Glory is an Academy Award- winning 1989 drama war film based on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry as told from the point of view of its commanding officer, Robert Gould Shaw during the American Civil War. The 54th was one of the first formal units of the U.S. Army to be made up entirely of African-American men (apart from the officers).
Synopsis
The movie begins with newly promoted Captain Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) at the Battle of Antietam, on September 17, 1862. His troops are nearly destroyed and he is trapped between gunfire and cannon fire. Grazed by shrapnel, he falls near a dead soldier and passes out. He is awakened by a black grave digger named John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). Despite what happened at Antietam, Shaw is appointed commander of the first all black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts. Hesitant, he agrees, with his childhood friend, Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), as the executive officer. Their first volunteer is another one of Shaw's friends, an educated, literate, free black man named Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher).
They soon have hundreds of men joining the regiment, including John Rawlins; a proud escaped slave named Trip (Denzel Washington); and a shy, stuttering, free black man named Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy). While traveling to the camp, Sharts asks Thomas to teach him how to read. Once at camp, Thomas, Rawlins, Trip, and Sharts all share one tent along with a mute drummer boy. Immediately, Thomas' and Trip's relationship gets off to a bad start as they disagree over sleeping space in the tent. Trip ridicules Thomas' educated and refined manner and, subsequently, Thomas mistakenly patronizes Trip, setting off a pattern of animosity between the two.
Shaw soon learns of a Confederate proclamation that any black caught bearing arms against the Confederacy will immediately be returned to a state of slavery. Any black captured wearing a Federal uniform will summarily be hanged. Shaw calls a company formation that evening and informs the men that they are free to accept discharges if they choose. However, at the formation the next morning, Shaw discovers that none of the men have left and all want the opportunity to fight for their fellow slaves' freedom. Shaw replies "Glory, hallelujah." to Forbes at this moment.
Shaw then appoints a tough sergeant from Ireland, Mulcahy (John Finn), to properly train the men for the battles ahead. Shaw also becomes much more strict. He begins by reprimanding Forbes for talking to Thomas casually when he, as an officer, should be addressing him as an enlisted soldier. Another example of Shaw's strictness comes when the 54th's issue of rifles arrives, and Forbes is assigned to train the men in marksmanship. However, instead of training the men in the correct manner, Forbes allows the men to shoot at bottles for target practice. Shaw arrives on the scene and makes Sharts, who is the best marksman among the enlisted men, practice loading and firing his weapon while being exhorted to do it quickly. Seeing that Forbes' lax methods aren't preparing the men for actual combat, Shaw makes Sharts load and fire while Shaw stands directly behind him firing a revolver toward the sky. This proves the point that loading, aiming, and firing by yourself is much easier than loading, aiming, and firing in the heat of battle. Shaw then matter-of-factly orders Forbes to train the men properly. Though disgusted, Forbes carries out Shaw's request to properly train the men.
Meanwhile, Thomas finds life in camp difficult as he is the weakest and slowest of the men, and is constantly harassed by Trip for being educated like a white man. During a bayonet drill, Thomas is forcefully reprimanded by Mulcahy for being tentative with his weapon. He baits Thomas into coming at him with the bayonet, and Mulcahy disarms him and smashes his face with the rifle butt to show Thomas that he must be willing to kill if necessary. Thomas then tries to speak with Shaw, but Shaw reprimands him for not using proper channels to speak with his commanding officer. Thomas at this point comes to realize his and Shaw's proper places as soldier and officer.
Trip himself has difficulty adjusting to camp life, always at odds with the other soldiers, especially Rawlins. One night he leaves camp to get some shoes, as his old shoes are worn out and the quartermaster has refused to issue proper supplies to the black regiment. Trip is caught and presumed a deserter by the officers. Shaw has him flogged in front of the entire regiment, proceeding even after seeing that his back is severely scarred from floggings as a slave. Shaw, after learning the truth from Rawlins (that Trip was going out to buy some shoes), finally forces the quartermaster to give the men new socks and shoes.
