Glory [4k Ultra-HD + Blu-ray] [1990]

All the actors where great, the music was awesome, and the story was well chosen.

Although somewhat inaccurate, Edward Zwick's film has a good sense of historical truth to it and makes you feel as though you are actually in the Civil War era. The characters despite many of them being fictional are relatable and believable. Denzel Washington who plays the slave turned soldier, Trip and Morgan Freeman who is perfect for the role of the wise mentor character, Sergeant Major Rawlins obviously steal the spotlight. Matthew Broderick however does do a spectacular job of depicting the naive but dedicated young Colonel of the 54th, Robert Gould Shaw. There are a lot of complaints about Broderick's role in the film but I cannot think of an actor at the time who could have done a better job of portraying the 'boy Colonel' than he did.While there are significantly less battle scenes when compared to other Civil War films such as Gettysburg, the film focuses very much on character development. The four principal black soldiers have to accept each other’s different walks in life while Colonel Shaw learns to respect the abilities of his men as well as confronting injustice when it rears its ugly head. Your emotions for the characters throughout the story will often vary, while you may be congratulating Shaw one minute for taking up the leadership of the 54th, you will feel anger when he looks at Private Trip in the eye (who had already suffered at the hands of his former master) as he is flogged upon the wheel. The battle scenes though few and far between are excellent examples of great cinematography and required many reenactors to pull them off. When the inevitable arrives and Colonel Shaw leads his men on the suicidal charge of Fort Wagner, you can only watch in horror as the characters you knew and loved are gunned down. The film actually ends on a somewhat positive note, although this can be hard to see as the young Colonel and his men are buried in a pit. This great sacrifice of Shaw and his brave black men ultimately paved the way for black enlistment which in the long term, would help the Union to triumph over the Confederates.There are a few nitpicks which I have to mention, the first and most glaring one is how quickly Captain Shaw takes to accept the 54th’s leadership when in reality he refused at first, pondering whether or not he should take part in a task that would most likely result in his demise. Ironically Cary Elwes’ character, who is partly based on Edward Needles Hallowell, a dedicated abolitionist is the one displaying the most reluctance here. Also the film implies that the whole regiment was wiped out at Fort Wagner when in reality the 54th, now led by Colonel Hallowell would fight again in many future battles such as Olustee. The Fort contrary to what was stated in the film was taken soon after the battle (the rebels abandoned the area when the decomposing bodies of the 54th contaminated the water supplies). Finally the 54th is depicted as consisting of mostly slaves when most of its members were actually freemen of the North, although I think the film made it this way so all black regiments would be represented.Overall this film is a gem, and any enthusiast of the Civil War or of black history should definitely have this on their shelf. Despite Glory being just a little more accurate than Braveheart the film depicts likeable characters and the struggles they have to face, spectacular battle scenes and an unforgettable soundtrack which helps to create tension and atmosphere throughout the story. Although some may understandably have problems with this film, the impact at the time of it's release and how we rethought the role of the black race in the Civil War cannot be denied.

very good

This is a truly fantastic movie. However the product is a normal 1080P Blu-ray NOT a 4K 2160P UHD disk.Confusion is caused by the fact the Blu-ray was created from a 4K master for quality,

Having recently watched Gods & Generals and Gettysburg its' sequel, every so often a really "special" film comes along and for me this is it - the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first Black regiment to fight for the Union side against the Confederacy of the Southern States. Matthew Broderick plays the charismatic Robert Gould Shaw from a Bostonian family of abolitionists who rises to the rank of Colonel, who sees the racism against the black men who are even initially denied proper footwear, uniforms and arms because their role is seen more as that of labourers than fighting men. He also sees the crimes of theft by his superiors. Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman play 2 of the enlisted men. Washingtons attempt to find himself some boots at a nearby farm result in him being whipped for desertion.Washington hates almost everyone,accusing his fellow blacks of being cheap Confederate targets when they initially accept an offer of less wages ($10pm)from the War Department instead of the $13 that had originally been offered and agreed to for all soldiers, Black or White. At this the Colonel declines to accept wages for everyone, officers included.Colonel Shaw has to blackmail a Battalion Commander into using the 54th in actual fighting and they bloody their noses at James Island but not without losses. Morgan Freeman who plays the much more sensible,older man role to which he has been accustomed lectures Washington on his hot-headed ways and at last appears to make Washington realise where he has gone wrong and to channel any hatred he has against the enemy not his fellows. Col.Shaw who is ably supported by a child-hood friend Maj.Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes)volunteers his regiment to lead the attack on an impenetrable Fort Wagner, knowing that it is almost certainly a suicide mission and that none will survive. This gains the 54th the respect of the General in charge of the Battle of Fort Wagner and all other troops. Unusually for such a senior officer Colonel Shaw not only leads his men from the front but also does so on foot. This movie which is brilliantly directed by Edward Zwick and produced by Freddie Fields "enlists" thousands of Civil War re-enacters to carry it off, and James Horner adds a wonderfully haunting musical score.It contains moments of comedy,pride,brutality,discrimination.humility,tear-jerking truthfullness and much more.A truly exceptional film.

Everything was great

Great film I did see sum grain in this transfer to HD just a sham did spall it in sum way I may send it back as it just may be a one off & reorder it I sent that one back & reorder this one I did not see any grain at all on this copy so happy with it

This Region 2 DVD is great: affordable and neat, no extra features though - the way I describe it is the VHS picture onto a DVD but it's a legit DVD version. I am not knocking it for it's cheaper than a cinema ticket, and compared to the dross in the last 2 years, the film is still a moving tale where the 54th Mass. overcome adversity and prove themselves to be accepted as equals rather than being looked down or pandered to (something modern political movements may want to learn about) in the American Civil War era. The moving soundtrack from James Horner and the depictions from Denzel Washingtons and Morgan Freeman with Matthew Broderick and Carys Elwes as the officers is like icing on a cake. Definitely worth a watch.