Glory is a
1989-Events:* "Batman" is released on June 23, and went on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year; Grossing over $250 million at the box office.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
dramaA drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, crime and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves,...
war filmWar films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
based on the
54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryThe 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that saw extensive federal service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States armed forces...
as told from the point of view of its commanding officer,
Robert Gould ShawRobert Gould Shaw was the colonel in command of the all-black 54th Regiment, which entered the American Civil War in 1863. He is the principal subject of the 1989 film Glory. He was killed in a failed attempt to capture Fort Wagner.-Early life and career:Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to...
during the
American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
. The 54th was one of the first formal units of the
U.S. ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
to be made up entirely of African-American men (apart from the officers).
Synopsis
The movie begins with newly promoted Captain
Robert Gould ShawRobert Gould Shaw was the colonel in command of the all-black 54th Regiment, which entered the American Civil War in 1863. He is the principal subject of the 1989 film Glory. He was killed in a failed attempt to capture Fort Wagner.-Early life and career:Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to...
(
Matthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who is best known for his roles as the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Nick Tatopoulos in Godzilla and David Lightman in WarGames. He voiced Simba in The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He also voiced Tack the...
) at the
Battle of AntietamThe Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil...
, on September 17, 1862. His troops are nearly destroyed and he is trapped between gunfire and cannon fire. Grazed by
shrapnelShrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...
, he falls near a dead soldier and passes out. He is awakened by a black
gravediggerA gravedigger is a cemetery worker responsible for digging graves used in the process of burial.-Fossors:Fossor or Fossarius , from the Latin verb fodere 'to dig', referred to grave diggers in the Roman catacombs in the first three or four centuries of the Christian Era...
named John Rawlins (
Morgan FreemanMorgan Porterfield Freeman, Jr. is an American actor, film director, and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice....
). Despite what happened at Antietam, Shaw is appointed commander of the first all black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts. Hesitant, he agrees, with his childhood friend, Cabot Forbes (
Cary ElwesIvan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is a British actor, known for his performances in The Princess Bride; Robin Hood: Men in Tights; Hot Shots!; Glory; Liar, Liar; Saw and Twister....
), as the executive officer. Their first volunteer is another one of Shaw's friends, an educated, literate, free black man named Thomas Searles (
Andre BraugherAndre Braugher is a two time Emmy Award winning American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, and as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998, and again in the 2000 made-for-TV TV movie.-Biography:Braugher,...
).
They soon have hundreds of men joining the regiment, including John Rawlins the gravedigger, a proud escaped slave named Trip (
Denzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director and film producer. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, Melvin B...
), and a shy, stuttering, free black man named Jupiter Sharts (
Jihmi KennedyJihmi Kennedy is an African-American actor who is best known for his roles in Glory and Gung Ho. After co-starring in several notable films during the 1980s, he quit acting and worked as a teacher in North Carolina for most of the 1990s. He returned to acting in 2001....
). While traveling to the camp, Sharts asks Thomas to teach him how to read. Once at camp, Thomas, Rawlins, Trip, and Sharts all share one tent along with a mute
drummer boyDrummer Boy is an EP release by Christian folk group Jars of Clay featuring a new interpretation the classic 1958 Christmas Carol "Little Drummer Boy," originally by the Harry Simeone Chorale. The EP was originally released by Essential Records in the Christmas following the release of Jars Of...
. Immediately, Thomas's and Trip's relationship gets off to a bad start as they disagree over sleeping space in the tent. Trip ridicules Thomas's educated and refined manner and, subsequently, Thomas mistakenly patronizes Trip, setting off a pattern of animosity between the two.
Shaw soon learns of a
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a separatist political entity existing between 1861 to 1865, established by eleven southern slave states of the United States of America, each of which had previously declared their secession from the United States...
proclamation that any black caught bearing arms against the
ConfederacyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865. It was established in two phases with provisional and permanent organizations, which existed concurrently....
will immediately be returned to a state of slavery. Any black captured wearing a Federal uniform will summarily be hanged. Shaw calls a company formation that evening and informs the men that all applications for discharge will be honored. However, at the formation the next morning, Shaw discovers that none of the men have left and all want the opportunity to fight for their fellow slaves' freedom. Shaw replies "Glory, hallelujah." to Forbes at this moment.
