Glory

 SPOILER ALERT! The plot will be discussed.

 

Glory (1989), directed by Edward Zwick, is sort of a Civil War version of Profiles in Courage. It tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was the first of its kind to consist of only African American foot soldiers. The film is a character study of some of the individuals involved, including the white commanders, and depicts the obstacles they had to overcome and how they changed to face those challenges and grow as human beings even though it cost them their lives. The title of the film lets us know that the story is about earning praise and honor.

 

The movie begins with notes saying that Captain Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) was twenty-three, and the son of Boston abolitionists, when he enlisted to fight in the Civil War. So we know that he came from a family that was strongly opposed to slavery. He wrote letters home to his parents and these are the basis for the story in this film. (When I first watched this film I felt Broderick was miscast in this role but have come to realize that his lack of maturity as a commander is necessary at the onset of the story to show his personal growth later).

 

The first images are those of a Union military encampment and soldiers marching off to war while Shaw’s voice-over narrates a letter to his mother, Sarah Shaw (Jane Alexander). He is noble but naive since he says none of them will be killed because their numbers are so large an attack against them would be “insane.” His quest is one that his family would admire since he wants the country united and free, “so that all can speak.” His initial idealism shows as he compares the present conflict to the Revolutionary War, implying that they are trying to ensure what that earlier conflict achieved will be preserved. He finds it noteworthy that many of his fellow soldiers have never seen an African American before, but they now witness roads, “choked with the dispossessed.” So, the abstract purpose of their fight has become concrete. Even though Shaw received word of a recent defeat he keeps his positive attitude. He quotes the transcendentalist words of Ralph Waldo Emerson which state that “love can overcome all odds.” Though inspiring, Emerson’s teachings are difficult to put into practice in the midst of human bondage and the violence surrounding it.

 

The barbaric reality that crashes down Shaw’s positivism occurs at the Battle of Antietam, where his formally marching troops go headlong into a bloody encounter with Confederate soldiers armed with cannons. Before this battle the fighting seemed more like a gentleman’s aspiration to Shaw. He receives a superficial neck wound. Later gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) finds him on the battlefield, an ironic act by someone who usually is disposing of dead bodies, not helping live ones. The smoke rising from the discharged weapons blots out the sun, symbolically suggesting how war eclipses even the sustenance of the life-giving star. Shaw looks in astonished horror at the battlefield, and sees the limbs of soldiers being amputated. 

 He returns to a sophisticated social gathering at his parents’ home, but the scene contains slow motion camera work and distorted music, suggesting that the party seems unreal to him now after experiencing the absence of civilized behavior in the war zone. He meets a friend, Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), a free educated African American who helps Shaw’s father, Francis George Shaw (Peter Michael Goetz) with abolitionist work. Shaw’s white privileged life, where his father hosts the state governor, John Albion Andrew (Alan North), contrasts with that of another guest, famed black abolitionist Frederick Douglass (Raymond St. Jacques). Douglass has convinced the governor that there should be a black regiment to bestow, “pride and dignity to those who have known only degradation.” Governor Andrew has decided that Shaw be made a colonel and should lead the black infantry. Shaw says he is grateful, but seems flustered at hearing this news and excuses himself. 

 

Outside the house, Shaw’s friend in the military, Major Cabot Forbes (Carey Elwes), joins him, and implies that leading a “colored” regiment is a tough way to become a colonel. But Shaw’s unsteadiness turns to resolve, and he states that he is determined to take on the assignment. He also wants Forbes by his side, which gratifies Forbes, who is surprised that he would be put in charge of anything. His response demonstrates his current lack of self-confidence. The bookish Thomas, who one would not initially think was soldier material, joins them and exuberantly says he will be Shaw's first volunteer. 

 

Many others follow Thomas in wanting to help fight in the war, including Rawlins, the gravedigger. Shaw enters the area where many African American males congregate. He rides his horse, literally and figuratively above them, so despite their chants of wanting to beat the “Rebs,” they know that white men are still in charge. Shaw does say how he is pleased to see them, and is inspirational when he tells them that the courage they show will restore the union. He gets cheers by being inclusive when he says he hopes that God will bless “them all.” They then begin to form companies, but there is confusion as to who belongs where, so the soldiers get off to a shaky start.

