"Why they gotta be all rough with them?" Consider the drill instructor from Full Metal Jacket. I think the theory is, if they can get everyone in the group to be together in their dislike of the drill instructor...it's something they have in common. Easier to form bonds of brotherhood that way, that're necessary in the worst possible situations that arise during war.
When they buried Robert in that unmarked mass grave they thought they were doing him a disservice and insult but when his parents were offered to have him dug up they refused and said that he died for exactly what he believed in and that it was an honor to know that he was among such a regiment.
When Morgan Freeman was asked by Mike Wallace about Black History month, Freeman said he didn't want one because Black history is American history. This movie shows why Black history is American history.
@@nullakjg767 Most of them are probably white teenage girls. I know because one of them called me a racist for making an offensive joke around my mexican friends who thought it was funny themselves.
You shouldn't stop studying Black American history just because February ended. The only reason to have a month dedicated to it in the first place is to reinforce and highlight historically subdued aspects of Black American history. There are still yet large segments of American society that do not wish to acknowledge, admit, and teach these aspects of this particular group of Americans solely based on their skin color.
@@haroldomiyaura912 heard him say it on more then 1 interview. Of course he has so many great roles it can be like my favorite song, can change from day to day.
@@haroldomiyaura912 The character in Shawshank neither has this range or importance. The character Freeman played in Lean on Me is also a role of more range and importance than Shawshank Redemption
His fathers reaction to his son being in a mass grave with his men: "We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has"
I'm paraphrasing a bit, but his father also said the Confederates sought to dishonor him by burying him with his men, but instead ensured he had the best and most appropriate of honor guard.
The person who Morgan Freeman's character is based on survived He still holds the US Army record for men killed in hand to hand combat in a single engagement 60
The Rawlins character is based on Sgt. Major William Carney. He survived the battle and the war, later worked for the US Postal Service. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor (the first Black American to receive it) for his actions at the Battle of Fort Wagner. He was actually the one that grabbed the colors and rallied the charge after Col. Shaw fell. The actual US military record holder for hand-to-hand combat is another Medal of Honor recipient, Ronald Rosser which was 12 during the Korean War, specifically at the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. I don't know where you got 60 or credit Carney with that record, but the facts are quite different.
Actually, the regimental sergeant major of the 54th Massachusetts was Frederick Douglass’s son. That’s one of the historical inaccuracies (but emotional) scenes that this movie got wrong.
The Colonel isn't being harsh, he's establishing military protocol. Enlisted don't mix with Officers because they have to be able to not just follow orders as enlisted men but the officers need to be able make the tough decisions without the obstacle of friendship there when the time comes. In war it's all about making tough decisions that will get men killed.
Yeah, that's something that is missed in modern day viewing of this. What makes the scenes chilling & complex is that whipping (&sometimes execution) was the standard for even white deserters. But the implication for a member of the 54th was so much worse because of their history. So Shaw is stuck between the treating them like every other man was treated (in pay AND punishment) be cause he owes it to them to treat them like MEN & knowing that if he does, sometimes it has horrible implications.
As a history nerd, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. The acting, story, score, just everything was top notch. Denzel was on another level here. So glad the story of the 54th was told.
Interesting fact General Strong depicted at the 20:59 mark who was under orders to take the fort was so guilt ridden sending three regiments to certain death that he personally led the 4'TH attack and was killed in action doing so.
It was also sort of unnecessary too, as far as military tactics were concerned. South Carolina was the first state to break away from the Union. On top of that it was the first official battle of the Civil War when they fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston. So this whole battle to try to take Charleston was more political than it was a military necessity. They didn't need to do it but wanted to for the optics of taking down the first state that left the union and the first state that attacked the union. Charleston was already under a long blockade. This whole battles was over vanity and pride.
@@Kosh800 You are not wrong that it was over pride. But a Confederate loss that leads to loss of morale is itself a useful military advantage and helps the war end quicker. Grabbing a politically important objective is valuable in itself. War is just a continuation of politics when all other forms of politics have failed.
I happen to be white.....I saw Glory on a field trip, to a local small rural theater when I was 12. I'm 48 now and it is STILL my favorite movie of all time.
It was these brave men, who silenced the critics across North America that "black men could never take on a fighting role" these men did that... and it should never be forgotten. God bless every one of them
WE cannot really understand the level of racism throughout EVEN the abolitionist community at the time. It was necessary that color soldiers fight and die as they did. They proved they were Union soldiers. They proved they were MEN. Otherwise we may STILL be living under Jim Crow today.
@@xhagast ................................................................................... um um Jim crow has nothing to do with this not even close 1865 to 1968 that jim crow was a thing
@@1945iwo True! The Black Union soldier -- labeled "United States Colored Troops," or USCT -- even after proving their fighting mettle, still were not used to their fullest advantage by their white officers. Case in point: The Battle of the Crater, July 1864, near Petersburg VA. Black troops trained for weeks to learn the role of the shock troops that would lead the primary attack. They learned the proper approach to the deep pit caused by the expected explosion of tons of gunpowder, the use of scaling ladders, etc. At the last moment, the USCT men were relegated to a secondary role by none other than General Ulysses S. Grant, the overall Union commander. The white troops, hurriedly put on the front lines, failed miserably, suffered terribly (find the movie "Cold Mountain" and watch the first minutes -- that's The Crater). White officers did not wish to put in the USCT as their supposed heavy losses would seem to the general public to be simply slaughter of the brave Black soldiers.
"Why don't they flank it?" -- well that's the whole point of an actual *fortress* isn't it? Positioned properly (which Ft Wagner was) you can't flank it and you can't just bypass it. You either take it, or its guns continuously wreck anything that gets within range of it and if you want the city it defends, you're going to come within the range of its guns. Worse, the fortress is on much higher ground so its guns will *always* out-range yours - so no bombarding it from afar. Your own guns can't even get within range of it before they get annihilated. They were designed to be as difficult to take as humanly possible, and they succeeded.
The scene that breaks me every time is the scene after that rainy night, when Shaw comes out and asks, "how many of them are left?" The camera slowly pans and reveals that they are ALL STILL THERE. That James Horner score just wells up and I lose it. The courage of those black men just leaves me speechless.
That scene and the one where Denzel's character is being flogged. The music keeps rising and then the instant a tear falls from his eye, it falls into one single haunting note. Just brutal. So many moments in this movie that rip me up.
My favorite scene in that whole film was the “Give em’ Hell 54th!”, in just a matter of seconds with that line. It changed the entire tone of the scene, from the March of the Condemned, to the March of Heroes. Those guys did also participate in the attack, it was that the 54th volunteered to be the first wave at the fort. It usually was military custom for officers to have their bodies sent to their families for burial at the time, but the Confederate deemed it that Shaw should be buried in a mass grave with his slaughtered soldiers as a means to insult his family and slander his honor. When his father learned of it, he actually saw it appropriate. Responding to a friends letter, he expressed that ‘he and his wife could not think of a better or more holier place for their son to be buried, with his men’. Robert Shaw held in his heart to his dying breathe that the 54th was the finest command he ever had. He was proud and deeply honored to lead such men into battle, treated them with no regard to their race whatsoever and respected them like the soldiers they were. Survivors/veterans of the 54th would go on to say that they too were honored to follow Shaw when they charged that fort for he treated them no different than how an officer over white soldiers would command. He always would stand and advocate for them when they would become discriminated by the Union Army, like any army officer should for his command.
The best part of that is he was the soldier that was taunting the regiment before their first battle. The tall soldier was actually the writer of the film. He also wrote Tombstone.
6:12 Someone already mentioned that Shaw wasn't being harsh, he was sticking to military protocol. "It's not like he's showing favoritism." We as the audience would know that. But to the eyes of the other soldiers training, it would indeed have looked like he was kissing up to the officers. Officers and drill sergeants in militaries do not fraternize and aren't allowed to be "close" to certain "friends" more than the other trainees/recruits. To do so would be a conflict of interest and cause social issues among the others.
Back in the days of VHS and when I was in high school, I got this as a Christmas Present. We opened gifts and then my mom goes, "Let's watch that movie you got". We didn't really know anything about it. And that's the story of how my whole family spent one Christmas afternoon sitting around the living room crying together.
I seen this movie in after school detention . I watched over a 3 day period . I came back the 4th day even tho I didnt have detention to watch the ending .This movie really inspired me . 20 years retired military(MA1 USN RET.)
As an Australian, this flick ranks as one of my favourites. And as an Australian, I was torn to set the monument to the 54th Massachusetts Regiment vandalised. People need to simply learn history, it's there, it's not hidden.
Its nothing personal. Drill Sergeants don't take pleasure in treating recruits harshly. Its their duty to turn these boys into men. They cared for these men. I learned that R Lee Ermey would read the Stars and Stripes newspaper during the Vietnam War that would list those soldiers killed in Nam. It sadden him when he saw the names of those he trained in basic.
13:24 Mildly interesting fact: paired shoes were still a relatively new thing during the Civil War. instead, your shoes were identical and shaped themselves to your feet over time.