Soon, the men are assembled to receive long-awaited pay. However, upon learning that they will receive a $10 monthly wage rather than the $13 paid to white soldiers because they are a black regiment, the men, at Trip's provocation, tear up their wage sheets. In a show of solidarity with his soldiers, Shaw follows suit. However, spirits rise as the men receive uniforms. Jupiter is especially happy, long having desired a "blue suit". Before leaving Massachusetts, the regiment, dressed in new uniforms, file in review through the streets of Boston, passing Frederick Douglass and Governor Andrew in the reviewing stand.
During the subsequent trip south by steamer, Shaw appoints Rawlins Sergeant Major, making him the highest ranking enlisted man in the regiment. Shaw soon learns that there is another all black regiment called the "contraband"; more rabble than soldiers; looting and attacking civilians whenever the opportunity arises. After looting the town of Darien, Georgia, Colonel James Montgomery (Cliff De Young), a higher-ranking officer in charge of the contraband regiment, orders Shaw to provide assistance in burning the houses. Shaw initially resists the order but, to save himself from court-martial (which would leave his men to Montgomery's command), reluctantly capitulates. Likewise, the troops, although disgusted with their fellows' craven behavior, carry out their orders dutifully, well aware their commander has no choice in the matter.
Shaw and his men soon become frustrated that they have been assigned to manual labor and not allowed to fight in any battles; the troops grow weary of the tedious work and chafe at the taunting of white soldiers bound for the battlefield. After Shaw approaches the area commander with a threat to expose illegal activities undertaken by his command, his request that the regiment be allowed to fight is finally granted. In the Battle of Sol Legare Island, the troops push back a Confederate attack. Thomas saves Trip from a Confederate soldier and suffers a bullet wound; however, he refuses to leave the regiment.
Shortly thereafter, Shaw volunteers the 54th Massachusetts to be the lead regiment in the frontal assault on Fort Wagner. On the night before the attack, the men sing at the camp fire to raise their spirits for the imminent battle. The next day, the 54th Massachusetts is honored by white soldiers and officers on the march toward Fort Wagner. They then charge the fort under heavy enemy fire, and take shelter in the sand dunes. At nightfall, Shaw leads the men in a charge across the remaining beach. With the Rebels on the top of the fort firing down on them, Shaw turns to see the American flag down. He gets up and attempts to rally the men forward up the hill but is quickly shot and killed. Trip, formerly reluctant to bear the colors of a nation that regards him as a second-class citizen, gets up, lifts the flag, and rallies the men. He is shot, but holds up the flag, even while dying. The remaining men, led by Forbes and Rawlins, charge the Rebels, slowly making their way to the top. On their way, Thomas gets stabbed and shouts out to not worry about him, But Jupiter carries Thomas on to continue moving. Soon, Forbes and Rawlins followed by Jupiter carrying Thomas lead the men to meet the entrance of the fort, only to meet the waiting Confederate guns. The scene ends in the smoke from a hail of cannon fire.
The film concludes with the Confederates still holding the fort, while slain men of the 54th Massachusetts, including Shaw and Trip, are buried by the Confederates in a mass grave (with their shoes removed). Shaw being buried in the mass grave along with his soldiers was the result of him commanding African-American soldiers; the Confederates thought being buried with African-Americans would be a sign of disrespect. The 54th lost half its men that day but earned glory, sparking the creation of many more black regiments. By the end of the war, there were some 187,000 African-American men in uniform, a fact which President Abraham Lincoln considered instrumental in securing victory in the war. Fort Wagner was never taken during the war, though the CSA forces eventually abandoned it.
Cast
Minor appearances
History
- The film depicts the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry training through the Christmas holidays of 1862 (after the September 1862 Battle of Antietam), but the real 54th Massachusetts did not organize until March 1863, and they were engaged in their first battle on James Island, SC on 16 July 1863, and then Fort Wagner (the final battle in the film) on 18 July 1863. The 54th went on to fight at Olustee, Florida (February 20, 1864); Honey Hill, South Carolina (November 30, 1864); and Boykin's Mill, South Carolina (April 18, 1865).
