Themes: Crisis of Conscience, Race Relations, Police Corruption
Main Cast: Michael Boatman, Lori Petty, Ice Cube, Michael Ironside, Richard Anderson
Release Year: 1994
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
In this crime drama, an honest lawman has to decide where his loyalties lie in a corrupt system. All his life, J.J. (Michael Boatman) has dreamed of being a cop, and after graduating from the Police Academy, he gets his wish, becoming the first African-American policeman based out of Los Angeles' Edgemar station. However, J.J. discovers that his race makes him an outsider among his fellow officers. His presence is not welcomed by his superior, Massey (Richard Anderson), and the only colleague who is truly hospitable to him is Deborah (Lori Petty), the only female cop at Edgemar and the target of as much abuse as J.J. Hoping to somehow fit in, J.J. digs into his work and tries to be "just one of the guys," ignoring the racism and corruption around him. However, one night J.J.'s fellow officer Bono (Don Harvey) pulls over Teddy Woods (Ice Cube), an arrogant and uncommunicative young black man, and in the midst of an illegal search of his car, he finds a gun; even though he knows that Bono acted improperly, J.J. put his loyalty behind the force and lies to support Bono's story. The gun's serial number matches that of a weapon used to murder the wife of Mr. Greenspan (Elliott Gould), a prominent Jewish businessman, and Woods is charged with the killing. However, J.J. discovers that the number of the gun had been altered, and he has to decide what to do when he realizes that Teddy could be sentenced to death without having committed a serious crime. The Glass Shield also features Bernie Casey, Sy Richardson, and M. Emmet Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
After making a comeback of sorts with the relaxed, atmospheric To Sleep with Anger, veteran independent filmmaker Charles Burnett applied his skills to issue-oriented cop melodrama with The Glass Shield. The marriage is an odd one, but it ultimately works: Burnett's tendencies toward the ponderous and philosophical add depth to what could have had the tone of a TV movie-of-the-week. Though the film's central character is rookie cop J.J. (Michael Boatman) -- whose idealistic notions of police work are chipped away by the casual, everyday racism around him -- Burnett is very democratic with his attention, allowing the supporting players (Ice Cube, Lori Petty) to make as much of an impression as Boatman. The pat unveiling of villains in the third act may disappoint, but the film's subtle, situational concerns stay in memory. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Joel Carter - Art Director, Gaye Shannon-Burnett - Costume Designer, Gaye Burnett - Costume Designer, Paul Childs - First Assistant Director, Charles Burnett - Director, Curtiss Clayton - Editor, Stephen James Taylor - Composer (Music Score), Penny Barrett - Production Designer, Elliot Davis - Cinematographer, Jacek Laskus - Cinematographer, Thomas S. Byrnes - Producer, Carolyn Schroeder - Producer, Tom Tyrnes - Producer, Chet Walker - Producer, Veda Campbell - Sound/Sound Designer, Hugh A. O'Brien - Stunts, Charles Burnett - Screenwriter
Deputy John Johnson (J.J.) (Michael Boatman) is a rookie in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and the first black officer at that station. Racial tensions run high in the department as some of J.J.'s fellow officers resent his presence. His only real friend is the other new trooper (Lori Petty), the first female officer to work there, who also suffers similar discrimination in the otherwise all-white-male work environment. When J.J. becomes increasingly aware of police corruption during the murder trial of Teddy Woods (Ice Cube), who he helped to arrest, he faces difficult decisions and puts himself into grave personal danger in the service of justice.
