GLORY

In 1863 an all-black regiment in the Union army suffered heavy losses in a futile attack on a Confederate fort, and their courage inspired many other black Americans to enlist, helping the Union side to eventually triumph in the Civil War.

This film tells the story of the regiment and their young white colonel, Robert Gould Shaw.  This is done in a conventional manner and therefore the result might have been a rather dull piece of hagiography, but fortunately this is not the case, thanks to the unobtrusive direction by Edward Zwick and to some fine performances.

When we first meet Shaw he is a fresh faced 23-year old who is a captain in the Union army due to his parents being wealthy and well connected Bostonians.

Shaw’s first experience of warfare is an ignominious one in which his men are routed and he falls to the ground, pretending to be dead.

But back home he is made colonel of the first ever black regiment.  It’s a promotion but a daunting one given that his men lack military training and there is a big question mark as to whether they will get adequate equipment and indeed whether they will ever see action.

Shaw is having to learn on the job and unsurprisingly he makes some missteps. The worst of these is having one of his men, Trip, whipped for trying to desert. In fact Trip was simply trying to find himself a decent pair of shoes.

Trip, memorably played by Denzel Washington in an early Oscar-winning performance,  has a large chip on his shoulder until Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) delivers some home truths in a powerful scene near the end.

Shaw manages to earn the respect of his men by getting them properly kitted out (shoes included) and ensuring that they see real action rather than simply being used for manual labour.

It’s quite a journey Shaw undergoes in less than a year: from a novice who seems to lack courage, to volunteering his regiment for a suicide mission in which he dies a hero’s death.

This transformation might not come over as believable (albeit that it is based on fact) were it not that Matthew Broderick as Shaw gives a compelling portrayal which carried me through the film.

The rest of the cast all deliver what is required of them and James Horner contributes an excellent score.

All round then Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment get a film worthy of their sacrifices.