 

As they head out, Thomas gets to know Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy), and their conversation demonstrates how Thomas’s education stands out as compared to the lack of learning provided for most black people. But it also illustrates that given the opportunity, African Americans can excel scholastically. As Shaw and Forbes lead their regiment through town, the local white people spout racial slurs, showing how bigotry was not reserved for the Confederate States. So the African Americans may be fighting against slavery here, but their battle for equal rights under the law is a much broader one. 

 

Thomas, Rawlins, and Jupiter share a tent with Trip (Denzel Washington, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role). Trip is a cynical, self-centered man who is sarcastic to others. But he has an admirable defiant strength in him, and his character develops during the story. Thomas says he would be happy to help Trip with educational pursuits, but Trip mocks Thomas’s cultivated speech, calls him a “snowflake,” and is generally contemptuous toward Thomas’s white-assimilated manner. He gets them all laughing, though, when asked what he has been doing since he ran away from the plantation. He says he ran for President, and adds he “didn’t win, though.” The idea that Barack Obama would become the country’s chief executive would seem like science fiction to these men.

 

Shaw, sticking to established military procedures despite the special circumstances, tells Forbes that there shouldn’t be “fraternization” between Forbes and Thomas, since the latter is an enlisted man. He calls in Sergeant Mulcahy (John Finn) who drills the men using numerous racial insults, many of which are ridiculous since he calls the soldiers “Hindus” and “Mexicans.” The degrading boot camp manner is difficult enough for white folks, but especially egregious since African Americans have already been abused. Forbes points out the harshness of Mulcahy’s behavior to Shaw, who is more concerned about getting uniforms and guns. His view of fairness seems to be wanting his men to be as effective as any white regiment, which would also reflect well on him. 

 

After a vigorous run, Thomas falls to the ground, coughing. Mulcahy kicks him, saying he was not dismissed. Shaw calls Mulcahy aside and notes he may be pushing the men “too hard.” Mulcahy asks if Thomas is Shaw’s friend, and the Colonel says the two grew up together. Mulcahy’s advice is to let Thomas “grow up some more.” Shaw seems to understand that Thomas’s studious upbringing has not prepared him to be a soldier, and so making his training easier may not be beneficial for his companion.

 

Shaw’s private thoughts are more empathetic as revealed in his voice-over letter to his mother. He says that the African American soldiers learn even quicker than white men, and are capable of self-discipline. But, when the drilling is over, they seem to be able to relax, and that “it gives them great energy” to enjoy themselves. He attributes this fact to being released from having to perform “inhuman” work while living in servitude. He believes that they will be as fine a group of soldiers as any that comes from Massachusetts. His spirits are dampened (literally, since the next scene is in the pouring rain) when he receives a message and must tell his troops that the Confederacy issued a proclamation that states that any black Union soldier captured by Confederate troops will be “put to death,” and that also goes for white officers leading the African American soldiers. President Lincoln has offered that anyone falling into those categories can leave military service honorably. The morning weather is sunny, which again echoes Shaw’s mood, who, expecting few men to remain, is inspired to see a full brave regiment of African American soldiers still in attendance. His surprised and grateful exclamation is “Glory hallelujah,” referencing the movie’s title.

 

Thomas tells Shaw that there is a rumor that the black regiment is only for show, and they will only perform manual labor. He says the men want to fight. The soldiers receive their muskets, and pretend to fire at each other, with some falling to the ground, as if they were shot. The images are a foreshadowing and the look on Shaw’s face as he observes their actions reveals worry. Because of his concern, he shows how the accurate shooting of Jupiter might be fine for firing at “squirrels,” but under the pressure of battle, he must use his weapon with quickness and accuracy. Shaw yells at him to reload and discharge his weapon with speed while Shaw shoots a revolver off around him. Jupiter is shaken by the simulated stress. Shaw sternly tells Forbes that he better teach the men so that they will be ready for combat.

 

Shaw shows his prowess as a soldier as he can slice watermelons as he rides through a practice field. Forbes wants to talk to him, but asks that he dismount, implying that Shaw should get off of his high horse, and not be condescending toward him. Forbes wonders why Shaw is being so demanding of the men since Forbes says they will never get to see any action. Shaw counters by saying he owes it to them to get them ready to fight since they gave up their freedom to be in the military. He says he owes them his life, and also that of Forbes (more foreshadowing). Shaw knows that Thomas is not a good soldier, and that point is driven home unmercifully by Mulcahy during bayonet practice as he disarms Thomas and whacks him with the man’s own rifle. The sobbing Thomas puts Shaw in a difficult position as the private wants to talk to him as an old friend, not as his commanding officer. Shaw sticks to protocol and tells him he must get permission through the chain of command before speaking with him. 

