Glory :: Movie Film Review Glory Essays

GloryGlory captures the heroism of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the first blackregiment in the Civil War, the Massachusetts Fighting Fifty-fourth. Anhighly talented cast and crew earned three Academy Awards (cinematography,sound and supporting actor) and five nominations for their work in Glory. Theoutstanding cinematography, sound, score and acting recreate the events leadingup to the northward attack on Fort Wagner on July 18th 1863.Matthew Broderick portrays the young Bostonian abolitionist Col. Robert G.Shaw who takes command of the Fifty-fourth, following the EmancipationProclamation. Shaw along with Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes) leads a band of exslaves, servants and other black volunteers including a rebellious runaway slaveTrip (Denzel Washington), Shaws educated childhood friend Thomas Searles (AndreBraugher), and a condition grave digger Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). Together thesemen face the adversity of a racist Union Army, struggling to prove themselvesworthy of their gove rnment issued blue uniforms.after months of training and exploitation for physical labor, the Fifty-fourth gains the opportunity to fight in an attack on Fort Wagner on the beachesof South Carolina. Poised to dispel the flavour that blacks would not bedisciplined under fire, the Fifty-fourth leads the almost suicidal attack on Ft.Wagner. There Col. Shaw valiantly falls and the Fifty-fourth, suffering greatlosses, displayed the courage that persuaded the Union to enlist many more blacksoldiers.Matthew Broderick delivers a noteworthy performance in the mathematical function of Col.Shaw, which Leonard Maltin calls his most ambitious part. In an interview forthe New York Times, Broderick utter of his method acting,The first step in preparing for the role of Robert Gould Shaw in Glorywas to try to learn as much as I could about the real person. That was mostlyfrom letters, photographs, descriptions and a poem by Emerson. The thing I hadto do was bring myself into that situation. I did nt want to be an imitation ofwhat I thought Shaw must have been like.Brodericks acting talent has been noted on Broadway as well as in films.Broderick won a Tony Award for his performance in Brighton Beach Memoirs in1983, a year after his film debut in Max Dugan Returns. (Maltin, 102) But it washis role as a computer hacker in War Games and his role as a handsome young teentouring Chicago in Ferris Buellers Day Off that alerted moviegoers to histalent.Denzel Washington has received critical acclaim for his role as Trip (aswell as an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor). Denzel commented on the role ofTrip in an interview with the New York Times.