Shaw then appoints a tough sergeant from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, Mulcahy (
John FinnJohn Finn is an American actor known as one of the leads of the television programs Cold Case and EZ Streets. Finn has also had supporting roles in the films The Hunted , Catch Me If You Can , True Crime , Turbulence , Blown Away , The Pelican Brief , and Glory .TV series that Finn...
), to properly train the men for the battles ahead. Shaw also becomes much more strict. He begins by reprimanding Forbes for talking to Thomas casually when he, as an officer, should be addressing him as an enlisted soldier. Another example of Shaw's strictness comes when the 54th's issue of rifles arrives, and Forbes is assigned to train the men in marksmanship. However, instead of training the men in the correct manner, Forbes allows the men to shoot at bottles for target practice. Shaw arrives on the scene and makes Sharts, who is the best marksman among the enlisted men, practice loading and firing his weapon while being exhorted to do it quickly. Seeing that Forbes' lax methods aren't preparing the men for actual combat, Shaw makes Sharts load and fire while Shaw stands directly behind him firing a revolver toward the sky. Agitated by this imposed stress, Sharts is unable to perform his task adequately, which means he would be useless in battle. Shaw then matter-of-factly orders Forbes to train the men properly. Though disgusted, Forbes carries out Shaw's order to properly train the men in military drill.
Meanwhile, Thomas finds life in camp difficult as he is the weakest and slowest of the men, and is constantly harassed by Trip for being educated like a white man. During a bayonet drill, Thomas is forcefully reprimanded by Mulcahy for being tentative with his weapon. He baits Thomas into coming at him with the bayonet, and Mulcahy disarms him and smashes his face with the rifle butt to show Thomas that he must be willing to kill if necessary. Thomas then tries to speak with Shaw, but Shaw reprimands him for not using proper channels to speak with his commanding officer. Thomas at this point comes to realize his and Shaw's proper places as soldier and officer.
Trip himself has difficulty adjusting to camp life, always at odds with the other soldiers, especially Thomas. One night he leaves camp to get some shoes, as his old shoes are worn out and the quartermaster has refused to issue proper supplies to the black regiment. Trip is caught and presumed a deserter by the officers. Shaw has him flogged in front of the entire regiment, proceeding even after seeing that his back is severely scarred from floggings as a slave. Shaw, after learning the truth from Rawlins (that Trip was going out to find some shoes), finally forces the quartermaster to give the men new socks and shoes.
Soon, the men are assembled to receive long-awaited pay. However, upon learning that they will receive a $10 monthly wage rather than the $13 paid to white soldiers, the men, at Trip's provocation, tear up their wage sheets. In a show of solidarity with his soldiers, Shaw follows suit. However, spirits rise as the men receive uniforms. Jupiter is especially happy, long having desired a "blue suit". Before leaving Massachusetts, the regiment, dressed in new uniforms, file in review through the streets of Boston, passing
Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, (born circa 1818 February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer...
and Governor Andrew in the reviewing stand.
During the subsequent trip south by steamer, Shaw appoints Rawlins Sergeant Major, making him the highest ranking enlisted man in the regiment. Shaw soon learns that there is another all black regiment called the "contraband"; more rabble than soldiers; looting and attacking civilians whenever the opportunity arises. After looting the town of
Darien, GeorgiaDarien is a city in McIntosh County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the 'Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of McIntosh County...
, Colonel James Montgomery (Cliff De Young), a higher-ranking officer in charge of the contraband regiment, orders Shaw to provide assistance in burning the houses. Shaw initially resists the order but, to save himself from court-martial (which would leave his men to Montgomery's command), reluctantly capitulates. Likewise, the troops, although disgusted with their fellows' craven behavior, carry out their orders dutifully, well aware their commander has no choice in the matter.