 

Back in their tent, the men have varying views on Shaw. Jupiter says Shaw is tough but by leading them he is in as much danger as are the black soldiers. Trip disagrees, and says he only became a colonel because of his white parents. Thomas doesn’t want to talk about Shaw because he thought that even in the military they could act as childhood friends. Trip mocks Thomas saying he thought Shaw was different, but he is like all racist white men. Despite Thomas’s education, Trip says “you in real school now,” suggesting his books did not teach Thomas what it’s like to live in the harsh reality he is now experiencing. 

 

Again narrating a letter to his mother, Shaw shows his insecurities, saying he doesn’t know how to bond with the men because their culture is so different from his own. He also has misgivings about his weaknesses and possible lack of leadership skills. He hopes he isn’t letting the men down in their attempt to fight for their cause. He is not a gung ho warrior, and misses being at home where there is “the smell of the sea.” He encounters Thomas as the snow comes down and his black friend does not use their past relationship to garner favor. He simply wishes Shaw a “Merry Christmas,” as Thomas seems to realize Shaw is just doing his job and can’t show favoritism.

 

Trip from the beginning complained about the deteriorating condition of his feet and how he needed some new shoes. He heard there was a woman on a ranch nearby that would give a man a good meal and some new shoes. So, Trip goes AWOL, but gets caught. Shaw feels that he must punish Trip like any other deserter, and orders him to be whipped. Of course, that is exactly the punishment a slave would receive on a cotton plantation, and thus, there is irony in the fact that Shaw is using the same punishment that the people he is fighting employ. In fact Trip has the scars from his prior whippings, which even causes Mulcahy to look at Shaw for permission to proceed. Forbes points out sarcastically in a slave accent that Shaw is now the new “boss man.” Trip stares at Shaw as he receives the lashing stoically which seems to drive the irony of the situation home. The one tear that he sheds is more powerful than if he wailed in pain, since it shows how much he is suffering despite his being used to getting whipped. 

 

Shaw’s outward by-the-book attitude begins to crack after witnessing Trip’s punishment. He later asks Rawlins to confide in him about the men, most likely so he can see them more as human beings and not just soldiers to use to feed his pride as a commander. Rawlins hesitates to open up to Shaw, but then says the men need shoes immediately and that was the real reason for Trip leaving. Rawlins says that Trip wants to fight possibly even more than the others, and was not looking to desert. Rawlins shows Shaw how damaged and bloody the feet of the men are. 

 

Shaw, who encountered Kendric (Richard Riehle), the quartermaster, before at a Christmas party where the man showed an unsympathetic regard for the need of supplies for Shaw’s regiment. He said that they had shoes for those that would actually be fighting, and that the blacks would not complain because compared to the way they had been treated they never had it so good. His statement drives home how poorly even free African Americans were treated. Shaw now is angry and confronts Kendric. He calls him all kinds of names, including a “piece of rat filth,” and starts to knock over his supplies. He demands shoes and socks for his men. When he exits, he smiles at Rawlins, showing he got what he came for. The men are thrilled that they have new shoes, and morale soars. But, there is a cut to the recuperating Trip and a guilty Shaw. The colonel probably now realizes that he acted without having all the facts surrounding Trip’s running off just so he could have the simple ability to walk without pain.

 

More bad news follows as racism in the Union persists. There is an announcement that, because they are a “colored” outfit, the enlisted men will receive less pay than initially promised. As they line up to receive their reduced wages, Trip shows he is undeterred in his resistance to unfairness. Only here he is not just thinking of himself. He pushes for all the African American soldiers to refuse agreeing to receive the cut in pay. At first Rawlins is willing to acquiesce, but when the man doling out the money gives him some attitude, he joins the resistance. Trip shouts that his body can stop a bullet just like a white man’s, letting everyone know that the black regiment is willing to put their lives on the line, too. He is witty in his sarcasm as he says, “Uncle Abe got hisself a real bargain here!” He is pointing out the hypocrisy of the Union Government supposedly fighting against slavery but still willing to oppress African Americans. All of the soldiers start to yell “Tear it up!” as they rip their scripts to receive the money. Even Thomas, who identified more with the white world than his own cultural background, loudly joins his people in protest. Shaw gets their attention by firing off a round from his revolver. But instead of following the usual military role of demanding discipline, Shaw shows how justice should prevail. He says if the men will not accept the pay, then he declares that none in the regiment will. He tears up his script, too, and Rawlins leads the men as they cheer for their colonel. Shaw helps hand out the newly arrived Northern uniforms. They are now becoming an integrated, unified group, and march by a stand in Boston which includes a proud Frederick Douglass.