- The film suggests that most of the black soldiers were former slaves from Southern secessionist states who wished to fight for the abolitionist North, but in fact the majority were born free in the North, although some did escape from slavery[1].
- Of the major characters in the movie's version of the regiment, only Robert Gould Shaw was a real person. The rest are composite characters. The name of Shaw's executive officer (Cabot Forbes) is a combination of the first name from one of the real Shaw's friends and the last name of another.
- In the film, Shaw is offered and accepts the job to be the commanding officer of the 54th on the same day. In reality, he rejected the offer once and accepted only after many days of feeling guilty and consulting his future wife.[2] Shaw is also shown as promoted directly to colonel, whereas his record indicates he was a major for several months as the regiment grew in strength and was at last promoted to colonel just prior to the regiment being deployed.
- Flogging was banned in the Union Army in 1861. Pvt. Trip would not have been whipped, at least not by someone as by-the-book as Colonel Shaw. However, there were harsh punishments, such as standing on barrels.
- The incident just before the charge into Fort Wagner in which Colonel Shaw points to the flag bearer and asks "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?" is based on a real event. However, the person who asked the question was General George Crockett Strong; Shaw was the person who responded. When the flag bearer fell and after Shaw was killed, another black soldier, Sergeant William Harvey Carney, grabbed the flag and carried it all the way to the bulwarks of Fort Wagner. He remained there under enemy fire until the 54th was forced to retreat. Sergeant Carney struggled back to Union lines with the flag, receiving four wounds from which he recovered. Carney became the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor.
- Colonel Shaw was married, but his wife is not depicted in the film.
- The manner in which Colonel Shaw dies in the movie is based on fact. His final words were "Forward, Fifty-fourth!" before he was shot several times in the chest. However, though the film depicts him falling on the parapet, he in fact made it to the top and his body fell into the fort.[3]
- The final scene of the film shows Shaw's body being thrown into the burial pit alongside his fallen men. This is historically accurate, although his body was in fact first stripped of his uniform,[4] but in the film, only his shoes and socks are missing. In addition, he was thrown in first and his soldiers were buried on top of him. When Shaw's parents inquired about his body, the Confederate commander responded, "We buried him with his niggers." It seems to have been meant as an insult, but Shaw's father later said that he was proud that his son was buried with his men. [1] After the war, Shaw's parents visited the site of Fort Wagner, where their son was buried. The commander of a U.S. army unit that was stationed at the wreckage of the fort offered to dig up the mass grave where the soldiers of the 54th were buried, to find and remove Shaw's body so that it could be taken home to Massachusetts for burial. Shaw's parents refused the offer, saying they could think of no better place for their son to be buried than with the soldiers he had commanded.
- In the movie, it is claimed that "over half" of the regiment was lost during the assault on Fort Wagner. However, official records state that the 54th sustained 272 casualties, which is closer to 40%. Of these casualties, only 116 were fatalities, just under one fifth of the men to storm the fort. If the 156 soldiers that were captured are included, it would bring the total to "over half". In formal military terms, though, "casualties" include captured soldiers. In any event, by most standards, including those of the Civil War, these are heavy casualties and the regiment was widely viewed as having performed bravely indeed.
- The movie's epilogue also claims that "the fort was never taken." While it is true that the fort was never taken by force, it was abandoned by the Confederate Army two months later. This was due to Union forces laying siege to the fort in the traditional manner. They were constructing siege lines at acute angles to the fort and slowly getting nearer to the walls. When the Confederates realized that the end was near, they slipped safely away.
- In the movie, the ocean is on the left side of the regiment when they charge the fort; this was allegedly done in order to get the best quality of light at the time of filming. In reality, however, the regiment charged with the ocean on their right, or coming from the south. Also, the approach was along a narrow spit at high tide.
