Glory is an outstanding film of an outstanding act of heroism. It may be flawed in a number of small ways but overall it is incredible, easily one of my favorite films and one I return to time and time again.
The film covers the introduction of the first black fighting unit in the US Army, ... Read review
"The negroes fought gallantly and were headed by as brave a Colonel as ever lived", was ... more
one Confederate soldier's eyewitness verdict on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers immediately after 247 of their 600-man regiment had fallen in bloody swathes benea...
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"The negroes fought gallantly and were headed by as brave a Colonel as ever lived", was ... more
one Confederate soldier's eyewitness verdict on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers immediately after 247 of their 600-man regiment had fallen in bloody swathes benea...
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The heart-stopping story of the first black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil ... more
War. Glory stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman. Broderick and Elwes are the idealistic young Bostonians who lead the regiment...
The heart-stopping story of the first black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil ... more
War Glory stars Matthew Broderick Denzel Washington Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman. Broderick and Elwes are the idealistic young Bostonians who lead the regimen...
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Winning changes everything. In an era of segregation and the civil rights movement Don ... more
Haskins went on the recruiting trail to find the best talent in the land black or white. 7 blacks and 5 whites made up the legendary 1965-66 Texas Western Miners. They were mocked and ridiculed for their showboating and flaunting of black players on the court. Yet in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds Haskins and his beloved Miners came together as a team united to reach the National Championship game against powerhouse Kentucky.... Based on actual events as coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team; he even makes a brief cameo appearance!
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Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: Unmatched acting, excellent story, and important reminder of history Disadvantages: Clichéd to a degree, the focus of the tale may not be the best for everyone
Glory is an outstanding film of an outstanding act of heroism. It may be flawed in a number of small ways but overall it is incredible, easily one of my favorite films and one I return to time and time again.
The film covers the introduction of the first black fighting unit in the US Army, during the civil war and it does this through the eyes of their white commanding officer. It's a move that could be seen as either incredibly sensible ... ...it could be argued the Glory would have been even greater if it didn't tell the history of the 54th but lived within it. Would it have been better or worse as a story focused on an escaped slave who ends up an officer, rather than an officer who leads black soldiers? We'll never know but it's the only hint of a problem and again, it doesn't stop this being incredible.
The extras are excellent as well, with a great piece about the regiment ... more
Glory is an outstanding film of an outstanding act of heroism. It may be flawed in a number of small ways but overall it is incredible, easily one of my favorite films and one I return to time and time again.
The film covers the introduction of the first black fighting unit in the US Army, during the civil war and it does this through the eyes of their white commanding officer. It's a move that could be seen as either incredibly sensible or somewhat patronizing. Overall I think it works, but ultimately it's this decision that means the film is open to some criticism, but more about that later.
Covering the time from the creation of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts to their heroic attack on a fortified Confederate position the film dips into many clichés from war movies without ever overusing them. There's a traditional structure as well, with the raw recruits starting off barely able to shoot or maintain order, then showing them become both better men and soldiers then asking them to take the final step and prove themselves and gain acceptance.
If this was simply a war movie then that would be enough for a good Sunday afternoon film, but this is a civil war movie and race and slavery are central to everything providing an important reminder of what the world was like not so long ago as well as adding a forceful emotional impact to the story of these brave recruits.
Every scene is filled with the underlying importance of what is happening. A small subplot concerning general disobedience in the ranks is a masterwork of how to layer different elements of the plot. The apparent dissertion is revealed to have been caused by the army withholding necessary supplies, highlighting the distrust of black soldiers, the brutal punishment leads to the moment in the film.
If every film can be argued to have a single defining image, then it's Denzel Washington, about to be whipped, stripped to his waist. We watch the hardened officers eyes open in horror. This is not a simple raw army recruit about to be taught a lesson, its an escaped slave, his back covered in the marks of punishments and beatings and whippings that the army can't even comprehend. In the one moment of resistance to the punishment the film brings home what is being fought for, the horrors of what have gone before and how much the men of the 54th need this chance to fight, and how little the officers around them really understand.
It's a peerless scene both because of the setting and because of Washington's acting. The image of Washington as one of the great American actors really makes a start here.
So overall, superb - so what are the reservations? Some of the acting isn't brilliant by the actors playing the white cast - often they seem a little daunted by everything around them, especially the second in command. In part it may just be they are presenting journeyman acting when for many around them the film was both a chance to break out of traditional acting stereotypes and a vital piece of film history.
But the biggest reservation is the view point. This is a film that introduces ideas of slavery, shows it as something to see others have experienced. This is valuable and probably remains vital as history marches on but the film never really comes to grasp the stories of the soldiers themselves, except in moments such as mentioned above.
Whilst never as questionable as in the directors later work Blood Diamond (did we really need the story to be about a South African diamond smuggler?) it could be argued the Glory would have been even greater if it didn't tell the history of the 54th but lived within it. Would it have been better or worse as a story focused on an escaped slave who ends up an officer, rather than an officer who leads black soldiers? We'll never know but it's the only hint of a problem and again, it doesn't stop this being incredible.
The extras are excellent as well, with a great piece about the regiment that fills in some of the blanks and also reveals a number of stories of loss and heroism that film didn't quite touch upon. As mentioned above this seems to be because of a need to keep the focus more upon Broderick rather than the back stories and outcomes for many of the other soldiers, so the extra documentary should be commended for addressing this.
So watch this because it's a superb film, watch it because it's the chance to see a generation of actors show their ability for the first time but especially watch it because it really did and does matter.
Advantages: adventure with a poiniant message Disadvantages: -
...it first would appear.
