A review of the movie "Glory".

Essay by inariHigh School, 11th grade May 2003

download word file, 2 pages 3.3 4 reviews

The movie glory focuses on the 54th massachusetts regiment of all black soldiers during the civil war. It is based on letters sent by Robert Gould Shaw, who was born in Boston on October 10, 1837, to his parents. He was born to wealthy abolitionist parents, who had been aquainted with such people as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe and the famous abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass.

The movie starts off with a war scene where Robert Gould Shaw (played by Mathew Broderick) serves as a Captain with the Second Massachusetts Infantry at the Battle of Antietam where he is wounded. After being found by John Rawlins (played by Morgan Freeman) he returns to his parents. Here it is announced that there shall be an all black volunteer regiment formed with the help of Frederick Douglass, and Robert Shaw has been nominated for colonel. At first, it seems like Shaw is a bit hesitant but he soon agrees.

The 54th is born.

The movie now follows along with 3 soldiers, as well as Shaw, and his second in command, Major Cabot Forbes, played by Cary Elwes. The first is soldier is Trip, played by Denzel Washington, a bull headed soldier who seems to want to fight the world. The second is the calm and educated Thomas Searles, played by Andre Braugher. The last is John Rawlins who later becomes Sergeant Major, the first rank holding black officer. The viewer begins to see conflicts between member's of the regiment, and between Shaw and his fromer friend Forbes.

To train these "undisciplined" soldiers, Shaw decides to bring in a tough Irish sergeant major named Mulcahy, played by John Finn, to help toughen them up. Mulcahy portrays a typical drill instructor and is especially hard on Thomas Searles. After Mulcahy...