Shaw and his men soon become frustrated that they have been assigned to manual labor and not allowed to fight in any battles; the troops grow weary of the tedious work and chafe at the taunting of white soldiers bound for the battlefield. After Shaw approaches the area commander with a threat to expose illegal activities undertaken by his command, his request that the regiment be allowed to fight is finally granted. In the Battle of Sol Legare Island, the troops push back a Confederate cavalry and infantry attack. Thomas saves Trip from a Confederate soldier and suffers a bullet wound; however, he refuses to leave the regiment.
Shortly thereafter, Shaw volunteers the 54th Massachusetts to be the lead regiment in the frontal assault on
Fort WagnerFort Wagner was a fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston harbor. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Against the Defenses of Charleston in 1863.-Construction:Named for deceased Lt. Col....
. On the night before the attack, the men sing at the camp fire to raise their spirits for the imminent battle. The next day, the 54th Massachusetts is honored by white soldiers and officers on the march toward Fort Wagner. They then charge the fort under heavy enemy fire, and take shelter in the sand dunes. At nightfall, Shaw leads the men in a charge across the remaining beach. With the Rebels on the top of the fort firing down on them, Shaw turns to see the American flag down. He gets up and attempts to rally the men forward up the hill but is quickly shot and killed. Trip, formerly reluctant to bear the colors of a nation that regards him as a second-class citizen, gets up, lifts the flag, and rallies the men. He is shot, but holds up the flag, even while dying. The remaining men, led by Forbes and Rawlins, charge the Rebels, slowly making their way to the top. On their way, Thomas gets stabbed and shouts out to not worry about him, But Jupiter carries Thomas on to continue moving. Soon, Forbes and Rawlins followed by Jupiter carrying Thomas lead the men to meet the entrance of the fort, only to meet the waiting Confederate guns. The scene ends in the smoke from a hail of cannon fire.
The film concludes with the Confederates still holding the fort, while slain men of the 54th Massachusetts, including Shaw and Trip, are buried by the Confederates in a mass grave (with their shoes removed). Shaw being buried in the mass grave along with his soldiers was the result of him commanding African-American soldiers; the Confederates thought being buried with African-Americans would be a sign of disrespect; unbeknownst to them, Shaw probably would have been honored to be buried among the enlisted men of the 54th.
The 54th lost half its men that day but earned glory, sparking the creation of many more black regiments. By the end of the war, there were some 187,000 African-American men in uniform, a fact which President
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery...
considered instrumental in securing victory in the war. Fort Wagner was never taken during the war, though the CSA forces eventually abandoned it.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|
| Matthew Broderick Matthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who is best known for his roles as the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Nick Tatopoulos in Godzilla and David Lightman in WarGames. He voiced Simba in The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. He also voiced Tack the...
|
Colonel Robert ShawRobert Gould Shaw was the colonel in command of the all-black 54th Regiment, which entered the American Civil War in 1863. He is the principal subject of the 1989 film Glory. He was killed in a failed attempt to capture Fort Wagner.-Early life and career:Shaw was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to...
|
Denzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director and film producer. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, Melvin B...
|
Private Silas Trip |
| Cary Elwes Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is a British actor, known for his performances in The Princess Bride; Robin Hood: Men in Tights; Hot Shots!; Glory; Liar, Liar; Saw and Twister....
|
Major Cabot Forbes |
Morgan FreemanMorgan Porterfield Freeman, Jr. is an American actor, film director, and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice....
|
Sergeant Major John Rawlins (Gravedigger) |
Jihmi KennedyJihmi Kennedy is an African-American actor who is best known for his roles in Glory and Gung Ho. After co-starring in several notable films during the 1980s, he quit acting and worked as a teacher in North Carolina for most of the 1990s. He returned to acting in 2001....
|
Private Jupiter Sharts (Field hand) |
| Andre Braugher Andre Braugher is a two time Emmy Award winning American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Thomas Searles in the film Glory, and as the fiery detective Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Street from 1993 to 1998, and again in the 2000 made-for-TV TV movie.-Biography:Braugher,...
