studio agreed to do the film and hiredEdward Zwickas director.

Filming

Exterior filming took place primarily in Massachusetts and Georgia. The culminating battle scene of Fort Wagner was filmed on the beaches of Jekyll Island, Georgia. Opening scenes meant to portray the Battle of Antietam show volunteer militaryreenactorsfilmed at a major engagement at theGettysburgbattlefield. The scenes depicting theBattle of Grimball's Landingwere filmed atOlustee Battlefield Historic State Park.Later in the war, the 54th Massachusetts did fight at thethis battle,but it is not depicted in the movie. Zwick did not want to turnGlory"into a black story with a more commercially convenient white hero".Actor Morgan Freeman noted: "We didn't want this film to fall under that shadow. This is a picture about the 54th Regiment, not Colonel Shaw, but at the same time the two are inseparable".Zwick hired the writerShelby Footeas a technical adviser. Foote later became widely known for his contributions toKen Burns' PBS nine-episode documentary,The Civil War(1990).

On February 16, 1989, the body of a middle-aged man was discovered on the film's set in Savannah, about a day after his death. Described as having a Middle Eastern appearance, with no apparent signs of suffering a violent death, he was never positively identified.

Music

Main article:Glory(soundtrack)

Glory'soriginal motion picture soundtrack was released byVirgin Recordson January 11, 1990. The score for the film was composed and orchestrated byJames Hornerin association with theBoys Choir of Harlem.Jim Henrikson edited the film's music, whileShawn Murphymixed the score.

Historical sources

Monograph

A nonfiction study of the regiment first appeared in 1965 and was republished in paperback in January 1990 bySt. Martin's Pressunder the titleOne Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave Black Regiment.The book, by Peter Burchard, expands on how the 54th Massachusetts developed as battle-ready soldiers.Summarizing the historical events, the book provides events surrounding the aftermath of the first Black Union regiment and how it influenced the outcome of the war.

Release

Critical response

OnRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 95%, based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's consensus states: "Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington,Gloryremains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made. "OnMetacritic,which uses a weighted average, the film holds a score of 78/100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Film criticVincent Canby's review inThe New York Timesstated, "[Broderick] gives his most mature and controlled performance to date... [Washington is] an actor clearly on his way to a major screen career... The movie unfolds in a succession of often brilliantly realized vignettes tracing the 54th's organization, training and first experiences below theMason-Dixon line.The characters' idiosyncrasies emerge ".Roger Ebertfrom theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it "a strong and valuable film no matter whose eyes it is seen through".He believed the production design credited to Norman Garwood and the cinematography of Freddie Francis paid "enormous attention to period detail".

Watching "Glory," I had one recurring problem. I didn't understand why it had to be told so often from the point of view of the 54th's white commanding officer. Why did we see the black troops through his eyes — instead of seeing him through theirs? To put it another way, why does the top billing in this movie go to a white actor?

— Roger Ebert, writing in theChicago Sun-Times

Peter TraversofRolling Stonewas not impressed at all with the overall acting, calling Broderick "catastrophically miscast as Shaw".Alternatively,Richard SchickelofTimedescribed the picture by saying, "the movie's often awesome imagery and a bravely soaring choral score by James Horner that transfigure the reality, granting it the status of necessary myth".Desson HoweofThe Washington Post,pointed out some flaws that included mentioning Broderick as "an amiable non-presence, creating unintentionally the notion that the 54th earned their stripes despite wimpy leadership".

James Berardinelliwriting forReelViews,called the film "without question, one of the best movies ever made about the American Civil War", noting that it "has important things to say, yet it does so without becoming pedantic".Rating the film four stars, criticLeonard Maltinwrote that it was "grand, moving, breathtakingly filmed (by veteran cinematographer Freddie Francis) and faultlessly performed", calling it "one of the finest historical dramas ever made".

Gene Siskelof theChicago Tribunegave the film athumbs upreview, saying, "likeDriving Miss Daisy,this is another admirable film that turns out to be surprisingly entertaining ". He thought the film took on" some true social significance "and felt the actors portrayed the characters as" more than simply black men ". He explained:" They're so different, that they become not merely standard Hollywood blacks, but true individuals ".

American Civil War historianJames M. McPhersonstated the film "accomplished a remarkable feat in sensitizing a lot of today's black students to the role that their ancestors played in the Civil War in winning their own freedom".

Accolades

The film was nominated and won several awards in 1989–90.A complete list of awards the film won or was nominated for are listed below.

Award	Category	Nominee	Result
62nd Academy Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Denzel Washington	Won
	Best Art Direction	Norman Garwood,Garrett Lewis	Nominated
	Best Cinematography	Freddie Francis	Won
	Best Film Editing	Steven Rosenblum	Nominated
	Best Sound	Donald O. Mitchell,Gregg Rudloff, Elliot Tyson,Russell Williams II	Won
41stACEEddie Awards	Best Edited Feature Film	————	Won
44th British Academy Film Awards	Best Cinematography	Freddie Francis	Nominated
British Society of CinematographersAwards 1990	Best Cinematography		Won
Casting Society of AmericaArtios Awards 1990	Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama	Mary Colquhoun	Nominated
47th Golden Globe Awards	Best Motion Picture – Drama	Freddie Fields	Nominated
	Best Director	Edward Zwick	Nominated
	Best Screenplay	Kevin Jarre	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture	Denzel Washington	Won
	Best Original Score	James Horner	Nominated
33rd Grammy Awards	Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television		Won
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1989	Best Film	————	Won
	Best Director	Edward Zwick	Won
	Best Supporting Actor	Denzel Washington	Won
NAACP Image Awards1992	Outstanding Motion Picture	————	Won
	Outstanding Supporting Actor	Denzel Washington	Won
1989National Board of Review of Motion PicturesAwards	Best Picture	————	Nominated
1989 New York Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Denzel Washington	Nominated
1990 Political Film Society Awards	Human Rights	————	Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards 1989	Best Adapted Screenplay	Kevin Jarre	Nominated