I always found the ending to be quite bittersweet. Colonel Shaw was buried with his men. The confederates indented this to be an insult but Shaw’s father was quoted, “ We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers....We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company - what a body-guard he has!”
Been proven false that it had anything to do with insult because it simply doesn’t make sense. Mass graves are dug in haste to prevent illness and disease, that’s hinted at the body bearers wearing masks over their face at the end. Instead of having to dig 1,000 individual graves you dig two big ones and put each side in one and cover it, quick, efficient and no thought to it.
This film gets me every time...so many huge moments. When the white soldiers start cheering the 54th as they march to the beach for the assault...I almost always lose it completely. Just listening to the music that James Horner wrote for Glory can get me choked up and teary-eyed. 💯✌
It didn't quite happen as you think. The Director secretly ordered the first lash to make contact with a good amount of sting. If you look and see Denzel's reaction it was real because he didn't know it was coming. Every lash after that was movie magic though. Amazing acting job by Denzel.
They still didn’t flog him as hard as they would if it was supposed to be real, a flogging with a cat rips the skin. He wanted no part of that I’m sure nor would they even allow it to happen
Saw this in middle school. The battle in the beginning was the battle of Antietam and is known as the ‘Bloodiest Day in American History.’ Over 20,000 casualties.
I remember watching this in middle school as well. Back then, we had I think 7 classes, with a TV that's hooked up so it can send a signal to all TVs (my guess it's on a specific local channel number and they just changed to that channel). We would watch Glory in each class, they start it sometime into the class (not sure how many minutes into class as this was close to 20 years ago). When the class ended, they would stop/pause the movie then resume it during the next class. I think they did rewind it like 1 to 3 minutes in case people missed the last part (as they were packing up to leave the previous class). It was tougher back then as with 7 classes, the classes were only like 45 to 50 minutes I think. When I got to High School (back between 2004 to 2008), I had block scheduling (4 classes). We would have classes last around 1h 30 something minutes I think (with a 45-minute lunch that was determined by your 3rd class). During those classes, it was much easier to watch a movie as we could finish them usually in 2 class periods.
I'm usually bored to death by history movies, but when I watched this in class I loved it. It was the first time in years that I actually felt something from a film. And the score was amazing, probably my favorite part. It was perfectly paced, I didn't get lost trying to figure out what's happening like most movies I watch. It's everything I've ever needed from a movie. Too bad we didn't finish it..
Same here. After the bouncing cannon ball a girl in my class left crying. Added to the realism...from then on crying Katie. 1996. Middle school was brutal. No anti bullying measures whatsoever. No supervision it was basically prison with somewhat better education
Shaw gave his life for those men. He knew he would die in arms with them and he needed to lead them to the death. And Denzel right after died by taking up the regiment colors after telling shaw he wouldn't do it. Its one of the most beautiful scenes put in cinema to see the respect and loyalty they showed each other.
Only movie I ever watched where at the end credits nobody got up and left. We were all stunned and in shock. Even after the house lights came on people just sat there.
The letters that Shaw gave to the reporter that was following them, where letters to his mother, father and his wife. I wish they had shown a little more about Shaw and I also wish they had one of the main characters be William Harvey Carney. He carried the regimental colors during the attack on Ft. Wagner, he was wounded 5 times, but still held onto the flag, he survived and eventually won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions. The highest award in the US military.
William Harvey Carney who is the one who picked up the flag, received the Congressional Medal of Honor 30 years later for his actions that day after he returned home after the war and was a mailman.
Very few people know his story. One thing is that he was also a preacher at one time. I really wish they had made him a character in this movie it was so important. Another thing they never added is that at one time the regiment came upon a train full of wounded union soldiers but it was unable to move due to damage. Now trains weren't as huge as they are now, but still big enough, the 54th hauled that engine to a place where the train was out of harm's way. They had a boxed set on VHS in the "long ago" and had a whole documentary about the 54th. They need to do a story on the 1st Regiment from Rhode Island, all former slaves who were granted their freedom so that there could enlist and fight the British in the American Revolution. They need their story told too. They fought for an ideal they knew may not be theirs at the time but they knew eventually it would belong to their descendants.
I agree that Carney shod have been acknowledged. It would he been good to add a bit of true history to the movie. But given it is Hollywood, IMO it did a decent job mixing true history with fiction, and come out with a well done and entertaining film.
From what I understand, Carney was amalgamation of characters in the movie. Carney was the first Sergeant Major, Morgan Freeman was promoted to that rank during the movie. Carney lifted the flag during the battle of Fort Wagner which rallied the 54th to kick some ass, as did Denzel Washington (albeit he died doing so). Carney was a preacher, Jihmi Shorts learned to read in the movie because he wanted to read the bible. Jihmi wasn't a preacher but I still feel it was a nod to Carney and his religious beliefs.
That soundtrack/score was done by James Horner. He scores were awesome, and to me, were the heart and soul of the films he was attached to. I used to relax by listening to Titanic, Braveheart, and Legends of the Fall. He even scored my favorite film, Avatar. RIP James Horner.
I know him from Stark Trek. He knows how to evoke that feeling of cutting onions. He did it with Glory and yeah even on Deep Impact I felt like someone was cutting onions.
My first exposure to Denzel Washinton was watching "The Book of Eli" in the theaters back in 2010 haha I know it ain't a masterpiece, but I still hold it dearly and Denzel was still a bloody badass in it. Plus it's probably a better adaptation of First of the North Star than the official FOTNS live action film imo
Fun fact: the Confederates accidentally buried the Union dead in a mass grave that was too close to their supply of drinking water, contaminating it. They had to abandon the fort just a couple of months later. In the end, the 54th won.
In the play Henry V, Henry says that the English army will continue fighting in France even after they are killed, by similar means. I didn’t know this about Fort Wagner. Thanks.
Fun fact, all of the extras you see in this movie are Civil War Reenactors. I know a couple of guys that took part in the filming for the Battle of Antietam scene.
James Horner singlehandedly conjures so much emotion from his music. There's no words to describe how the music in this film makes you feel One of the best war films ever made.
@@this.is.a.username I doubt they would be ok with it, same as why they wouldnt be ok with people voting Democrat at the election, Democrats created KKK, segregation and Jim Crow laws. Black Americans in the late 1800s and early 1900s were integrating and setting up businesses and earning money, most didnt go to Liberia even though it was seen as their reparations. Black Americans voted Republican as they freed them from slavery and allowed them to live as free men. I think the fallen would think what is the matter with these people of today, causing vandalism because they are the ones that voted for the racist party.
@@andy150100 I know some people are trying to peddle that narrative but its far from reality. After the passage of the Civil Rights act under LBJ, the South went solidly from Blue to Red. Basically, all those Southern Democrats are now Republicans. Or more to the point, how many KKK guys and white supremacists do you think voted Republican or Libertarian vs Democrat this last election? The Republican party went over to the Jim Crow/voter suppression crowd nearly 60 years ago.
Loved your reaction! Those military tactics you were shocked by: The Civil War was a transitional war with cutting edge technologies (for that day) capable of mass slaughter clashing with antiquated military tactics. The result was a very bloody war. In this case, marching shoulder to shoulder was a tactic from days when weapons weren't rifled and accuracy was lost. You basically had to make a wall of bullets to shatter the enemy, rather than a precision strike from one weapon. I'm sure those who are Civil War reenactors would have better details on the tactics subject.
I'm a reenactor, teacher and Civil War historian, and you're quite correct about how rifled muskets should have changed the 18th century tactics, but didn't yet. Along that line, the Union had the capacity to produce cartridge weapons with a magazine (like the Henry Repeating Rifle or the Spencer Rifle) which function not unlike the rifles common by 1900. The main reasons why they didn't were that they would have allowed the men to fire many more rounds of ammunition, and using up all those bullets would have been much more expensive than single shot guns (!!!) On the other extreme, the Confederates had very limited industrial capacity and originally had to rely on outdated smoothbore muskets, which had nowhere near the range of a rifle. If, hypothetically, Union troops had been armed with actual state of the art weapons, the War would never have taken 4 long years. It would have effectively ended with the first Union victory (And the Confederates had no ability to produce the ammo used in the repeating rifles, so just picking up ones from the battlefield would not have helped them)
If they stayed where they were they would have died laying there. Two things about picking up the standard (flag) 1: the Stars and Stripes must never touch the ground ( back then it declared the units status on the battlefield. They would be considered a destroyed unit, thus may not be reinforced. 2: all soldiers of that unit rally to/ with the standard, it leans forward to declare “Attack, push through”!. The scene didn’t really capture the even very well. It was noted by a survivor that he didn’t get all those wounds at one time but continued to hold the standard for a time. Encouraging the men to assault the ramparts.
This movie has always held a special place for me. Not only because my ancestors fought for the Union; but one of them also fought in the subsequent waves for Battery Wagner.
I remember watching this at its original release, in theatre. There was NO dry eye in the theatre. Everyone was crying, shouting, and just left totally struck. Definitely, the breakout role for Denzel Washington. And a major turning point in Roderick's role. Until Glory, he was just a "young actor" playing Ferris Bueller type movie roles. People began to take him as a serious actor after this. Morgan Freeman became a household name. Yeah, Glory did a lot for their careers and became a part of America's best cinema contributions.
