Glory
The 1989 film Glory is a classic Civil War film based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment. The film focuses on the courage displayed by the first black regiment in the Civil War, also known as the “Fighting Fifty-fourth.” The regiment headed by the admirable Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, Matthew Broderick, must overcome an enormous amount of adversity during the war. The film was daring for filmmakers Zwick and Fields because it was a film not only with, “vivid and frightening battle scenes and finely etched dramatic characters, but a film that shattered the great Civil War taboo-it told a story of African Americans(Chadwick). Many articles and texts leading up to the film failed to mention the participation of African Americans in the Civil War. In fact, the participation of African Americans helped turn the course of the war and nearly 300,000 fought for the North.
Glory earned an impressive three Academy Awards due to its exceptionally talented cast and arguably some of the most realistic and memorable Civil War reenactments ever shot. The soundtrack, cinematography, and acting captivated my attention with a combination of triumph and tragedy. These men were fighting to free their very own race which adds to the emotion and sentiment this movie invokes.
Zwick effectively builds the characters of the 54th regiment by portraying the grueling months of training and development. One prominent example of this is in the end of their movie when the 54th is given the chance to fight in an attack on the beach of South Carolina at Fort Wagner. Determined to dismiss the belief that blacks would not be disciplined under fire, the 54th is at the forefront of the suicidal attack on Fort Wagner. During this battle, the 54th displays the courage that persuaded President Lincoln to enlist many more black soldiers.
Zwick’s choice of characters greatly contributed to the success of Glory. Matthew Broderick was an interesting choice to play the lead role of Colonel Shaw and many film critics criticized Zwick’s choice of Broderick. Broderick’s resume included films such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and War Games. In these movies he was better known as a teen rebel rather than a serious actor. This role gave Broderick the opportunity to extend his range and add to his resume. It was the acting of Broderick that laid the groundwork upon which the rest of the film could be constructed.
The story of the “Fighting Fifty-Forth” is a true testament of how when a country is in war or a time of despair they can ban together as one ,regardless of race to achieve an objective. Although they were treated unfairly and discriminated against, the 54th regiment paved the way for equality of not only African-American soldiers but for all African-Americans.
The book “For cause and comrades” written by James M McPherson is not one of your typical civil war books. This book is completely different than what everyone would expect, McPherson tries to explain the why of the war behind the scenes of it. He goes into great detail onto how dissects the initial reason of both sides North and South by concentrating not on battlefield tactics and leaders but what emotional and great experiences the men had to face in the battle field.
From reading The Harlem Hellfighters, it is apparent that, though the 369th regiment was all black, they did not have the same background and had not joined the war for the same reasons. This fact is important because the 369th regiment is in some ways a microcosm of the entire United States in the early 1900s and even today. ‘Black America’ is
Col. Robert Gould Shaw “It is a great pleasure to see you all here today. It is my hope that the same courage, spirit, and honor, which has brought us together, will one day restore this Union. May God bless us all.” Col. Shaw had hope that he would lead his regiment to victory. The movie Glory is a dramatic representation of the Civil Wa. Col. Shaw is tasked with the job of training the first African-American regiment for war. The men went through intense training fortunately when the men went to battle they proved themselves victorious. Thomas faces many challenges with other, society, and themselves.
The book ‘For Cause and Comrades’ is a journey to comprehend why the soldiers in the Civil War fought, why they fought so passionately, and why they fought for the long period of time. Men were pulling guns against other men who they had known their whole lives. McPherson’s main source of evidence was the many letters from the soldiers writing to home. One of the many significant influences was how the men fought to prove their masculinity and courage. To fight would prove they were a man to their community and country. Fighting also had to do with a duty to their family. Ideology was also a major motivating factor; each side thought they were fighting for their liberty. The soldier’s reputations were created and demolished on the battlefield, where men who showed the most courage were the most honored. Religion also played an important role because the second Great Awakening had just occurred. Their religion caused the men who thought of themselves as saved to be fearless of death, “Religion was the only thing that kept this soldier going; even in the trenches…” (McPherson, p. 76) R...
