Growing up in the South, there was so much Civil War Lost Cause foolishness pushed on us that nowadays, many parents would be opposed to their kids taking a field trip to a war memorial. The Reconstruction Era has been horribly retold to others as a period of failure when instead it was actually a period of progression that was cut down by the 1876 Compromise, the insurrection of Wilmington, N.C. and Jim Crow Segregation, three blackeyes in history that haven’t been taught and learned by people as they should.
So, when late writer Kevin Jarre found himself noticing a monument in Boston Common dedicated to the memory of Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, he became fascinated and began to research the topic because he had never been taught that there were black soldiers during the Civil War, like so many other people before him and even since. The result might have been another “white savior” story of how Shaw led the regiment from inception to its collapse at Fort Wagner, South Carolina. And for a while, it was almost headed that way.
That was until Edward Zwick, director of Glory, was looking at dailies of a scene in which the main black soldiers all meet in a tent. Then, he realized they needed more of this and less of Shaw in the original script. During this scene, the four enlisted men of different background meet as they’re all going to be sleeping in the same tent. John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman) is a middle-aged freeman who works as a gravedigger prior to enlisting. He first appears following the Battle of Antietam where Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is wounded. Shaw comes from a prominent family and he is promoted at aged 23 from a captain to a colonel to oversee the regiment.
His friend and fellow military service member, Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes) is commissioned as a major and becomes his executive officer. Shaw’s long-time friend, Thomas Searles (Andre Baugher), an educated freeman, tells Shaw that he will be the first to enlist. Along with Thomas, there is Silas Trip (Denzel Washington in his Oscar-winning role) as a bitter former enslaved man who arrogance is on full display and he doesn’t care who he offends. Then, there’s Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy), a gullible and uneducated former enslaved man who’s jovial attitude and stutter becomes a criticism by Trip.
Zwick realized this scene of them all getting to know each other was the heart of the story and more scenes were filmed to focus on the soldiers. We soon learn why Trip is the way he is during a scene where he is arrested on suspicion of desertion and flogged by their drill instructor Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy (John Finn). At first, it seems to portray Mulcahy, of Irish ancestry, as a racist. But he is horrified like others to see that Trip has scars all over his back from where he was whipped when he was enslaved. And as Shaw, Forbes and the rest have to watch, it’s apparent, there really isn’t much of a difference as the 54th is continued to be treated with prejudice and racism. Trip was trying to seek a fresh pair of shoes. The quartermaster is keeping clothing and accessories from the 54th until Shaw confronts them.
Some might consider it a white savior but without Shaw and Forbes pushing to get their men the equipment and clothing they needed, the Union Army was just going to use them for labor. They are initially used this way and later they accompany Col. James Montgomery (Cliff DeYoung) who commands a regiment of black soldiers who haven’t had the proper training the 54th has. They sack and burn the Darien, Ga. town much to Shaw and everyone’s horror despite there weren’t any Confederate troops in the town.
The Union could be just as bad as the Confederacy. People need to remember that during war times, there really aren’t any rules. It’s common for troops to loot towns and communities where there isn’t any aggression or enemy troops. Zwick does fail into some traps that other filmmakers have with this part as it seems to take the action away from the main soldier characters. While the Lost Cause has tried to show that the Civil War wasn’t just about slavery, the myth of the Union has been that many people supported the war. However, this wasn’t the case as by 1863, the Union was resorting to conscription to find its troops resulting in the New York City Draft Riots in July of that year. This was portrayed in Gangs of New York which also showed the American military forcing Irish and other immigrants to NYC and probably other eastern port cities to enlist in return for American citizenship.
Some have argued that Broderick was poorly miscast as Shaw. While his New England accent probably would’ve have been a thing in 1863 where he pronounces words like “Charactah!” it shows he was trying to shed the Ferris Bueller persona that had been hanging over him. Broderick had been working for years in theater and he wasn’t much older than Shaw during this time. Shaw was born into a wealthy and powerful family. It’s very likely Massachusetts Gov. John Albion Andrew (Alan North) had intended this as a public relations stunt in hopes the high society world the Shaws were in would encourage the war movement with money and supplies. And since they could initially just use the 54th Regiment as labor and Montgomery’s regiment as looters, the white soldiers could be used in battle.
After realizing Montgomery and Gen. George Garrison Harker (Bob Gunton) have been using the looting and pilfering of homes and businesses for illegal profiteering, Shaw and Forbes get reassigned to combat where they defeat the Confederate soldiers at a battle on James Island, S.C. However, they fail to take Fort Wagner after a long, bloody battle resulting in the deaths of Shaw and Trip and others. Despite the losses and failure to seize the fort, news of the 54th leads to Congress to authorize more black soldiers of which there are over 180,000 volunteers.
While Zwick films the battle scenes in all their bloody horrors (including a scene where a Union officers head explodes spewing blood on Shaw’s face), it’s really about the will of the soldiers who were facing the threat of being enslaved if captured during battle. Prior to the attempted siege of Fort Wagner, the soldiers hold a religious service. This scene along with the tent scene and a powerful movement where Rawlings, now a sergeant major, gets on to Trip for his behavior, are what make the movie thrilling and moving.
Freeman shows why he is one of the best actors currently living and of all time. And Washington, as his star was rising, makes Trip into more than the “Angry Black Man” stereotype. He’s not a man who hates the world, but where he’s come from, all he’s seen is violence and hatred. So, it’s only natural he’s hostile to those around him because he’s waiting for the bad news so he doesn’t get his hopes up as the others. He also leads the regiment in revolt when it’s informed they’re going to be shorted $3 or 25 percent of what they initially were told as pay.
The same year in 1989, Freeman appeared in the more controversial Driving Miss Daisy, which can’t be viewed with the same rose-colored glasses as Glory. While both movies are set in the South and focus on the racism and bigotry of the era, Driving Miss Daisy seems to come off as too comical at times for all the wrong reasons. Both movies are different in tone, structure and plot but Glory is still a powerful movie with the beautiful musical score by James Horner (which didn’t get an Oscar nomination) and the cinematography by Freddie Francis, who did win an Oscar. The movie wasn’t nominated for Best Picture nor Best Director and Washington was the only actor nominated.
This was Baugher’s first film role and the actor who passed away in December of 2023 was often regarded as one of the best actors of the time. His role as Det. Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Streets won him a much-deserved Emmy. He manages to convey the enthusiasm some of the 54th probably had without realizing the true grit and toughness of being in the Army. It’s somewhat notable that he isn’t initially able to obey the orders of Mulcahy and later Shaw and Forbes as he was never an enslaved man. Even though he earns the rank of corporal, Thomas can’t stand up to Trip who calls him “Snowflake.”
If anything else, it’s worth watching for seeing Freeman, Washington and Baugher altogether.
What do you think? Please comment.