Those people that said “Give em hell” were not part of that attack. They went the next day & shared the same fate as the 54th Massachusetts did. A third attack was also tried, with the same results.
Thank you for the video. I grew up in Massachusetts and on my mother's side of the family descended from Robert Gould Shaw. It has always been one of the things I am most proud of. The Massachusetts 54th regiment has a monument in Boston Common, and when I was young and saw it for the first time I realized what it meant for so many that the Union won the fight against slavery. Some folks like to incorrectly say that the war was not about slavery but of state's rights. That would be wrong! It was absolutely about slavery and that America is about freedom and justice for ALL! PERIOD! America was built on immigration and the spirit of freedom and equality for ALL! Never let ANYONE take that from us all! To me, it should be known that we are ALL one race, the HUMAN RACE! STAND UP FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY FOR ALL! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL OF OUR PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE! THAT INCLUDES HISPANICS FROM OUR SOUTHERN BORDER! MAYBE IF WE HELPED TURN THE TIDE OF JUSTICE FOR ALL IN OUR HEMISPHERE NOT JUST IN OTHER CONTINENTS! IF THE QUALITY OF FREEDOM AND LIFE WAS BETTER IN SAY MEXICO THEY MIGHT WANT TO STAY THERE. WE ARE ALL ONE!
Yes! Can relate completely. This movie inspired me to be a historian and teacher. Probably my most watched film. It was on the premium cable channels all the time in the early nineties and I remember watching it with my mother time and time again when I was just a kid. Now and for the past 15 years I’ve been able to share it with my high school students. Much of my graduate work was in the history of slavery, abolition, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. I find that no matter what era in American history I teach, it either foreshadows or harkens back to the themes leading up to, experienced in, and resulting from that period; the greatest crossroad in American history.
@@andreascala2663 For the most part it is fairly accurate from my knowledge. Small details are wrong though. The 54th wasn’t the only regiment that assaulted the fort, there were other white units like the 48th New York that participated at the same time. The 54th also it get that far into the Fort. They scaled the parapet but did not make it into the heart of the Fort. Also, the first battle that the 54th is engaged in was supposed to be the Battle of Grimball’s Landing. It’s portrayed as a Union victory even though in real life it was a Confederate victory. Sure the 54th repelled the Confederates and saved the 10th Connecticut from destruction but the next day, Union forces left James Island and the Confederates still held it. Also, the end credits say Fort Wagner was never taken. It wasn’t taken in battle but Union forces occupied it in September after the Confederates abandoned it.
From what I can see at the battlefield maps, there really was only one approach to the fort. It was located on a pinnisula with a second fort shielding it from behind. A river and marshland made the usable approach the beach. This was by design by the defenders. The navy had been bombarding the fort for days to try and break up the defenses (to little effect). It isn't shown in the movie, but mentioned in the epilogue that several white units followed the 54th and met with similar fates.
I had a friend who did tabletop reenactments and variations of battles. They ran the taking of this fort 4 times and got close once but they could never do it. One scenario even had gundams (giant japanese robots). Assuming even forces it is nearly impossible to take.
"I was hoping he wouldn't die..." well, now you know what being on the front line means and why it garners so much so much respect, especially when you request it. You aren't so much risky your life as you ate giving it. There is none braver.
Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts on this very important film. This was a poem written by Benjamin Brawley, (born 1882), distinguished African American educator, author and the first dean of Morehouse College. I really recommend reading his works. The fact that a man of his stature could write so eloquent and touching poem about another man speaks of both his and Colonel Shaws character. Love for each other transcends skin color, and sacrifices made that prove that point should always be brought to the attention of the public, especially to those ever in doubt, that true gratitude knows no color. My Hero by Benjamin Brawley Flushed with the hope of high desire, He buckled in his sword, To dare the rampart ranged with fire, Or where the thunder roared; Into the smoke and flame he went, For God’s great cause to die- A youth of heaven’s element, The flower of chivalry. This was the gallant faith, I trow, Of which the sages tell, Of such devotion long ago, The benediction fell; And never nobler martyr burned, Or braver hero died, Then he who worldly honor spurned, To serve the crucified. And Lancelot and Sir Bedivere, May pass beyond the pale, And wander of moor and mere, To find the Holy Grail; But ever yet the prize forsooth, My hero holds in fee, And he is Blameless Knight in truth, And Galahad to me
@6:07, Fraternization is a very serious regulation meant to promote professionalism of the troops. Any infraction of this, including just familiar communications between officer and enlisted, is strongly frowned upon at the least.
And it was Shaw's idea for none of the officers to accept no pay until the situation could be sorted out, and it trickled down to the enlisted ranks. It didn't start with the common soldier and spread upwards towards the officers.
Maybe because it depicted a white man leading blacks. It is a common thing. Nowadays blacks don't need white saviors, they can save themselves, but they needed them then. Shaw gave his life fighting by the side of his colored soldiers, what have these "protestors" ever done?
And this just displays your ignorance. The original monument was commissioned by the black community of Boston and was just going to be Shaw on his horse. Shaw’s family insisted that they also include his men because the honor belonged to them as well.
@@paulithurralde8870 How does that show ignorance, did I mention the statues creation? I think not, did blm deface it , a memorial to the almost 600,000 afican american soldiers that fought during the civil war, yes yes they did,
Teared up a number of times during this film... but the significance of letting the horse go on the beach, apart from the obvious act of kindness, he knew they were going to die 😥 underrated gem of a movie, Denzels performance was solid! Emotional roller coaster especially because it is based on the lives and devastating experiences of real people
When he's requesting to lead the attack, he knows already that attacking that fort is suicide. His voice breaks and he's holding back tears. He knows the importance, he knows his men are up to it, but he knows it's a death sentence.
@@mycroft16 I love that scene where he looks at the birds on the beach. The birds represent freedom/agency. The ability to go where you want as a free being, exactly what he and the 54th are fighting for. To me, it's not that he knows he's going to die. It's his realization of his life's purpose and mission as he stares out on the water. He could still turn back, but he doesn't. This is exactly where he's meant to be and what he's meant to do. That's a level of self-actualization that many of us will never achieve, the ultimate glory. It's a fantastic scene.
When I was in the navy, we watched this movie on July 4th and my buddy from Georgia, during the scene where they looted and burned the town that he said he was from that town, but didn't recognize any of those buildings. Then he realized why he didn't recognize any of the building when they burned it.
Atlanta was burned to the ground by General Sherman ,and many other places as well....so next to no buildings survived that time. I think maybe one in Atlanta, it was a small mansion, and it was saved by chance, soldiers were talked out of it by the owner who was a widow.... It is now used as a wedding/events destination.
General Bragg of the confederate army was infamous for executions and lashings of his troops. Some of them didn’t even desert but were simply awol to return home and help with harvesting crops so their families didn’t starve.
Shaw only had 2 options at the time, have him shot by firing squad or to be whipped for attempted desertion/leaving his post without permission. Shaw was not being harsh or ignoring his men's needs.
I saw this in the theater when it came out as 22 year old, wound up seeing it I think 4x in the movies. The crowd was always in tears at the end. All the performances were top level. For many years it was my all time favorite movie and it's still way up there for me. Glad you saw it and dug it.
I absolutely love this movie. It makes me cry every time I see it. As a white man, I can never know the heartache of my black brothers and sisters, so it's films like this one that teach me the struggles that the black community endures to this day. Be blessed.
Agree 100%. I saw this movie in the early '90s and even as a white boy in New Zealand with no stake in any of the issues involved, it made a big impression.
"That was the only tactic they had at the time?" Shelby Foote said that the reason the Civil War was so brutal was because the weapons were far superior to the tactics. They were still using revolutionary war tactics but weapons that had become far more destructive in the 80 years since.
I saw this in the theater. At the time Matthew Broderick was known to everyone as Ferris since that movie was a recent and huge hit, so he was the biggest "star" at that point. Cary Elwes had been in THE PRINCESS BRIDE already but it wasn't a hit. People grew to love it on cable TV and video. Denzel Washington had had some critical success but was still mostly known for the TV series "St. Elsewhere". Even Morgan Freeman wasn't that well known. A lot of us knew him from the kids' program "Electric Company" since GLORY was just before DRIVING MISS DAISY made him super famous. It's funny how even though they were different ages it was really happened closer to the beginning of all their careers. p.s. You might be psychic. When you said "car crash" it made me remember something I'd forgotten all about. Broderick had been in a car crash where the people in the other car died between FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF and this movie. At the time people thought he got away with it because he was famous. If that happened today his career probably would have been over.
The year this came out, there was a section in my high school history book about the 54th. I went into this movie knowing the fate of most of the named characters. This movie is on my Everyone Must See list - because everyone needs to see this movie. The American Civil War was the last war fought in the Napoleonic style where troops stand face to face in open fields using muzzle loaded muskets. Modern breach loaders and modern self contained cartridge ammo where only just making their first appearances that would allow soldiers to fire and reload while prone. This was a major turning point for infantry warfare. I have never been phased by the battle scenes, but the field hospital scene is always really hard to watch knowing the greater context.