 

They head on a boat toward the South, the place where many of the soldiers were enslaved. They carry that pain with them, but now they come to end that enslavement. Forbes calls the men to attention and notes the racist order that there can only be white commissioned officers leading the men, but nothing was said about noncommissioned officers. So, he tells the regiment that Rawlins is now a sergeant-major, quite an accomplishment, but one he is not sure he wants, which he whispers to Shaw, who says he knows how he feels. They both know that to command also means making tough, sometimes unpopular decisions. And Rawlins, being a black man, must deal with resistance from both black and white men.

 

They march through liberated plantations and young African American boys are thrilled to see them. Rawlins proudly tells them the soldiers left as slaves but have returned as fighters. It is interesting that Rawlins has to translate the dialect of a liberated local black man for Thomas, which shows how the educated northerner is getting a reeducation, as Trip suggested. The regiment now is under the command of General Harker (Bob Gunton), who only needs the “coloreds” around to scare the Confederates, and does not anticipate having the black soldiers participating in any fighting. Harker has a group of children singing “Let Freedom Ring,” whose idealism does not reflect the African American past, its present during this time, and, many African Americans would probably say, not even the future. 

 

General Harker introduces Shaw to Colonel Montgomery (Cliff De Young), who invites Shaw and his black unit to help on a maneuver with other African American soldiers. Shaw proudly tells Thomas to let the men know that they will be marching into action the next day. On the way, Montgomery says he is originally from Kentucky, and had a few slaves, so he is impressed that Shaw, coming from Boston, seems to know how to handle the black men. There is irony here in the fact that a high-ranking officer in the Union Army once owned slaves and belittles the African American men.

 

In Darien, Georgia, they find no rebel soldiers, so Montgomery tells the black soldiers that they can “liberate” the town, basically by looting and destroying it. Shaw is outraged that they fire at some civilians. Montgomery sees the blacks as inferior fighting men, and just gives them a chance to let out their aggression in a non-confrontational way. When one of the black soldiers manhandles a resistant white Southern woman, Montgomery shoots the soldier. He calls the black men “little monkey children,” which shows the rampant prejudice of white people, no matter which side of the war they are on. He orders the burning of the town, which Shaw initially refuses to do, calling it an immoral act. But he backs down when Montgomery says Shaw will be removed from his command, and Montgomery will take over his troops. To protect his men, Shaw allows the town to be incinerated.

 

In his letter to his father, Shaw’s voice-over says he made many requests to have his men be allowed to fight instead of doing what amounts to forced labor unrelated to their roles as soldiers. Meanwhile, Trip gets into an argument with white soldiers passing by, antagonizing them by saying that the black soldiers could do a better job of fighting the rebels. Rawlins intervenes to stop the confrontation. He restrains Trip and orders the white soldiers to move on. Forbes comes by, but Rawlins does not want to inflame the situation, so he says it was just a small fight. As the white soldiers keep marching, they make racial slurs, again revealing the bigotry espoused by white men, no matter the army.

 

Trip’s animosity toward Thomas flares up again after this event as he tells Thomas that no matter how much he acts like a white man, he will never be accepted by him, and will only be seen as “an ugly-ass chimp in a blue suit.” Trip pushes Thomas until they are ready to fight, but Rawlins interrupts the confrontation. Trip then starts in on Rawlins saying that because he was promoted, Rawlins acts like a slave owner ordering people around like he is “the massa.” He calls Rawlins “the white man’s dog.” Rawlins smacks Trip across his face and tells him he is so full of hate he sees everybody as the enemy. Rawlins notes that white soldiers have been dying by the thousands to fight for someone like Trip. Rawlins was a gravedigger, so he knows about their sacrifice. He tells Trip to stop using the “n-word” referring to his own people, suggesting he is belittling his own race with his behavior. He says they must now act like “men,” and have to “ante up and kick like men,” implying it is their turn to fight their own battle. Rawlins brings insight and inspiration to the men. 