Glory takes that one aspect, slavery, and gives an insight into the truths behind its place and relevance to the war. The film follows the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first black regiment of the northern army. Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes play the white officers of the regiment, Elwes providing the moral conscience to Brodericks uncomfortable position of superiority. Denzil Washington and Morgan Freeman ... ...fighting for his own reasons, the later because its the first time hes been part of anything that he considers worthy. He believes that he is fighting to change the world he will eventually inherit. It is these moral arguments polarized by the main characters that is the real point of the movie.
Their story is based on true events and follows their struggle against the prejudice of their own military leaders, to be able to prove themselves as equals ...
steerpyke 08.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Glory (DVD)
This is probably one of the best films I have ever seen, and ever will see. It's the story of the 54th Massachusets, the American Civil War's first black fighting unit. It tackles a lot of issues, not just racism, but about inner courage, heart and strength of character. Even if you're not into the American Civil War, the film is so good you'll watch it time after time. A young Matthew Broderick is the 54th's white Commanding Officer, and his performance, ... ...Freeman) is outstanding. A group of men, despised by their peers, risk their lives to defend those who persecute them - and for the ultimate prize, freedom. I can't heap enough praise on this film. It's reasonably accurate, and I found myself after watching this for the first time, trying to find out all I could about the 54th Massachusets regiment. This film is widely available (from 'Cinema Club' and will probably set you back no more than five ...
ndf9876 09.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Glory (DVD)
Advantages: Stunning performances and unforgettable Disadvantages: In places historically incaurate
...fight for their freedom"
Glory is without a doubt one of the greatest civil war films ever made. The film follows a black regiment of soldiers (the fifty-forth) through their training and eventually to fighting in the civil war. There is a great line-up of cast members, proving to be some of their greatest on screen roles to date. The film stars Matthew Broderick as col. Robert Gould Shaw along with Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman and Cary Elwes.
... ...to point out there are several flaws in the films historical accuracy. The most important being, in the film, the fifty fourth are portrayed as the first regiment of black soldier. It is true that they were among the first, but not actually the first black regiment. Along with this most of the slaves who were in the fifty forth had not previously escaped slavery as is portrayed in the film. But most of this can be excused as overall as a result; ...
MattMan101 11.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Glory (DVD)
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Advantages: Excellent story with a strong performance from Douglas Disadvantages: Very few - maybe not as much action as you might expect
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You can buy Paths of Glory from www.amazon.co.uk for £3.98. I'm reviewing the film only, not the DVD.
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Classification: PG
Running time: 87 minutes
Year: 1957
My Rating: 9/10 ...
Advantages: Simply stunning and emotionally loaded. Disadvantages: Lack of special features on current DVD release.
with excellent proficiency, the film has much broader appeal. Whether viewed as a component of an eclectic body of work or in isolation, Paths of Glory is the first stroke in a masterwork that would change cinema forever.
-DVD-
The DVD is currently available with only the very smallest of special features: five over-dubbed languages, six subtitled languages and the original trailer. A lot more would be very much appreciated but its not untypical with Kubrick pictures for more to be desire. Perhaps a thorough package like the updated version of Dr. Strangelove is more than a little overdue. At least this means you can pick up a new copy of the DVD for under six pounds on websites such as Amazon etc. as well as good ol' Ebay.
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Film: Paths of Glory
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1957
Distributor: MGM Home ...
Advantages: Very funny film, tons of extras Disadvantages: Humour is subjective, no two-disk option
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Imagine my disappointment when I found this film to be funny. Really funny. Genuinely 'roll around on the ground' hilarious. I had to go back and see it again, twice, just to make sure. And yep - it was still funny, so I resolved to buy the DVD.
- SYNOPSIS -
Banned from Singles competitions for life after a fracas on the medals podium, ice skaters Jimmy MacElroy and Chazz Michael Michaels exploit a loophole that will see them return to competitive figure skating - by forming a Pairs team. But can they put their differences aside to win?
- DVD CONTENT -
Outtakes
Trailers
Photo Galleries (six)
Deleted Scenes
Music video - Bo Bice: Blades of Glory
Alternative Takes
FEATURETTES:
Return to Glory - The Making of Blades of Glory
Celebrities on Thin Ice
Cooler Than Ice - The Super-Sexy Costumes of Skating
Arnett and Poehler ...
The true story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the American Civil War's first black fighting force, who challenged history, racism and the fortunes of war.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Best Actor In A Supporting Role 1990 (Denzel Washington)
Professional reviews
Review
"...Beautifully acted, pageantlike....[The] cast is superior....This is a good, moving, complicated film..." (New York Times, p.C15, 14/12/1989)
"...Spectacular choreography..." (Sight and Sound, p.135, 01/03/1990)
DVD Description
GLORY recounts the bravery of a group of Civil War soldiers often overlooked by history--the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts, a troop of free black men who fought to help win liberty for their enslaved brothers. Based on the historical novels ONE GALLANT RUSH by Peter Burchand and LAY THIS LAUREL by Lincoln Kirstein and the letters of Robert Gould Shaw, the film follows the youthful Colonel Shaw (Matthew Broderick) as he takes responsibility for readying these soldiers for battle. Shaw, a privileged young Boston Brahman, finds the job harder than expected because many of the men balk at taking orders from him. Private Trip (Denzel Washington) is especially resistant to Shaw's leadership, but over time the two come to an understanding as they endure the hardships of the war. On July 18, 1863, Shaw volunteers the 54th for the honor of leading the charge against Ft. Wagner, a mission that means almost certain death, with Trip carrying the regiment's colors into battle. This gritty and realistic vision of the horrors of war is a moving and critical examination of a lost piece of history. Beautifully shot and triumphantly acted (by a cast that also includes Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes, and Andre Braugher), director Edward Zwick's film serves as a tribute to the courage and selfless bravery of the black soldiers of the Civil War.
![Glory [DVD] [1990]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78527079.jpg)