|
Corporal Thomas Searles (Snowflake) |
| John Finn John Finn is an American actor known as one of the leads of the television programs Cold Case and EZ Streets. Finn has also had supporting roles in the films The Hunted , Catch Me If You Can , True Crime , Turbulence , Blown Away , The Pelican Brief , and Glory .TV series that Finn...
|
Sergeant Major Mulcahy |
| Donovan Leitch |
Captain Charles Fessenden MorseCharles Fessenden Morse was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War and, afterward, an influential businessman and civic leader in Kansas City, Missouri.-In popular culture:...
|
| JD Cullum |
Henry Sturgis Russell |
Jay O. SandersJay Olcutt Sanders is an American character actor.Sanders was born in Austin, Texas, to Phyllis Rae and James Olcutt Sanders. He is the brother of actor Fred Sanders and cabaret singer Marta Sanders....
|
Brigadier Gen. George StrongGeorge Crockett Strong was a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Biography:Strong was born in Stockbridge, Vermont, and attended Williston Seminary but left after 1851. He then graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1857...
|
| Cliff De Young |
Colonel James Montgomery |
Alan NorthAlan North was an American actor.North was born in the Bronx, New York and joined the United States Navy during the Second World War...
|
Gov. John AndrewJohn Albion Andrew was a U.S. political figure. He served as the Governor of Massachusetts between 1861 and 1866 during the tumultuous American Civil War. He was a guiding force behind the creation of some of the first U.S. Army units of black men—including the famed 54th Massachusetts...
|
| Bob Gunton Robert Patrick "Bob" Gunton, Jr. is an American actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters, with his best known role as Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison film The Shawshank Redemption.-Early life:...
|
General Charles HarkerCharles Garrison Harker was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in northern Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign...
|
Minor appearances
- Peter Michael Goetz
Peter Michael Goetz is an American actor.Goetz was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Esther L. and Irving A. Goetz, a construction engineer. Goetz studied at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and the University of Minnesota, from which he...
as Francis George Shaw, Robert Shaw's father
- Jane Alexander
Jane Alexander is an American actress, author, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts. Although perhaps best known for playing the female lead in The Great White Hope on both stage and screen, Alexander has played a wide array of roles in both theater and film, and has...
as Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw, Robert Shaw's mother
- Raymond St. Jacques
Raymond St. Jacques was an American actor.St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Vivienne Johnson, a medical technician. He was known for playing the roles of Coffin Ed in the 1970 blaxploitation classic Cotton Comes to Harlem, Rawhide and a two year stint...
as Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, (born circa 1818 February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer...
- Carla Brothers as Charlotte Forten
Charlotte Louise Bridges Forten Grimké was an African-American anti-slavery activist, poet, and educator.-Biography:...
uncredited
- Richard Riehle
-Early life:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle, an assistant postmaster...
as Kendric the quartermaster
- Bill Nunn
-Early life:Nunn was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of William G. Nunn, Jr., a well-known journalist and editor at the Pittsburgh Courier, as well as an NFL scout. Nunn's paternal grandfather was the first African American football player at George Westinghouse High School. Nunn attended...
as uncredited character
- Mark Margolis
Mark Margolis is an American actor, who has been making movies since 1976.Margolis went to Temple University briefly before moving to New York City, where he studied drama with Stella Adler and at the Actors Studio...
as a 10th Connecticut soldier
- Ethan Phillips
Ethan Phillips is an American actor, playwright and author. He is known for television roles such as Star Trek: Voyager's Neelix and Benson's Pete Downey.-Personal life:...
as a hospital steward
Historical Accuracy
- The film depicts Colonel James Montgomery as fundamentally unprincipled and racist. The real Col. Montgomery was a staunch abolitionist and Jayhawker
Jayhawkers is a term that came to prominence just before the Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant abolitionist groups. These groups, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery partisans, as well as Missouri militia units...
.