 

Shaw and Forbes approach General Harker, who lives in comfort in an appropriated Southern mansion while Montgomery plays the harpsichord. They sit in luxury while soldiers are dying. Shaw says he wants his regiment to go into combat. He tells Harker that he has written a letter to his influential father to contact the state governor and President Lincoln to persuade them to let his regiment fight. The General says that he needs the black soldiers for his operations which Shaw has learned involves looting the region for Harker’s own profit. Shaw has the guts to tell Harker that he will report the general to the War Department unless he sends his men into battle. Harker easily agrees, probably feeling he can allow some African Americans to die so he can continue his illegal operations.

 

They are sent to James Island, South Carolina. In a battle involving rifles and bayonets, both sides inflict numerous casualties on their enemies, but the Union men send the Confederates into a retreat. Thomas is wounded but is still able to save Trip, his tormentor, by bayoneting a rebel soldier. The scene suggests that people can come together to fight a common enemy. Shaw says Thomas will be able to return home to the comforts of his old life. But, there is no retreat for the new Thomas. He now sees a larger endangered world beyond his books in Boston for which he must fight to liberate. He makes Shaw promise not to send him home.

 

Shaw talks to Trip alone, the first time since his punishment, and praises him on his fighting. He wants him to carry the battle flag colors, which is considered an honor. Honest as always, Trip says he doesn't see his people gaining anything after the war is over, while people like Shaw can go back to the comfortable lives they had before the fighting. In other words, African Americans have to start from scratch. Shaw comments that Trip “won’t get anything if we lose.” To Shaw’s credit, he now doesn’t paint a phony rosy picture, but instead stresses that their fight is worth it. They both agree that, generally, the whole situation “stinks.” Trip says the only way to get clean is to, “ante up and kick in,” which mirrors what Rawlins told him. What he suggests is a sort of trial by ordeal, a purification of the soul through personal commitment.

 

General Strong (Jay O. Sanders) tells the leaders of the regiments that Charleston Harbor must be taken by capturing the highly fortified and manned fortress, Battery Wagner on Morris Island. Unfortunately, there is only a narrow strip of sand that must be covered to reach it, and only one regiment at a time can approach given the spatial limitation. Even though the Union Navy has continued a constant barrage against the site, Strong warns that there will be many casualties. Shaw takes Trip’s words and applies them, volunteering his men to go first. They have not rested in a couple of days, but he says they have the “character” to lead the assault. 

 

The night before the battle the soldiers have a spiritual gathering where they sing a religious song and voice their feelings. Rawlins confesses that he left his family when he ran away from being a slave, but he says he wants their folks to know that if they die, “we went down standing up!”  He wants their families to understand, “we died for freedom.” Rawlins encourages the reluctant Trip to speak, who eventually says that he never really knew his parents and the only family he has consists of these fighting men. He admits to loving them, which is quite a surprising announcement from the cynical Trip. He says that whatever happens to them, they have shown that they are “men,” which implies that no black male should ever be called a “boy.”

 

As the regiment marches toward their doom, even the white soldiers show respect for what the African American men are about to do by cheering them on. Shaw gives the journalist, Pierce (Christian Baskous), letters for his parents and says that he should remember what happens here, which emphasizes the significance of the moment. And it has been remembered, since we can watch a movie about the story of these men. 

 

Shaw looks at the limitless ocean and seems to know that his life has led to this moment where he will join with that which is eternal. He no longer sees himself as above his fellow soldiers, so he gets off his horse which symbolizes his new humility. He now fights on the ground with those that were once just part of an abstract moral mission but with whom he has forged a brotherhood. His old friend Thomas volunteers to carry the regiment’s colors if the standard-bearer should fall, which shows how far Thomas has traveled from his bookish world up north. 

 

They charge into an onslaught of cannon fire, which kills many of the men. As dusk turns into night, the Confederate soldiers shower them with bullets from their rifles and attack them with explosives. Shaw leads the charge and is shot and killed. Trip, after seeing Shaw fall, now picks up the colors he refused to carry, but he, too, dies, near Shaw. Some, including Forbes and Rawlins, make it to the fort, but there are just too many enemy soldiers and firepower, and they are killed. 

 

The calm following the deadly storm is seen on the quiet beach the following day. The Confederate soldiers roll the dead Union warriors into mass graves. Shaw’s body slides down the sand next to his fellow fighters, with Trip next to him, as they all come together in death as they did in life. The notes at the end of the film state that half of the regiment was lost, and the white soldiers also suffered heavy casualties before withdrawing. The fort was never taken. But the courage of the men became well known and over 180,000 African American men volunteered to fight. President Lincoln stated that their contribution helped “turn the tide of the war.” Glory was achieved.

The next film is Murder, My Sweet.