I know it's been a year, but I this is the first post that I saw mention Napoleonic style warfare. And this is something historians get confused with to. When they say that the tactics were Napoleonic, they don't mean Napoleon Bonaparte. They mean Napoleon III. It's why you see so many Zouave units north and south. There was a French craze in the 1860's. The troops are based off the French soldiers who fought in the Algerian war. So the tactics aren't from 1810. They are from the 1840's. Just something I remember doing research on in college and finding fascinating as it was something even some of my professors didn't know. Its why you don't see US units fighting in columns (A Napoleon Bonaparte Tactic) and in lines. And with skirmishers. And yes the 1840's were still smoothbore musket's, not rifled.
They had no business fighting at the end. They were already exhausted after the scrimmage that had with the other solders. That sergeant took it upon himself to prove to the colonel he was a Twit. Which means Gay. He was already called that name earlier in the movie.
The US Government had actually outlawed whipped in August 1861. So if Shaw had done so, he could have actually been thrown out of the army, and the punishment for desertion at the time was actually execution by firing squad if Denzel's character was found guilty of desertion by a court-martial.
I'm sure he dropped the desertion charge once he realized Tripp was only running off to get shoes and intended to come back. But yes, the whipping scene was pure Hollywood BS.
@@TheStapleGunKid which is ironic because if they'd done it the proper way and showed him having a court-martial, they'd have still arrived at the same conclusion, just without breaking any laws of the time!
@@ignitetheinferno1858 Yeah it was just a case of them wanting to include a whipping scene because that's what we associate with slavery, and they wanted to include an ironic scene of Tripp being whipped because he had been whipped when he was a slave. Of course, that is nonsense on two levels. First, the Army didn't use whipping any more. And second of all, the 54th Massachusetts was comprised almost entirely of life-long free blacks from the North. They had very few, if any, runaway slaves in their ranks.
@@TheStapleGunKid Washington took a very hard stance when it came to white soldier/officer on black soldier/civilian interactions. They at least once completely replace the officer corps of refugee camps that exploited the ex-slave refugees And firing officers who led their troops poorly in the field. Shaw, being a staunch abolitionist, _never_ would have flogged his men, even if they had been freeman and the punishment had been still lawful. With that said, I do appreciate artistically what they were trying to do with the scene.
So happy to see this film get another reaction, and I've been enjoying your channel, good sir. So, rather than rehash my thoughts, I will lazily copy/past what I wrote before... That final charge of the 54th under impossible circumstances, the swelling of the music, the waving of the American flag, the authentic feeling of courage and fear on display, then ending on the shot of two men of different color, who had fought for the right to be equals, having their bodies meet in a final embrace at the end...this sequence leaves me crying for long periods of time, just thinking about it, nevermind watching it. This came out when I was 12. Saw it in the theater. I feel like this was one of those movies at that age that leaves you a different person. I became a young man after that day, and it has always been a priority of mine to fight for equality ever since. Some movies really shape the kind of person you are at that age. I feel fortunate for the timing of this one. Thanks for reacting to this. It's a fantastic film in just about every way.
The guy at 17:35 who says “Stripes on a n-“ and “Give em hell, 54th” later is writer Kevin Jarre. He wrote the screenplay for this film and all the great dialogue you heard.
Lol we watched it our junior year of high school along with Saving Private Ryan, Ride With The Devil, Gettysburg, I miss history class it was the one thing in school I looked forward to besides sneaking to the bathroom with my friends to dip Copenhagen and Skoal.
General Charles Garrison Harker, the one who took his sweet time smoking his cigar, was played by Bob Gunton. Bob also played Warden Norton in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption."
I’m a history buff who has spent a lot of time reading about civil war tactics. Unfortunately for these men, charging headlong into volley fire was the order of the day early in the war. It wasn’t until later when both sides adopted essentially an early form of WW1 trench warfare.
My understanding, which is very limited, is that this used to be done because it was considered honorable. Where you saw your opponent directly in front of you and knew exactly what you were dealing with, and the opponent granted you the same courtesy. But then they soon came to realize that honor equated to suicide, because it doesn't do much good when the opponent is no longer playing by the same rules.
@@BurningFreesias that was part of it. But these tactics also had a long history in European militaries dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. The thing was, military technology had advanced since then. Rifles and artillery were much more accurate during the Civil War. When outdated tactics meet modern weapons, it’s a massacre.
Generals were always fighting with the lessons learned from the last war. West Point had institutionalized battlefield tactics handed down from the effective tactics of the Napoleonic Wars. Such massing of men was necessary due to the inaccuracy of the musket used during that period. It fired a spherical round through a smooth bore barrel. Effective accuracy was about 100-yards. Beyond that it was a gamble if aimed fire would hit its intended target since there was no stabilizing spin on the ball. Hence, massed fire from soldiers packed close together was more of an effected use of such a weapon. The tactic was to closely approach the enemy, fire a volley or two, and then charge in with a high dependency on the bayonet. However, by the time of the War Between the States, the miniè ball had been introduced into warfare. A conical shaped bullet, fired through a barrel that had spiral grooves (rifling) and provided a better seal to keep the expanding gas behind the round, improved the accuracy out to 300-400 yards. Unfortunately, the use of massed ranks learned from an earlier time was still in use. As the war progressed the belligerents realized that firing from a covered position such as walls, makeshift barriers, and trenches was a reaction to the more deadlier effect of the miniè ball.
1. It didn't have anything to do with honor. It had to do with command and control. How can I command and control my soldiers without radios? Tight formations allow me to get my large command in the same place at the same time. Because even trumpets and drums are hard to do if they aren't all together. 2. Line formations also allow me to change from a marching order to a fighting order, to skirmishing in a lot less time. If cavalry arrive, I can go into a square formation if needed. 3. In the 1840's the French went to war in Algeria. These were fought partially with Native troops of the region. This created the Zouaves, and in the 1850s and then 1860's the US went French crazy. It's why so many US and even Confederate units were Zouaves early in the war. This also explains the next point. 4. When people talk about Napoleonic tactics, they aren't talking about Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1810's. If that was the case, you would see attacking in columns and square formations with cavalry being used for breaking enemy lines. I think a Union regiment attacked in columns ONCE during the entire war. The Napoleonic tactics we are talking about in the Civil War is based on Napoleon III tactics. This means that the battles of the Civil War aren't based off 1815, but 1845. This is why you see linear combat without columns attacking, you don't see shock use of cavalry. And even the Napoleon Cannon is named after Napoleon the III, not his uncle. While out of date, the tactics aren't as out of date as people think. And skirmishing and other tactics are more develops. This is why sharpshooter regiments are so important in these battles. 5. The drop off of a rifled musket was actually more than a musket. Aiming it you had to use the proper sights to get it to the mythical aiming from before. It could be more accurate, but when you crunch the numbers, it was only slightly more accurate. In fact, if you look at the numbers of the accuracy in combat of the Mexican American War it's very close to the rifled musket, and those were smoothbore. (About 0.82% vs 1.0%) 6. A good number of men in both militaries used smoothbore muskets from the start to the end of the war. Depending on their funding. Universal ammo never really got implemented.
William Harvey Carney received the Medal of Honor for saving the regimental colors (American flag) in the Battle of Fort Wagner. He got the medal 37 years later after the battle. He retrieved the flag when the color sergeant was mortally wounded, took it to the top of fort and then held it until he was back in the union lines. He kept the colors from touching the ground saying to the other members of the 54th "Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground!". He was severely injured and either made it back by himself, or was helped back during the withdraw. The citation for the medal states he received 2 severe wounds, but I have read some places he was shot more than 5 times in the chest leg and arms. He died in 1908 at age 68.
The Most saddest part In the American Civil War is when the soldier was wounded they were fine, and a day later/few days they died from Diseases (due the Amputation process and that medical equipment was still in the Early Ages of the Time back then). They were just helped and then went deceased
You should watch “RED TAILS” based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the WWII pilots who were the first black servicemen to fly combat missions for the US Army Air Forces. With Cuba Gooding jr and Terrance Howard. An important part of our history not often spoken about.
That was a terrible film, that deservedly bombed at the box office. Tuskegee Airman was much better. It did a better job telling the story of black pilots in WW2 despite having a much smaller budget. Red Tails is a great example about how it takes more then an inspiring story concept to make a good movie.
I appreciate watching you’re reaction. I first saw this way back in the 90s when it came out. I’m from Massachusetts and am very proud that the 54th was ours. We still honor them with a statue in front of our state house
"My dearest wife: On this day, I can address you thank God as a free man. I had a little trouble getting away but, as the Lord lead the Children out of Israel to the Land of Canaan, so He lead me to a land where freedom will reign in spite of earth and hell. My dear, I trust the time will come when we meet again. And if we don't meet on earth, we will meet again in Heaven where Jesus reigns. Dear wife I must close. Rest yourself contented, for I am free. Your affectionate husband. Kiss Daniel for me". - John Boston.