- The film depicts the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry training through the Christmas holidays of 1862 (after the September 1862 Battle of Antietam). However, the real 54th Massachusetts did not organize until March 1863, and it was engaged in its first battle on James Island, South Carolina, on July 16, 1863, and then Fort Wagner (the final battle in the film) on July 18, 1863. The 54th went on to fight at Olustee, Florida (February 20, 1864); Honey Hill, South Carolina (November 30, 1864); and Boykin's Mill, South Carolina (April 18, 1865).
- The film suggests that most of the black soldiers were former slave
Slavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
s from seceded Southern states who wished to fight for the abolitionistAbolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and emancipate slaves in western Europe and the Americas. The slave system aroused little protest until the 18th century, when rationalist thinkers of the Enlightenment criticized it for violating the rights of man, and Quaker and other evangelical...
North. In fact, the majority were born free in the North, although some did escape from slavery.
- Of the major characters in the movie's version of the regiment, only Robert Gould Shaw was a real person. The rest are composite characters. The name of Shaw's executive officer (Cabot Forbes) is a combination of the first name from one of the real Shaw's friends and the last name of another.
- In the film, Shaw is offered and accepts the job to be the commanding officer of the 54th on the same day. In reality, he rejected the offer once and accepted it only after many days of feeling guilty and consulting his future wife. Shaw is also shown as promoted directly to colonel, whereas his record indicates he was a major for several months as the regiment grew in strength and was at last promoted to colonel just prior to the regiment being deployed.
- Flogging was banned in the Union Army in 1861. Pvt. Trip would not have been whipped, at least not by someone as by-the-book as Colonel Shaw; however, there were harsh punishments, such as standing on barrels for hours at a time.
- The incident just before the charge into Fort Wagner in which Colonel Shaw points to the flag bearer and asks "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?" is based on a real event. But the person who asked the question was General George Crockett Strong
George Crockett Strong was a Union brigadier general in the American Civil War.-Biography:Strong was born in Stockbridge, Vermont, and attended Williston Seminary but left after 1851. He then graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1857...
, and Shaw was the person who responded. When the flag bearer fell, and after Shaw was killed, another black soldier, Sergeant William Harvey CarneyWilliam Harvey Carney was an American Civil War soldier and the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor, though he was not presented with the honor until nearly 37 years after his act of bravery. Carney was the 21st African-American to be awarded the Medal, the first recipient having...
, grabbed the flag and carried it all the way to the bulwarks of Fort Wagner. He remained there under enemy fire until the 54th was forced to retreat. Sergeant Carney struggled back to Union lines with the flag, receiving four wounds from which he recovered. Carney became the first African American to earn the Medal of Honor.
- Colonel Shaw was married, but his wife is not depicted in the film.
- The manner in which Colonel Shaw dies in the movie is based on fact. His final words were "Forward, Fifty-fourth!" before he was shot several times in the chest. The film depicts him falling on the parapet; in fact, he made it to the top, and his body fell into the fort.
- The final scene of the film shows Shaw's body being thrown into the burial pit alongside his fallen men. This is historically accurate, although his body was first stripped of its uniform; in the film, only his shoes and socks are missing. In addition, he was thrown in first and his soldiers were buried on top of him. When Shaw's parents inquired about his body, the Confederate commander responded, "We buried him with his niggers." It seems to have been intended as an insult, but Shaw's father later said that he was proud that his son was buried with his men. After the war, Shaw's parents visited the site of Fort Wagner, where their son was buried. The commander of a U.S. Army unit that was stationed at the wreckage of the fort offered to dig up the mass grave to find and remove Shaw's body so that it could be taken home for burial. Shaw's parents refused the offer, saying they could think of no better place for their son to be buried than with the soldiers he had commanded.