American Film InstituteLists

• AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers– #31

Box office

Director Edward Zwick in 2016

The film premiered in cinemas on December 14, 1989, in limited release within the US. During its limited opening weekend, the film grossed $63,661 in business showing at three locations. Its official wide release began in theaters on February 16, 1990.Opening in a distant eighth place, the film earned $2,683,350 (~$5.53 million in 2023) showing at 801 cinemas. The filmDriving Miss Daisysoundly beat its competition during that weekend opening in first place with $9,834,744.The film's revenue dropped by 37% in its second week of release, earning $1,682,720. For that particular weekend, the film remained in 8th place screening in 809 theaters not challenging a top five position. The filmDriving Miss Daisy,remained in first place grossing $6,107,836 in box office revenue.Glorywent on to top out domestically at $26,828,365 (~$57.4 million in 2023) in total ticket sales through a 17-week theatrical run.For 1989 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 45.

Home media

Following its release in theaters, the film was released on VHS video format on June 22, 1990.TheRegion 1DVDof the film was released in the United States on January 20, 1998. Special DVD features include: interactive menus, scene selections, 1.85:1anamorphic widescreenand 1.33:1full screenversions, along with subtitles in English, Italian, Spanish and French.A Special Edition DVD of the Film was released on January 30, 2001.

A special repackaged version ofGlorywas also officially released on DVD on January 2, 2007. It includes two discs featuring: widescreen and full screen versions of the film; Picture-in-Picture video commentary by director Ed Zwick and actors Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick; a director's audio commentary; and a documentary entitled,The True Story of Glory Continuesnarrated by Morgan Freeman. Also included are: an exclusivefeaturetteentitled,Voices of Glory,an original featurette, deleted scenes, production notes, theatrical trailers, talent files, and scene selections.

The Blu-ray disc version of the film was released on June 2, 2009. Special features include: a virtual civil war battlefield, interactive map,The Voice of Gloryfeature,The True Story Continuesdocumentary, the making ofGlory,director's commentary, and deleted scenes.The film is displayed in widescreen 1.85:1 color format in 1080p screen resolution. The audio is enhanced withDolby TrueHDsound and is available with subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.AUMDversion of the film for the SonyPlayStation Portablewas also released on July 1, 2008. It features dubbed, subtitled, and color widescreen format viewing options.

Lewis Henry Douglass

Retrospective response

In 2019, on the film's 30th anniversary,Glorywas re-released in over 600 theaters in the US.There were many positive reviews noting its artistic impact. One article noted "the legacy of Zwick’s depiction of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment extends well beyond a 30th anniversary showcase. As a film both about the shared sacrifice of the men of the 54th and the work they left undone....Gloryis a distinctly American story—one so compelling that it has become part of the common curriculum in U.S. history classes across the nation. "

Historical accuracy

• Aside from Shaw, none of the other members of the regiment seen in the movie are real people.
• The film portrays the 54th as having significant numbers of former slaves. In real life, the regiment was composed mostly of freedmen already living in the North, although some came from Canada and the West Indies.Many of these freed men were from prominent families, including two sons of Frederick Douglass, one of whom, Lewis, became the Sergeant Major.
• The film portrays Shaw as accepting the commission to command the 54th quickly, when in reality he initially rejected the Governor's commission, not wanting to leave his regiment and questioning whether the position would advance his career in the army.
• Although Shaw was an abolitionist, he nevertheless expressed racist viewpoints toward Black people, repeatedly referring to them by racial slurs in his letters.
• The regiment did not struggle with being equipped properly. As a favored project of the Massachusetts governor, the regiment was provided everything it required from the outset.
• In the movie a soldier is whipped. Flogging was not permitted in the Union army and no such event ever occurred involving the USCT.
• In terms of the unequal pay, Shaw had already been informed that Black soldiers would only receive $10 while in South Carolina, and protested to his father and to the governor, not by tearing up his voucher.This issue was not resolved at the time as shown in the film, and problems arising from the unfair pay continued for the remainder of the war.
• Although not depicted in the film, Shaw married Annie Kneeland Haggerty just before the regiment departed for service in South Carolina.
• The soldiers are depicted as celebrating Christmas in the snow, however the 54th began recruitment in February 1863, and Shaw died at Fort Wagner in July 1863, meaning there was no possibility of Christmas during that period.
• In the final assault on Fort Wagner, the 54th is shown attacking southward, with the ocean on their left. In reality, they attacked northward with the ocean on their right.
• Although the post-script claims that Fort Wagner never fell to Union troops, this is inaccurate as Confederate troops abandoned the fort after bombardment and shelling from the Union Navy in September 1863.
• Although the fictional Cabot Forbes is portrayed as being Shaw's best friend and second-in-command, the real second-in-command was Edward Hallowell, who became commander of the 54th after Shaw's death.
• Charles Garrison Harker was ranked Major General in the film. In reality, he never attained that rank nor was involved in the campaigns around Charleston. Additionally, the real life Harker was only 25 in 1863, not in his early 40s as portrayed in the movie.

See also

• Denzel Washington filmography
• List of films featuring slavery
• List of films and television shows about the American Civil War
• 1989 in film

External links

• Official website
• GloryatIMDb
• Gloryat theTCM Movie Database
• Gloryat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Gloryat theMovie Review Query Engine
• GloryatRotten Tomatoes
• GloryatBox Office Mojo