Edward Zwick's Glory is probably the most patriotic movie I've ever seen. These days, the first images that come to mind when U.S. patriotism is mentioned, are Celine Dion thumping on her chest, or Joe Blow waving an American flag from his front porch. Glory is a reminder of the meaning of sacrifice, and a refresher on why the American Civil War happened in the first place. History tells us the crux of the battle concerned freeing slaves, but what about the slaves themselves?
The first assumption would be that it was the North versus the South, and white man versus white man. Glory, however, concerns itself with the true story of the 54th Regiment, a squad comprised of black men, led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick). Since African-Americans were afforded so little respect, the circumstances behind the story have a profound impact. All of the men in the 54th want desparately to fight for their country, despite the rampant racism and prejudice that have plagued them since they were born. It is a conviction that sees them through such small victories as learning the fundamentals of marching in unison, receiving basic footware, mandatory paycuts and, ultimately, the battlefield. The progression of these events is the reason I feel it is so patriotic by nature.
To my surprise, the weakest aspect of Glory is in its ensemble cast. While no singular performer is "bad", the uneasy tension hinted at in the screenplay prevents any gelling among the actors. There is very little chemistry and few shining moments. André Braugher is probably the best as Thomas, particularly in light of Denzel Washington's over-hyped Oscar-winning performance as Private Trip and the perfunctory wise sage antics of Morgan Freeman (John Rawlins). Although familiar in form, Braugher's character arc as an educated man who is eager but ill-equipped to be a soldier, reverberates much stronger than everyone else's. Broderick and Cary Elwes (Major Forbes) are fine as well-intentioned officers navigating uncharted waters.
A movie like Glory may feature a lot of dialogue, but it is the actions that speak the loudest, as when Trip is flogged in front of the regiment, or when the troop is depicted marching along a beach towards almost certain doom. Zwick's direction allows for a powerful story to be told, so that the history part of what is essentially a history lesson is remembered, and not merely presented as an arbitrary piece of entertainment.