This movie made a massive impact on me as a kid. You always hear about certain people in regards to the Civil War, never about others that helped, and lost lives during this era and during this insanely divided part of this nations history.
So glad somebody finally did this. My favorite movie of all time. The story of the 54th, the cast, the performances and the music are all just superb. A masterpiece in my opinion. The choir singing gives me chills every time I watch this. When the music peaks and falls off into one, single note just as the tear drops from Denzel ...... damn. One of the best scenes ever. Didn't expect Ferris Bueller to be convincing as Shaw, but he proved me wrong. All the performances were just amazing. Also, great reaction ! One of the best I've seen. Well done.
Glad you did this one! I LOVE this movie, probably one of my top historical films of all time! Some movies I would like to see you watch: 'The Help' 'The Black Klansman' 'Inglorious Basterds' 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' 'The Breakfast Club' 'The Princess Bride'
Those are worse than bunions, those are blisters that broke and broke and broke to the point they're on the verge of septic infections. I once took a 35 mile walk from the Bronx to Ossining NY, and had bloody heels wearing "good shoes".
I'm been binging your content for the past few days. You have such a great grasp of emotional storytelling. When you said you wanted to be an actor, my first thought was 'He'd probably be great at it.' So from one actor to another go for it.
Col. Robert Shaw was a distant relative of mine. We are both descended from William Traske (1585-1666), who is our most recent common ancestor, but we also share several more ancestors including Thomas Prence and his wife Patience Brewster, and Edmund Freemen and his wife Bennett Hodsoll. All were very early settlers to Massachusetts, and in fact Patience Brewster was the daughter of pilgrim William Brewster.
The thing is back then they almost never had stuff to knock the men out to perform surgery or what not so that part when the man was screaming they more than likely were cutting his leg off with no sedation or numbing medication.
@Mike Jordan - Yep; back then 'medicinal alcohol' was a real thing! And there are stories about troops beating to a pulp, almost, somebody who was caught slugging down some, just to get drunk - *especially* if it happened out 'in the field', where you or your buddy might really *need* it, if you had to face surgery!
They had large supplies of chloroform, which knocks you out, but it was not always available on the spot or at the point of need. Those lucky enough to have it before they sawed off your leg nevertheless had to endure the agony of recovery - if they even lived. There was laudnum for recovery pain, a derivative of opium, but it was very expensive and never in great supply. It was like heroin that you took by teaspoon dose like cough syrup with codeine.
I thought I would never experience anything more emotional than watching "Glory," but watching the rise and fall of YOUR emotions while watching "Glory" deeply touched me. Well done. There are those who want to erase history. This is not the problem. The problem is the history that has never been told.
The tactics were far behind the technology in the first half of that war. They believed that in order to take a position or gain the ground you had to mass your firepower and to do that you massed your men.
You see that a lot in war. Europe quickly learned that tactics from WW1 were outdated when the Germans used Blitzkrieg. The allies responded in a change of tactics after that. It always coincides with a leap in technology, too. For WW2 is was the tank that allowed those large and fast pushes. I wonder what the next tech leap will be that changes modern tactics.
You guys act as if there had been some sort of alternative. You run with what ya brung. And commanders then always tried to gain positional advantage. The buildup to nearly every one of the multi-day battles back then were all about attempts to flank, dominate, and route, but once the cards are dealt, you either play or cede ground.
@@ahwhite2022 There was an alternative - Don't attack an entrenched fort for a political symbolic victory. There are certain battles you HAVE to undertake. This wasn't one of them.
@@Kosh800 Not just the tank. People forget being able to drop paratroopers behind enemy lines was a huge advancement as well. The introduction of helicopter mobile units changed tactics massively as well.
The horrible tactics they showed were the tactics used in Napoleonic wars. Which was the tactics in fact used for the first half of the American Civil War. There were so many new technologies that they had, but didn't really understand the impact of. Rifling was still in its infancy, and ballistics barely understood, the minnie-ball ammunition was hardly beyond prototype, though obviously better. Up to that point, smooth-bore muskets with ball ammunition were the armament for rank-and-file soldiers. These were horribly inaccurate, unless you had had years to practice with your specific musket. Hence the 'stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder, and fire en mass' tactics. Maybe then you might hit something, in the general direction you aimed, maybe. Comparatively, the Enfield and Springfield rifles were something you could learn to shoot accurately in a month, and as they comprehended this, tactics changed, dramatically. Skirmishing tactics became far more widespread and used extensively towards the end. Guerilla tactics also came more and more into play, as the war dragged on. The American Civil War remains one of the most interesting case studies of how technology can change the understanding of how to fight so dramatically. Its also rather unique in that both sides had roughly equivalent technologies, and the main differences of the forces themselves were roughly comparable: Confederate forces were typically better trained, Union forces were typically better supplied. In the end, the sheer numbers of the Union forces were inexorable, thankfully.
Just watched this movie now as a 28 year old the amount of great actors I’ve noticed in this film which I never knew crossed paths blew me away I properly enjoyed this film, glad I found it from a class scene in fresh prince season 1 these older movies just hit so much better than a lot of modern movies
40 years old, I've seen many movies, and one of the reasons I like watching your videos is to relive the experience of seeing some of these movies for the first time again. With Glory, it was always in my top ten movies of all time. Fights Saving Private Ryan of top war movie. It is the first movie I can remember crying to. Thank you Mello, keep up the great work.
Love this one... possibly the best Civil War movie of them all! Excellent choice. I'll never forget showing this to my fiancée, her first time seeing it: :Watch movie up to storming the beach to get to the fort: :she pauses it: "They are going to make it, right? They cannot have come all this way just for it to end here!" :slowly turn my head to look her in the eye: "Babe, its true-story, history, not a fairy tale." :she bursts into sobbing tears: Yeah, probably could have handled that better...
I Appreciate You All Joining Me On This Journey And Cinema Art Learning. Please Share And Like!
NEXT MOVIE REACTION:
THE COLOR PURPLE
You had it right the first time. Pronounced Goold
Gotta check out Outlaw King on netflix man. I watched that today and it was amazing.
"Why they gotta be all rough with them?"
Consider the drill instructor from Full Metal Jacket. I think the theory is, if they can get everyone in the group to be together in their dislike of the drill instructor...it's something they have in common. Easier to form bonds of brotherhood that way, that're necessary in the worst possible situations that arise during war.
When they buried Robert in that unmarked mass grave they thought they were doing him a disservice and insult but when his parents were offered to have him dug up they refused and said that he died for exactly what he believed in and that it was an honor to know that he was among such a regiment.
Absolutely love this movie! Best movie about the Civil War. You are also going to really like The Color Purple. Some more great acting.
When Morgan Freeman was asked by Mike Wallace about Black History month, Freeman said he didn't want one because Black history is American history. This movie shows why Black history is American history.
Morgan Freeman got it. And I wish more people would too.
@@KRAFTWERK2K6 A lot of people call morgan freeman "an uncle tom". Its just pure ignorance.
@@nullakjg767 Most of them are probably white teenage girls. I know because one of them called me a racist for making an offensive joke around my mexican friends who thought it was funny themselves.
You shouldn't stop studying Black American history just because February ended. The only reason to have a month dedicated to it in the first place is to reinforce and highlight historically subdued aspects of Black American history. There are still yet large segments of American society that do not wish to acknowledge, admit, and teach these aspects of this particular group of Americans solely based on their skin color.
Absolutely
Morgan Freeman has said numerous times that this is his favorite role of his career.
I thought Shawshank Redemption was Morgan Freeman's favorite role.
@@haroldomiyaura912 heard him say it on more then 1 interview. Of course he has so many great roles it can be like my favorite song, can change from day to day.
@@haroldomiyaura912 The character in Shawshank neither has this range or importance. The character Freeman played in Lean on Me is also a role of more range and importance than Shawshank Redemption
His fathers reaction to his son being in a mass grave with his men:
"We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has"
This always, always brings a tear to my eye
I'm paraphrasing a bit, but his father also said the Confederates sought to dishonor him by burying him with his men, but instead ensured he had the best and most appropriate of honor guard.
wow - that's the best thing I've read all month
@@Rufus6540 Because they really did buried him like that as an insult
@@Rufus6540 Who can you love better than those willing to fight and die by your side?
The person who Morgan Freeman's character is based on survived
He still holds the US Army record for men killed in hand to hand combat in a single engagement 60
As hand to hand becomes more and more obsolete that record is put firmly into permanence.
who? John Rawlins is a fictional character.
@@RolandRED but the character is based on a real person
The Rawlins character is based on Sgt. Major William Carney. He survived the battle and the war, later worked for the US Postal Service. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor (the first Black American to receive it) for his actions at the Battle of Fort Wagner. He was actually the one that grabbed the colors and rallied the charge after Col. Shaw fell. The actual US military record holder for hand-to-hand combat is another Medal of Honor recipient, Ronald Rosser which was 12 during the Korean War, specifically at the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge. I don't know where you got 60 or credit Carney with that record, but the facts are quite different.
Actually, the regimental sergeant major of the 54th Massachusetts was Frederick Douglass’s son. That’s one of the historical inaccuracies (but emotional) scenes that this movie got wrong.
