Glory      

By Jeff Shannon

One of the very best films about the Civil War, this instant classic from 1989 is also one of the few films to depict the participation of African American soldiers in Civil War combat. Based in part on the books Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, the film also draws from the letters of Robert Gould Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), the 25-year-old son of Boston abolitionists who volunteered to command the all-black 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Their training and battle experience leads them to their final assault on Fort Wagner in South Carolina, where their heroic bravery turned bitter defeat into a symbolic victory that brought recognition to black soldiers and turned the tide of the war. With painstaking attention to historical detail and richness of character, the film boasts superior performances by Denzel Washington (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher. Directed by Edward Zwick (cocreator of the TV series thirtysomething), this unforgettable drama is as important as Schindler's List in its treatment of a noble yet little-known episode of history.

Academy Awards

Glory received Academy Awards for Best Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role (Denzel Washington), Best Achievement in Cinematography (Freddie Francis) and Best Achievement in Sound (Donald O. Mitchell, Gregg C. Rudloff, Elliot Tyson, Russell Williams II). Glory also received Academy Awards nominations for Best Achievement in Film Editing (Steven Rosenblum) and for Best Achievement in Art Direction (Norman Garwood - Art Direction, Garrett Lewis - Set Decorator).

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