Robert Gould Shaw was a son of wealthy Boston abolitionists. At 23 he enlisted to fight in the war between the states. The movie opens with Robert reading one of the many letters he writes home. He is captain of 100 Union soldiers, most of whom are older than himself. He speaks of the spirit of his men and how they are enthusiastic about fighting for their country just like the men in the Revolutionary war only this time they were fighting to give blacks freedom and to live in a United country where all can speak and live freely.
Gods and Generals, 2003, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain (JEFF DANIELS), Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee (ROBERT DUVALL), Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (STEPHEN LANG), Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker (MAC BUTLER), and Capt. Alexander ‘Sandie’ Pendleton (JEREMY LONDON).
Black soldiers were among the bravest of those fighting in the Civil War. Both free Blacks in the Union army and escaped slaves from the South rushed to fight for their freedom and they fought with distinction in many major Civil War battles. Many whites thought Blacks could not be soldiers. They were slaves. They were inferior. Many thought that if Blacks could fight in the war it would make them equal to whites and prove the theory of slavery was wrong. Even though Black soldiers had to face much discrimination during the Civil War, they were willing to fight to the death for their freedom. In the movie “Glory“ the director focused on the African Americans in the north that fought in the 54th regiment led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. During the time of the Civil War, the African Americans that fought in the 54th regiment were often treated unfairly but there were always nice people that backed them up.
Following the defeat of the Confederacy and to lift the morale of a shattered people momentum gathered to enshrine the Myth of the Lost Cause which would transform the Southern soldier living and dead, into a veritable hero.
The assault on Fort Wagner was an important event that played a major role in our history. Their assault on Fort Wagner was an important event that helped bring slavery to an end. They fought against the south in the civil war, with the north that wanted to bring an end to slavery. Their fighting shows some of the courage of the 54th Massachusetts. After the assault on July 11 on
The Civil War is often thought of as white northerners and southerners fighting over the freedom of African American’s. African American soldiers would fight on both sides of the war. The eventual acceptance of African American’s and their contributions to the Union Army would be pivotal in the Unions success. African Americans were banned from joining the Union Army in the early part of the Civil War. President Lincoln feared that African Americans in the Army would persuade certain states, such as Missouri, to join the Confederacy. Once African American soldiers could join the Union Army they would contribute to almost every major battle of the Civil War. 180,000 African Americans served in the Union Army in 163 different units, and 9,000 served as seamen in the Union Navy.1 President Lincoln stated, “Without the military help of the black freedmen, the war against the South could not have been won.”2
“Glory” is told mainly through the eyes of Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick. At the beginning of the movie, Shaw is fighting in a battle, and manages to survive, despite heavy Union losses. He is horrified with the violence of the war, and returns home to recover from his wounds. Shaw is recruited to lead the newly formed black regiment. Although he has grown up and still retained his abolitionist opinions, he still has doubts about the capability of black troops.
Director Peter Berg based this movie off of Marcus luttrell the survivor of Operation Red Wings. This powerful war film features actor Mark Walberg who portrays the real life situation of Marcus Lutrell. The movie is centered on patriotism and the struggles that the soldiers faced. Peter Berg displays the mental and physical suffering that soldiers go through during battle. The film begins with troops training preforming exercises, drills, and tests that regular individuals could not imagine. The beginning of the film is an important part in setting the tone that is seen throughout the movie. The producer sets the film up in a realistic manner that showcases morality, brotherhood, and honor.
As countless people in a third world country fall to the ravages of poverty and disease, a single woman fights to make a difference. Living a spartan life, through conditions far from humane, she helps those who are poor, suffering and sick, with total disregard for her own personal comfort. One might say that this woman is a saint and for many she already is. Her selfless abandon to help those in need makes her virtuous to a heroic degree. Her name is Mother Theresa. By stark contrast, the whisky priest can hardly be classified as a saint. A saint is an individual remarkably free from human weaknesses. The whisky priest however, is the incarnate of human failings: a sinner.
W.E.B Du Bois refers to the black soldiers as “Soldiers of Democracy” because they are fighting for democracy in their own country. There have been the lynching, ignorance of education, financial issues towards blacks. “The land that disfranchises its citizens and calls itself a democracy lies and knows it lies.” (Du Bois,1919, pg.1). This exposes how America mistreats the African Americans that lead for them to fight for their own land. Their own country would deny basic rights for the black