The Colonel isn't being harsh, he's establishing military protocol. Enlisted don't mix with Officers because they have to be able to not just follow orders as enlisted men but the officers need to be able make the tough decisions without the obstacle of friendship there when the time comes. In war it's all about making tough decisions that will get men killed.
Yes sir. Agreed ( Navy Veteran )
Exactly correct , maintaining, regulation,good order and discipline, between officers and enlisted is the foundation in any Military, ( RET NAVY VET)
Agreed (current soldier, enlisted 2005)
Agreed Veteran and current Soldier (Enlisted 2000)
Yeah, that's something that is missed in modern day viewing of this. What makes the scenes chilling & complex is that whipping (&sometimes execution) was the standard for even white deserters. But the implication for a member of the 54th was so much worse because of their history. So Shaw is stuck between the treating them like every other man was treated (in pay AND punishment) be cause he owes it to them to treat them like MEN & knowing that if he does, sometimes it has horrible implications.
As a history nerd, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. The acting, story, score, just everything was top notch. Denzel was on another level here. So glad the story of the 54th was told.
Interesting fact General Strong depicted at the 20:59 mark who was under orders to take the fort was so guilt ridden sending three regiments to certain death that he personally led the 4'TH attack and was killed in action doing so.
Wow, that is an interesting fact
It was also sort of unnecessary too, as far as military tactics were concerned. South Carolina was the first state to break away from the Union. On top of that it was the first official battle of the Civil War when they fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston. So this whole battle to try to take Charleston was more political than it was a military necessity. They didn't need to do it but wanted to for the optics of taking down the first state that left the union and the first state that attacked the union. Charleston was already under a long blockade. This whole battles was over vanity and pride.
I knew he had been killed i follow-on assaults, but not the backstory behind it.
@@Kosh800 You are not wrong that it was over pride. But a Confederate loss that leads to loss of morale is itself a useful military advantage and helps the war end quicker.
Grabbing a politically important objective is valuable in itself. War is just a continuation of politics when all other forms of politics have failed.
If he had properly backed up those three regiments they would have taken before in shortened the civil war by a 6 months
I happen to be white.....I saw Glory on a field trip, to a local small rural theater when I was 12. I'm 48 now and it is STILL my favorite movie of all time.
You should be, You got white jesus on your side. If there was really a person name Jesus CHRIST even existed.
@@adoniskennethbrooks3454 Lolwut
It was these brave men, who silenced the critics across North America that "black men could never take on a fighting role" these men did that... and it should never be forgotten. God bless every one of them
WE cannot really understand the level of racism throughout EVEN the abolitionist community at the time. It was necessary that color soldiers fight and die as they did. They proved they were Union soldiers. They proved they were MEN. Otherwise we may STILL be living under Jim Crow today.
May they forever be kept in glory.
@@xhagast ................................................................................... um um Jim crow has nothing to do with this not even close 1865 to 1968 that jim crow was a thing
And they still didn’t want to put blacks in combat all the way up to World War II.
@@1945iwo True! The Black Union soldier -- labeled "United States Colored Troops," or USCT -- even after proving their fighting mettle, still were not used to their fullest advantage by their white officers. Case in point: The Battle of the Crater, July 1864, near Petersburg VA. Black troops trained for weeks to learn the role of the shock troops that would lead the primary attack. They learned the proper approach to the deep pit caused by the expected explosion of tons of gunpowder, the use of scaling ladders, etc. At the last moment, the USCT men were relegated to a secondary role by none other than General Ulysses S. Grant, the overall Union commander. The white troops, hurriedly put on the front lines, failed miserably, suffered terribly (find the movie "Cold Mountain" and watch the first minutes -- that's The Crater). White officers did not wish to put in the USCT as their supposed heavy losses would seem to the general public to be simply slaughter of the brave Black soldiers.
"Why don't they flank it?" -- well that's the whole point of an actual *fortress* isn't it? Positioned properly (which Ft Wagner was) you can't flank it and you can't just bypass it. You either take it, or its guns continuously wreck anything that gets within range of it and if you want the city it defends, you're going to come within the range of its guns. Worse, the fortress is on much higher ground so its guns will *always* out-range yours - so no bombarding it from afar. Your own guns can't even get within range of it before they get annihilated. They were designed to be as difficult to take as humanly possible, and they succeeded.
Charleston was an insanely well defended city. That harbor was a death trap.
Finally, someone watching and reviewing one of the best war movies. Master and Commander with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany should be next!
Absolutely
Grim_Grenadier Yes! What a great movie..
Great choice. *Great. Choice.*
Great movie
Agreed!
The scene that breaks me every time is the scene after that rainy night, when Shaw comes out and asks, "how many of them are left?" The camera slowly pans and reveals that they are ALL STILL THERE. That James Horner score just wells up and I lose it. The courage of those black men just leaves me speechless.
"Glory, Halleluiah." I love it how he says that with such reverence, for the Almighty almost certainly, but for the men as well.
That scene and the one where Denzel's character is being flogged. The music keeps rising and then the instant a tear falls from his eye, it falls into one single haunting note. Just brutal. So many moments in this movie that rip me up.
You ain't the only man...this movie and Schindler's list get me everytime...in this movie it's that ending scene
My favorite scene in that whole film was the “Give em’ Hell 54th!”, in just a matter of seconds with that line. It changed the entire tone of the scene, from the March of the Condemned, to the March of Heroes. Those guys did also participate in the attack, it was that the 54th volunteered to be the first wave at the fort.
It usually was military custom for officers to have their bodies sent to their families for burial at the time, but the Confederate deemed it that Shaw should be buried in a mass grave with his slaughtered soldiers as a means to insult his family and slander his honor. When his father learned of it, he actually saw it appropriate. Responding to a friends letter, he expressed that ‘he and his wife could not think of a better or more holier place for their son to be buried, with his men’.
Robert Shaw held in his heart to his dying breathe that the 54th was the finest command he ever had. He was proud and deeply honored to lead such men into battle, treated them with no regard to their race whatsoever and respected them like the soldiers they were. Survivors/veterans of the 54th would go on to say that they too were honored to follow Shaw when they charged that fort for he treated them no different than how an officer over white soldiers would command. He always would stand and advocate for them when they would become discriminated by the Union Army, like any army officer should for his command.
The best part of that is he was the soldier that was taunting the regiment before their first battle. The tall soldier was actually the writer of the film. He also wrote Tombstone.
My favorite: Sgt Maj Mulcahy's salute during the parade in Boston. "Well done, lads, well done. Give 'em hell. I know you will."
Fun fact, that man who yelled give em hell was ine of the screenwriters
6:12 Someone already mentioned that Shaw wasn't being harsh, he was sticking to military protocol.
"It's not like he's showing favoritism."
We as the audience would know that. But to the eyes of the other soldiers training, it would indeed have looked like he was kissing up to the officers. Officers and drill sergeants in militaries do not fraternize and aren't allowed to be "close" to certain "friends" more than the other trainees/recruits. To do so would be a conflict of interest and cause social issues among the others.
Back in the days of VHS and when I was in high school, I got this as a Christmas Present. We opened gifts and then my mom goes, "Let's watch that movie you got". We didn't really know anything about it.
And that's the story of how my whole family spent one Christmas afternoon sitting around the living room crying together.
That's an amazing story. Really cool and such a random choice. But I bet you're glad you have that memory... Plus what a movie!
Whoever got you this film as a Christmas gift deserves a commendation
A Christmas to remember.....the best kind of Christmas ✝️
I seen this movie in after school detention . I watched over a 3 day period . I came back the 4th day even tho I didnt have detention to watch the ending .This movie really inspired me . 20 years retired military(MA1 USN RET.)
@@frolianmoreno7297 I'm glad you finished the movie. It all leads up to an ending that's not only amazing... But would've been a shame to have missed
As an Australian, this flick ranks as one of my favourites. And as an Australian, I was torn to set the monument to the 54th Massachusetts Regiment vandalised. People need to simply learn history, it's there, it's not hidden.
The Drill Sergeant took his job seriously; train those men for war, and he did it.
Drill Sergeants are tough because they want the men to survive and get home.
He may appear harsh but there's no way one could turn men into effective fighting unit by being "nicey-nicey".
To forge the sword you must first pound the steel.
Its nothing personal. Drill Sergeants don't take pleasure in treating recruits harshly. Its their duty to turn these boys into men. They cared for these men. I learned that R Lee Ermey would read the Stars and Stripes newspaper during the Vietnam War that would list those soldiers killed in Nam. It sadden him when he saw the names of those he trained in basic.
During the parade scene you could tell how proud he was seeing his men marching. Could have sworn I even saw his eyes watering.
13:24 Mildly interesting fact: paired shoes were still a relatively new thing during the Civil War. instead, your shoes were identical and shaped themselves to your feet over time.
That's really interesting!
That sounds incredibly uncomfortable
I always found the ending to be quite bittersweet. Colonel Shaw was buried with his men. The confederates indented this to be an insult but Shaw’s father was quoted, “
We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers....We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company - what a body-guard he has!”