- The real second in command was first Lt. Colonel Norwood Penrose Hallowell, then later, at the time of the attack against Fort Wagner, was his younger brother Edward Needles Hallowell, who later went on to become colonel and lead the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The fictional Major Cabot Forbes, played by Cary Elwes, is based on Edward Needles Hallowell. Although he was seriously wounded, Hallowell did survive the attack on the fort and led the regiment until it disbanded in 1865. He retired with the rank of Brigadier General.
- In the movie, Shaw is surprised when the men refuse pay that was reduced because they are a "colored" regiment (though he eventually joins them in their refusal). In reality, the refusal was his idea, and he encouraged them to do it.
- In the film, Colonel Shaw volunteers his regiment for leading the charge. In reality, General Strong asked Shaw if he wanted to lead the charge. Although Shaw could have declined because his regiment was tired and hungry, he accepted because "if black men could storm the fort and open the door to the birthplace of the rebellion, the symbolism would be enormous."[5]
- Years after the film was made, it came to light that the word Glory was used by one of the men of the Regiment. First Sergeant Robert John Simmons, of B Company, was a twenty-six year old Bermudian clerk, probably from St. George's, believed to have joined the 54th on 12 March, 1863 (many Black and White Bermudians fought for the Union, mostly in the US Navy. Many more profiteered from the war by smuggling arms to the South). Simmons was introduced to Frances George Shaw, father of Col. Shaw, by William Wells Brown, who described him as "a young man of more than ordinary abilities who had learned the science of war in the British Army". In his book, The Negro in the American Rebellion, Brown said that "Frances George Shaw remarked at the time that Simmons would make a 'valuable soldier'. Col. Shaw also had a high opinion of him". Sgt. Simmons was mentioned in an 1863 article of the Weekly Columbus Enquirer, which described him as "a brave man and of good education. He was wounded and captured. Taken to Charleston, his bearing impressed even his captors. After suffering amputation of the arm, he died there." The newspaper also described him as saying that he fought "for glory". Simmons, who had been specially mentioned among the enlisted men of the 54th by Shaw's successor, Col. Hallowell, and who had been awarded a private medal, died in August, 1863, following the attack on Fort Wagner. [1]
Soundtrack
James Horner composed the soundtrack to the film. The soundtrack is Horner's most famous work, and one of the more beloved American cinematic scores. One of the most popular tracks is Charging Fort Wagner, an adaptation of Carl Orff's O Fortuna. This music plays when the regiment charges the fort. The Boys Choir of Harlem were featured on the entirety of the soundtrack. Music from the soundtrack was later featured in the video game The History Channel: Civil War - A Nation Divided and the popular Japanese cooking show Iron Chef.
- A Call To Arms
- After Antietam
- Lonely Christmas
- Forming the Regiment
- The Whipping
- Burning The Town of Darien
- Brave Words, Braver Deeds
- The Year of Jubilee
- Preparation For Battle
- Charging Fort Wagner
- An Epitaph To War
- Closing Credits
Home Media
Academy Awards
The film was nominated in five categories, of which it won three:
References
- Emilio, Luis F. 1995. A Brave Black Regiment: A History of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry: 1863-1865. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306806230
- McPherson, James M. “The ‘Glory’ Story,” The New Republic, January 8 & 15, 1990, pp. 22–27. (film review)
- Adams, Virginia M. (Editor.) 1991. On the Altar of Freedom: A Black Soldier's Civil War Letters From the Front. University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst. ISBN 1-55849-202-X
Cited references
- ^ a b Emilio, Luis F. (1995). A Brave Black regiment: the history of the Fifty-fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 1863-1865. New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 4. ISBN 0-306-80623-1.
- ^ Duncan, Russell (1999). Where Death and Glory Meet. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820321363. Pg. 52-59
- ^ Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, ed. Russell Duncan (Athens & London: The University of Georgia Press, 1992), 52.
- ^ Kathy Dhalle, "A Biography of Robert Gould Shaw," http://www.bitsofblueandgray.com/june2003.htm
- ^ Duncan, pg. 110
External links