- In the movie, it is claimed that "over half" of the regiment was lost during the assault on Fort Wagner. However, official records state that the 54th sustained 272 casualties, which is closer to 40%. Of these casualties, only 116 were fatalities, just under one fifth of the men to storm the fort. If the 156 soldiers who were captured are included, it would bring the total to "over half". In formal military terms, though, "casualties" include captured soldiers. In any event, by most standards, including those of the Civil War, these are heavy casualties and the regiment was widely viewed as having performed bravely indeed.
- The movie's epilogue also claims that "the fort was never taken." While it is true that the fort was never taken by force, it was abandoned by the Confederate Army two months later. This was due to Union forces laying siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit"....
to the fort in the traditional manner. They were constructing siege lines at acute anglesInvestment is the military tactic of surrounding an enemy fort with armed forces to prevent entry or escape.A circumvallation is a line of fortifications, built by the attackers around the besieged fortification facing towards the enemy fort...
to the fort and slowly getting nearer to the walls. When the Confederates realized that the end was near, they slipped safely away.
- In the movie, the ocean is on the left side of the regiment when they charge the fort; this was allegedly done in order to get the best quality of light at the time of filming. In reality, however, the regiment charged with the ocean on their right, or coming from the south. Also, the approach was along a narrow spit at high tide.
- The real second in command was first Lt. Colonel Norwood Penrose Hallowell. Later, at the time of the attack against Fort Wagner, it was his younger brother Edward Needles Hallowell
Edward "Ned" Needles Hallowell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 3 1836 to Morris Hallowell and Hannah Penrose, and died on July 26 1871 in Medford, Massachusetts. Hallowell is most notable for being one of the commanders of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry...
, who went on to become colonel and command the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The fictional Major Cabot Forbes, played by Cary ElwesIvan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is a British actor, known for his performances in The Princess Bride; Robin Hood: Men in Tights; Hot Shots!; Glory; Liar, Liar; Saw and Twister....
, is based on Edward Needles HallowellEdward "Ned" Needles Hallowell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 3 1836 to Morris Hallowell and Hannah Penrose, and died on July 26 1871 in Medford, Massachusetts. Hallowell is most notable for being one of the commanders of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry...
. Although he was seriously wounded, Hallowell survived the attack on the fort and led the regiment until it disbanded in 1865. He retired with the rank of Brigadier General.
- In the movie, Shaw is surprised when the men refuse pay that was reduced because they are a "colored" regiment (though he eventually joins them in their refusal). In reality, the refusal was his idea, and he encouraged them to do it.
- In the film, Colonel Shaw volunteers his regiment for leading the charge. In reality, General Strong asked Shaw if he wanted to lead the charge. Although Shaw could have declined because his regiment was tired and hungry, he accepted because "if black men could storm the fort and open the door to the birthplace of the rebellion, the symbolism would be enormous."
- Years after the film was made, it came to light that the word Glory was used by one of the men of the Regiment. First Sergeant Robert John Simmons
First Sergeant Robert John Simmons was a Bermudian who served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War....
, of B Company, was a twenty-six year old BermudianBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada...
clerk, probably from St. George'sSt. George's , located on the island and within the parish of the same names, was the first permanent settlement on the islands of Bermuda, and was the third successful English settlement in the Americas, after St. John's, Newfoundland and Jamestown, Virginia. However, St...
, believed to have joined the 54th on 12 March, 1863. (Many black and white Bermudians fought for the Union, mostly in the US Navy. Many more profiteered from the war by smuggling arms to the South.) Simmons was introduced to Frances George Shaw, father of Col. Shaw, by William Wells BrownWilliam Wells Brown was a prominent abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian. Born into slavery in the Southern United States, Brown escaped to the North, where he worked for abolitionist causes and was a prolific writer...
, who described him as "a young man of more than ordinary abilities who had learned the science of war in the British Army". In his book, The Negro in the American Rebellion, Brown said that "Frances George Shaw remarked at the time that Simmons would make a 'valuable soldier'. Col. Shaw also had a high opinion of him". Sgt. Simmons was mentioned in an 1863 article of the Weekly Columbus Enquirer, which described him as "a brave man and of good education. He was wounded and captured. Taken to Charleston, his bearing impressed even his captors. After suffering amputation of the arm, he died there." The newspaper also described him as saying that he fought "for glory". Simmons, who had been specially mentioned among the enlisted men of the 54th by Shaw's successor, Col. HallowellEdward "Ned" Needles Hallowell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 3 1836 to Morris Hallowell and Hannah Penrose, and died on July 26 1871 in Medford, Massachusetts. Hallowell is most notable for being one of the commanders of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry...