Man, who's cutting onions around here...
One of the most beautiful and poignant end in film history!
Been proven false that it had anything to do with insult because it simply doesn’t make sense. Mass graves are dug in haste to prevent illness and disease, that’s hinted at the body bearers wearing masks over their face at the end. Instead of having to dig 1,000 individual graves you dig two big ones and put each side in one and cover it, quick, efficient and no thought to it.
Saw this when it first came out; I remember walking out of the theater in a daze. One of my all time favorites.
Same here. It was unforgettable.
I walked out in tears.
This film gets me every time...so many huge moments. When the white soldiers start cheering the 54th as they march to the beach for the assault...I almost always lose it completely. Just listening to the music that James Horner wrote for Glory can get me choked up and teary-eyed. 💯✌
I'm right there with you. I love that sequence of scenes so much
Count me in.
It's the best that the white soldier who said "give em hell 54th" was the one who was a racist dick to them earlier.
Denzel didn't act that whipping scene. He wanted to feel what they felt and took it for real. He's awesome
It didn't quite happen as you think. The Director secretly ordered the first lash to make contact with a good amount of sting. If you look and see Denzel's reaction it was real because he didn't know it was coming. Every lash after that was movie magic though. Amazing acting job by Denzel.
They still didn’t flog him as hard as they would if it was supposed to be real, a flogging with a cat rips the skin. He wanted no part of that I’m sure nor would they even allow it to happen
@K A ok, sure bud. Calm down tough guy
Saw this in middle school. The battle in the beginning was the battle of Antietam and is known as the ‘Bloodiest Day in American History.’ Over 20,000 casualties.
I saw this in the 3rd grade and I was like "I think we're too young for this deep movie".
I remember watching this in middle school as well. Back then, we had I think 7 classes, with a TV that's hooked up so it can send a signal to all TVs (my guess it's on a specific local channel number and they just changed to that channel).
We would watch Glory in each class, they start it sometime into the class (not sure how many minutes into class as this was close to 20 years ago).
When the class ended, they would stop/pause the movie then resume it during the next class.
I think they did rewind it like 1 to 3 minutes in case people missed the last part (as they were packing up to leave the previous class).
It was tougher back then as with 7 classes, the classes were only like 45 to 50 minutes I think.
When I got to High School (back between 2004 to 2008), I had block scheduling (4 classes). We would have classes last around 1h 30 something minutes I think (with a 45-minute lunch that was determined by your 3rd class). During those classes, it was much easier to watch a movie as we could finish them usually in 2 class periods.
I was in middle school as well; great movie
I saw the beginning on TV when I was around ten but it was Sunday night and had school the next day. Didn't see the whole thing until middle school.
Really 20,000?
I'm usually bored to death by history movies, but when I watched this in class I loved it.
It was the first time in years that I actually felt something from a film. And the score was amazing, probably my favorite part.
It was perfectly paced, I didn't get lost trying to figure out what's happening like most movies I watch. It's everything I've ever needed from a movie.
Too bad we didn't finish it..
Same here. After the bouncing cannon ball a girl in my class left crying. Added to the realism...from then on crying Katie. 1996. Middle school was brutal. No anti bullying measures whatsoever. No supervision it was basically prison with somewhat better education
Shaw gave his life for those men. He knew he would die in arms with them and he needed to lead them to the death. And Denzel right after died by taking up the regiment colors after telling shaw he wouldn't do it. Its one of the most beautiful scenes put in cinema to see the respect and loyalty they showed each other.
Everybody dies, not everybody really lives. Shaw lived. And his men.
Correction, Trip doesn't take up the regiment colors he takes up the Union flag. The Regiment Colors is the flag of the 54th Regiment.
Only movie I ever watched where at the end credits nobody got up and left. We were all stunned and in shock. Even after the house lights came on people just sat there.
The letters that Shaw gave to the reporter that was following them, where letters to his mother, father and his wife. I wish they had shown a little more about Shaw and I also wish they had one of the main characters be William Harvey Carney. He carried the regimental colors during the attack on Ft. Wagner, he was wounded 5 times, but still held onto the flag, he survived and eventually won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions. The highest award in the US military.
He made it back to the Union line, still carrying the flag. "Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground."
William Harvey Carney who is the one who picked up the flag, received the Congressional Medal of Honor 30 years later for his actions that day after he returned home after the war and was a mailman.
Very few people know his story. One thing is that he was also a preacher at one time. I really wish they had made him a character in this movie it was so important. Another thing they never added is that at one time the regiment came upon a train full of wounded union soldiers but it was unable to move due to damage. Now trains weren't as huge as they are now, but still big enough, the 54th hauled that engine to a place where the train was out of harm's way. They had a boxed set on VHS in the "long ago" and had a whole documentary about the 54th. They need to do a story on the 1st Regiment from Rhode Island, all former slaves who were granted their freedom so that there could enlist and fight the British in the American Revolution. They need their story told too. They fought for an ideal they knew may not be theirs at the time but they knew eventually it would belong to their descendants.
I agree that Carney shod have been acknowledged. It would he been good to add a bit of true history to the movie. But given it is Hollywood, IMO it did a decent job mixing true history with fiction, and come out with a well done and entertaining film.
From what I understand, Carney was amalgamation of characters in the movie. Carney was the first Sergeant Major, Morgan Freeman was promoted to that rank during the movie. Carney lifted the flag during the battle of Fort Wagner which rallied the 54th to kick some ass, as did Denzel Washington (albeit he died doing so). Carney was a preacher, Jihmi Shorts learned to read in the movie because he wanted to read the bible. Jihmi wasn't a preacher but I still feel it was a nod to Carney and his religious beliefs.
That soundtrack/score was done by James Horner. He scores were awesome, and to me, were the heart and soul of the films he was attached to. I used to relax by listening to Titanic, Braveheart, and Legends of the Fall. He even scored my favorite film, Avatar. RIP James Horner.
RIP James, gone wayyy too soon
James Horner also did the score for Troy
I know him from Stark Trek. He knows how to evoke that feeling of cutting onions. He did it with Glory and yeah even on Deep Impact I felt like someone was cutting onions.
This movie introduced the world to one of our greatest actors, Denzel Washington.
Hill Street Blues
I first remember Denzel Washington from "St. Elsewhere".
My first exposure to Denzel Washinton was watching "The Book of Eli" in the theaters back in 2010 haha
I know it ain't a masterpiece, but I still hold it dearly and Denzel was still a bloody badass in it. Plus it's probably a better adaptation of First of the North Star than the official FOTNS live action film imo
Carbon Copy, St Elsewhere, The Mighty Quinn...
Actually the first major movie he was in was Carbon Copy, and he became even more well known from St. Elsewhere.
Fun fact: the Confederates accidentally buried the Union dead in a mass grave that was too close to their supply of drinking water, contaminating it. They had to abandon the fort just a couple of months later. In the end, the 54th won.
In the play Henry V, Henry says that the English army will continue fighting in France even after they are killed, by similar means. I didn’t know this about Fort Wagner. Thanks.
Fun fact, all of the extras you see in this movie are Civil War Reenactors. I know a couple of guys that took part in the filming for the Battle of Antietam scene.
I always wanted to understand how the re-enactors knew who would fall and when.
James Horner singlehandedly conjures so much emotion from his music.
There's no words to describe how the music in this film makes you feel
One of the best war films ever made.
Yes 🙌🏽
As a Black American from Boston, this movie touches me so much! Our history is so slept on in regards to ADOS.
Have you seen the monument shown at the end of the movie ?
@C M monument was spray painted by black Americans protesting the same racial injustice those men in the statue died fighting, they'd be ok with it.
@@this.is.a.username I doubt they would be ok with it, same as why they wouldnt be ok with people voting Democrat at the election, Democrats created KKK, segregation and Jim Crow laws. Black Americans in the late 1800s and early 1900s were integrating and setting up businesses and earning money, most didnt go to Liberia even though it was seen as their reparations. Black Americans voted Republican as they freed them from slavery and allowed them to live as free men. I think the fallen would think what is the matter with these people of today, causing vandalism because they are the ones that voted for the racist party.
@@andy150100 I know some people are trying to peddle that narrative but its far from reality. After the passage of the Civil Rights act under LBJ, the South went solidly from Blue to Red. Basically, all those Southern Democrats are now Republicans.
Or more to the point, how many KKK guys and white supremacists do you think voted Republican or Libertarian vs Democrat this last election? The Republican party went over to the Jim Crow/voter suppression crowd nearly 60 years ago.
@@varthelm that is the narrative that the Democrat party wants people to believe.
Loved your reaction! Those military tactics you were shocked by: The Civil War was a transitional war with cutting edge technologies (for that day) capable of mass slaughter clashing with antiquated military tactics. The result was a very bloody war. In this case, marching shoulder to shoulder was a tactic from days when weapons weren't rifled and accuracy was lost. You basically had to make a wall of bullets to shatter the enemy, rather than a precision strike from one weapon. I'm sure those who are Civil War reenactors would have better details on the tactics subject.
Unfortunately walking streight to gun fire like Napoleon was the norm at the time.
