Glory Movie Essay

Glory is a 1989 film directed by Edward Zwick. During the American Civil War, many battles occurred with thousands of deaths plaguing the nation. At the battle of Antietam, Captain Robert Shaw (union fighter) is injured during the battle and presumed to be killed in action. However, John Rawlins finds him alive and he is sent to the nearest field hospital where his recovers. During medical leave, Shaw meets Frederick Douglass who influences his way of thinking on equal rights in America, and with this new perspective, Shaw is offered command, as a colonel, to the first all-black 54th regiment Massachusetts volunteer company. Shaw accepts the responsibility and gives his second in command ranking to his childhood friend, Major Cabot Forbes.

The confederacy issues an order to the union that all black soldiers will be killed on sight along with their white officers’ contrary to imprisoning the surrendered. The union troops are given the opportunity to take an honorable discharge; However, none of the troops decide to do so and a brutal training camp commences. The soldiers are given less equipment and are payed less than white men due to the color of their skin. Once the training is over, Shaw and his men are given labor duties rather than actual combat orders, so Rawlins tries to convince his generals to give their men a chance. The generals refuse as their troops are seen as more of a labor force than a fighting machine. Shaw catches one of the generals violating war codes, and blackmails the general into sending them into battle. The first battle is James Island, South Carolina where the confederate soldiers take a brutal loss. The final battle of the movie is Battery Wagner where a fort controlled by the confederates is going to be ambushed with the 54th regiment leading the charge. The charge is a failure as Shaw and Trip die, but it is successful as it made the union want to recruit more black