I hadn't planned to watch this 1989 best picture contender today, but I am overjoyed that I did watch Glory, especially considering where our country is in this time. The story of Glory is about the 54th Massachusets Volunteer Infantry, which was a Union troop formed of all black men. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman as brave Union soldiers who would risk their lives to keep this nation united under God. All of these actors give remarkable performances, the screenplay is expertly crafted, the production design impeccably reflects the look of 1860s America, and James Horner's score is phenomenal. All of this brought me nearly to tears as I watched this film, but what moved me most about director Edward Zwick's Glory was this film's incredibly stirring commentary on the relations between black men and white men in America, and how relevant this commentary still is.
One of the ways this film shows people can stand up for equal justice is by not endorsing injustice. In one scene Colnel Robert Shaw's all black regiment is told that they will be paid less money than the amount a white regiment would make at that time. Throughout the film, Shaw's real life letters that he wrote to his mother are read in voice over, and in one of those real life letters Shaw wrote, "You may have perhaps heard that the coloured troops are to receive $10 instead $13 per mo. It is not yet decided that this regt comes under the order. If it does I shall refuse to allow them to be paid." Here Shaw as the leader of his men takes a stand against the injustice of unequal pay, by not accepting it. In this way the Colnel continues to, as he says in the film, "fight for men and women whose poetry is not yet written but which will presently be as enviable and as renowned as any."
A consistent motif in this film is the importance of treating everyone with the same level of dignity and respect, because all men have been equally created by God. In one scene Colnel Shaw worries that his drill seargent is treating his troops too harshly, however the drill seargent informs Shaw that this is how boys in the army become men. In one scene a Major (played by Cary Elwes) confronts the Colnel about his treatment of the soldiers at the camp, and he concludes that they should be treated like men. This undercurrent of tension is present throughout all of the boot camps scenes: that all enlisted men are put through tough training no matter their skin color, to make them the best soldiers this country can have.
One final scene is where a soldier played by Denzel Washington, whose character grew up as a slave, begins to harassas another black solider in the army. Throughout the film Washington's character has been belligerent and full of contempt, and in this scene Washington tells his fellow soldier "Let me tell you something, boy. You can march like the white man, you can talk like him. You can sing his songs, you can even wear his suits. But, you ain't NEVER gonna be nothing to him, than an ugly ass chimp... in a blue suit." At this point Morgan Freeman's character intervenes to gain control of the situation. Washington's character then, refers to Freeman's as "nothin' but the white man's dog!" Freeman responds, "And what are you? So full of hate you want to go out and fight everybody! Because you've been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that might not be living, but it sure as hell ain't dying. And dying's been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now! Dying by the thousands! Dying for you!" He continues, "Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up. Ante up and kick in like men. LIKE MEN!" It's one of dozens of great moments in this remarkable film that speaks volumes about what it means to live a life of respect, seeking justice and liberty for all.
Glory is currently available free on Verizon OnDemand and on Movies Anywhere, thanks to the Sony Company. It's an incredible and powerful film that I am sure I will not forget, nor will I forget how glad I was to have found it during this time in our country's history.
No comments:
Post a Comment