Glory

If you have never seen this movie, you are in for a treat!

After having watched "GLORY" for the 40th time, it reinforced these key points: At every turn, whether it was clothing, food or pay, the Civil War, African American soldier was at best given 2nd rate treatment. Despite this, he was still expected to perform like any other soldier in the Union Army.

A common re-occurring theme throughout the movie is how each character would boldly (or reluctantly) step forward to accept greater responsibility and in the end evolve into a stronger person. Examples of this: Colonel Shaw accepting command of the 54th, Morgan Freeman's character reluctantly accepting SGT stripes, an illiterate, freed slave learning to read, Thomas refusing to be sent back despite being shot and in one of the greatest moments in the film, Private Tripp lifting "Old Glory" from a fallen soldier's hands despite a lifetime of beatings by slave masters and having a long standing Hatred for anything he considered "White".

In a sense, this movie wasn't really about a war with the Confederacy. It was instead, a movie about a collection of separate personal battles. In the end, each man doing their best to overcome their individual "weaknesses" or doubts to contribute to the greater Good. A character whom I most strongly associated with was Andre Braugher's "Thomas". The character was a soft spoken, intellectual who had great difficulty evolving into a soldier. In the end, he exempified the best of the 54th.

My compliments to the producers and actors for creating what I consider the Greatest "War" film of all-time

Anthony Castillo
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery

GLORY was on cable today and, even though there was just an hour left, I thought I'd watch it, even though I'd seen it a gazillion times before. I watched it to be amazed, yet again, at the unbelievable talent of the performers. Denzel W. was magnificent as always and certainly deserved his Oscar, but I believe Matthew B. was equally as good. A few moments before the battle at Ft. Wagner, he stood by the ocean and the look on his face was heart-shattering. You could tell what he was thinking. His facial expressions said more than a thousand words. He was just unbelievably outstanding in the role of Shaw.
I saw my first movie at age 5; nearly 60 years ago and of all the great movies I've had the pleasure of viewing, none of them touched me like Glory. And none ever will.
If you're one of the few who hasn't seen this movie, you simply must see it. Rent it, buy it, tape it..whatever, but you musn't miss out on, what I believe, is the best movie ever made.

"Glory" is the type of film you don't see everyday; it combines fine acting, good cinematography, and an exceptional musical score to make a powerful as well as enjoyable film. The battle scenes are well shot and realistically brutal. The film has very good sound as well. The scenes leading up to the tragic assault on Fort Wagner, the assault itself, and the aftermath are some of the most moving in the film. Overall, an excellent film.

This portion of our history was greatly told, as well as being kept authentic in clothes, life styles and attitudes.

Freed Slaves fighting for their own freedom... seems like an odd concept but it's true. Freed from one bond of servitude, these men of color were chained to another bond of servitude, the U.S. Army. Battling for freedom and equality that was nothing if not weak and half-imaginary, these brave men fought valiantly to earn a previously-unsung spot in history.

Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman lead a magnificent ensemble cast in a movie that is about more than just a war. It's about an epic struggle. A struggle between men, between races, between thoughts, between ideas, between societies and between past and future.

The bravery of the men depicted in this movie should never again be forgotten. The unselfish sacrifice and the reward they were denied for so long should stand as a lesson for all time. They were given nothing though they were expected to give their all in the service of a country that hated them, that thought they were no more valuable than a horse, a mule or the dog sitting on the front porch.

The courage and the humility is must have taken... it gives me shivers just thinking about it.