, and who had been awarded a private medal, died in August, 1863, following the attack on Fort Wagner. http://www.freemaninstitute.com/markcollect.htm
Soundtrack
Featuring the
Boys Choir of HarlemThe Boys Choir of Harlem is a choir located in Harlem, New York City, United States.Founded in 1968 by Dr. Walter Turnbull at the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in Harlem, the choir has grown to be more than just a performing group...
, the underscore for the film was composed by
James HornerJames Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
. Critics have remarked upon hearing echoes of
Carl OrffCarl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his oratorio Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's
Carmina BuranaCarmina Burana is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff between 1935 and 1936. It is based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection Carmina Burana...
in the score, especially in regard to the cue "Charging Fort Wagner"; in fact, the score exhibits the influence of works by a number of composers, many of them British:
Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores...
's
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis in "The Whipping",
William WaltonSir William Turner Walton OM was a British composer and conductor.His style was influenced by the works of Stravinsky and Prokofiev as well as jazz music, and is characterized by rhythmic vitality, bittersweet harmony, sweeping Romantic melody and brilliant orchestration...
's
Belshazzar's FeastBelshazzar's Feast is an oratorio by the English composer William Walton. It was first performed at the Leeds Festival on 8 October 1931. The work has remained one of Walton's most celebrated compositions and one of the most popular works in the English choral repertoire...
in "Preparation for Battle", and
Benjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, violist and pianist.-Life:...
's
War RequiemThe War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts are pasted, collage-like, settings of Wilfred Owen poems...
and, indeed, Orff's
Carmina Burana in "Charging Fort Wagner". One of the main themes of the score ("Blow the horn / Play the fife") betrays the influence of Britten's
Owen WingraveOwen Wingrave is an opera for television in two acts with music by Benjamin Britten, his Opus 85, and a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a short story by Henry James....
, an opera that, not inconsequentially, engages the concept of pacifism. A track listing of the soundtrack CD follows:
- A Call To Arms
- After Antietam
- Lonely Christmas
- Forming the Regiment
- The Whipping
- Burning The Town of Darien
- Brave Words, Braver Deeds
- The Year of Jubilee
- Preparation For Battle
- Charging Fort Wagner
- Epitaph To War
- Closing Credits
Home Media
- Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 games, and other data, with up to 25 GB per single layered, and 50 GB per dual layered disc...
: released in 2009.
Academy Awards
The film was nominated in five categories, of which it won three:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
- Denzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director and film producer. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, Melvin B...
. (Won)
- Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture....
- Freddie FrancisFrederick William Francis./ was an English cinematographer and film director.He achieved his greatest successes as a cinematographer, including winning two Academy Awards, for Sons and Lovers and Glory...
. (Won)
- Best Sound Mixing
The Academy Award for Sound Mixing is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest or most euphonic sound mixing or recording, and is generally awarded to the production sound mixers and re-recording mixers of the winning film. Compare this award to the Academy Award for Sound Editing...
- Donald O. Mitchell, Gregg C. Rudloff, Elliot Tyson, Russell Williams II. (Won)
- Art Direction
The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999...
- Norman Garwood (art direction) & Garrett Lewis (set decoration). (Nominated)
- Film Editing
The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; it was first given for films released in 1934. The name of this award is occasionally changed; in 2008, it was listed as the Academy Award for Achievement in Film Editing. The New York...
- Steven RosenblumSteven Rosenblum is a film editor who has edited close to twenty films. He has had an extended, notable collaboration with the director Edward Zwick, and has edited all of his films since Glory...
. (Nominated)
External links