I'm a reenactor, teacher and Civil War historian, and you're quite correct about how rifled muskets should have changed the 18th century tactics, but didn't yet. Along that line, the Union had the capacity to produce cartridge weapons with a magazine (like the Henry Repeating Rifle or the Spencer Rifle) which function not unlike the rifles common by 1900. The main reasons why they didn't were that they would have allowed the men to fire many more rounds of ammunition, and using up all those bullets would have been much more expensive than single shot guns (!!!) On the other extreme, the Confederates had very limited industrial capacity and originally had to rely on outdated smoothbore muskets, which had nowhere near the range of a rifle. If, hypothetically, Union troops had been armed with actual state of the art weapons, the War would never have taken 4 long years. It would have effectively ended with the first Union victory (And the Confederates had no ability to produce the ammo used in the repeating rifles, so just picking up ones from the battlefield would not have helped them)
Denzel's character ended up picking up the flag after all.
If they stayed where they were they would have died laying there. Two things about picking up the standard (flag) 1: the Stars and Stripes must never touch the ground ( back then it declared the units status on the battlefield. They would be considered a destroyed unit, thus may not be reinforced. 2: all soldiers of that unit rally to/ with the standard, it leans forward to declare “Attack, push through”!. The scene didn’t really capture the even very well. It was noted by a survivor that he didn’t get all those wounds at one time but continued to hold the standard for a time. Encouraging the men to assault the ramparts.
That was the scene where I started crying like a little bitch.
Dunno why, never cried though the many times I've seen this movie. But I did feel a strong personal connection to the characters.
This movie has always held a special place for me. Not only because my ancestors fought for the Union; but one of them also fought in the subsequent waves for Battery Wagner.
The scene where Morgan slaps Denzel is the best acted scene ever.
You know that was a "Daddy" scene !
This whole movie is perfectly acted. But I agree... That scene is amazing
When Sergeant Major gets all up in your face, you come to Jesus. Those two brought their A+ game to that scene.
You haven't seen anything yet then.
You should see Adolf Cesar in "A Soldiers Story"
I remember watching this at its original release, in theatre. There was NO dry eye in the theatre. Everyone was crying, shouting, and just left totally struck. Definitely, the breakout role for Denzel Washington. And a major turning point in Roderick's role. Until Glory, he was just a "young actor" playing Ferris Bueller type movie roles. People began to take him as a serious actor after this. Morgan Freeman became a household name. Yeah, Glory did a lot for their careers and became a part of America's best cinema contributions.
Denzel's break out role was in Soldier's story and he took it to another level when he did Cry Freedom.
Those people that said “Give em hell” were not part of that attack.
They went the next day & shared the same fate as the 54th Massachusetts did.
A third attack was also tried, with the same results.
Thank you for the video. I grew up in Massachusetts and on my mother's side of the family descended from Robert Gould Shaw. It has always been one of the things I am most proud of. The Massachusetts 54th regiment has a monument in Boston Common, and when I was young and saw it for the first time I realized what it meant for so many that the Union won the fight against slavery. Some folks like to incorrectly say that the war was not about slavery but of state's rights. That would be wrong! It was absolutely about slavery and that America is about freedom and justice for ALL! PERIOD! America was built on immigration and the spirit of freedom and equality for ALL! Never let ANYONE take that from us all! To me, it should be known that we are ALL one race, the HUMAN RACE! STAND UP FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY FOR ALL! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL OF OUR PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE! THAT INCLUDES HISPANICS FROM OUR SOUTHERN BORDER! MAYBE IF WE HELPED TURN THE TIDE OF JUSTICE FOR ALL IN OUR HEMISPHERE NOT JUST IN OTHER CONTINENTS! IF THE QUALITY OF FREEDOM AND LIFE WAS BETTER IN SAY MEXICO THEY MIGHT WANT TO STAY THERE. WE ARE ALL ONE!
Man, If I were a descendant of RGS, I would also be this amped up. That's awesome.
This movie was the reason I became a Civil War Historian.
Yes! Can relate completely. This movie inspired me to be a historian and teacher. Probably my most watched film. It was on the premium cable channels all the time in the early nineties and I remember watching it with my mother time and time again when I was just a kid. Now and for the past 15 years I’ve been able to share it with my high school students. Much of my graduate work was in the history of slavery, abolition, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. I find that no matter what era in American history I teach, it either foreshadows or harkens back to the themes leading up to, experienced in, and resulting from that period; the greatest crossroad in American history.
so you can tell me how the movie is accurate...........just a curiosity couse i love this movie and your answer will not change my feelings
@@andreascala2663 For the most part it is fairly accurate from my knowledge. Small details are wrong though. The 54th wasn’t the only regiment that assaulted the fort, there were other white units like the 48th New York that participated at the same time. The 54th also it get that far into the Fort. They scaled the parapet but did not make it into the heart of the Fort. Also, the first battle that the 54th is engaged in was supposed to be the Battle of Grimball’s Landing. It’s portrayed as a Union victory even though in real life it was a Confederate victory. Sure the 54th repelled the Confederates and saved the 10th Connecticut from destruction but the next day, Union forces left James Island and the Confederates still held it. Also, the end credits say Fort Wagner was never taken. It wasn’t taken in battle but Union forces occupied it in September after the Confederates abandoned it.
This movie reduces me to tears every time. The performances, the story, and the music. Excellent.
From what I can see at the battlefield maps, there really was only one approach to the fort. It was located on a pinnisula with a second fort shielding it from behind. A river and marshland made the usable approach the beach. This was by design by the defenders. The navy had been bombarding the fort for days to try and break up the defenses (to little effect). It isn't shown in the movie, but mentioned in the epilogue that several white units followed the 54th and met with similar fates.
I had a friend who did tabletop reenactments and variations of battles. They ran the taking of this fort 4 times and got close once but they could never do it. One scenario even had gundams (giant japanese robots). Assuming even forces it is nearly impossible to take.
@@TheLadyLuck523 This battle is almost similar to the Battle of Thermopylae, though in this case, there’s no hidden goat path.
Youre right, the fort was only approachable by a thin strip of land. Looking at that area now, it’s all been overtaken by ocean.
"Why" Welcome to the Civil War. Tactics just didn't keep up with the weapon technology. Same issue that plagued World War 1 as well.
Trenches, we still need lines of men but now we all have machine guns...
The invention of the Minie Ball, a simple cone shaped piece of metal, changed warfare history.
"I was hoping he wouldn't die..." well, now you know what being on the front line means and why it garners so much so much respect, especially when you request it. You aren't so much risky your life as you ate giving it. There is none braver.
Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts on this very important film.
This was a poem written by Benjamin Brawley, (born 1882), distinguished African American educator, author and the first dean of Morehouse College. I really recommend reading his works.
The fact that a man of his stature could write so eloquent and touching poem about another man speaks of both his and Colonel Shaws character.
Love for each other transcends skin color, and sacrifices made that prove that point should always be brought to the attention of the public, especially to those ever in doubt, that true gratitude knows no color.
My Hero by Benjamin Brawley
Flushed with the hope of high desire,
He buckled in his sword,
To dare the rampart ranged with fire,
Or where the thunder roared;
Into the smoke and flame he went,
For God’s great cause to die-
A youth of heaven’s element,
The flower of chivalry.
This was the gallant faith, I trow,
Of which the sages tell,
Of such devotion long ago,
The benediction fell;
And never nobler martyr burned,
Or braver hero died,
Then he who worldly honor spurned,
To serve the crucified.
And Lancelot and Sir Bedivere,
May pass beyond the pale,
And wander of moor and mere,
To find the Holy Grail;
But ever yet the prize forsooth,
My hero holds in fee,
And he is Blameless Knight in truth,
And Galahad to me
@6:07, Fraternization is a very serious regulation meant to promote professionalism of the troops. Any infraction of this, including just familiar communications between officer and enlisted, is strongly frowned upon at the least.
There still are rules against fraternization to this day, although they are much more relaxed than back then.
And it was Shaw's idea for none of the officers to accept no pay until the situation could be sorted out, and it trickled down to the enlisted ranks. It didn't start with the common soldier and spread upwards towards the officers.
There's another film that gets into this in greater depth even though it's in a different context, is "Master and Commander"
@@danh8804 Fantastic film, that one
It makes me feel small to see how willing these great men were to give their life for the freedom of others.
One of my favorite movies as a kid. TBH it brought tears to my eyes when people "protesting" racism damaged the bronze statue they showed at the end.
I didn't realize that had happened. I knew they had them posing like that to imitate the statue. That's sad to hear
Maybe because it depicted a white man leading blacks. It is a common thing. Nowadays blacks don't need white saviors, they can save themselves, but they needed them then. Shaw gave his life fighting by the side of his colored soldiers, what have these "protestors" ever done?
@@xhagast well said
And this just displays your ignorance. The original monument was commissioned by the black community of Boston and was just going to be Shaw on his horse. Shaw’s family insisted that they also include his men because the honor belonged to them as well.
@@paulithurralde8870 How does that show ignorance, did I mention the statues creation? I think not, did blm deface it , a memorial to the almost 600,000 afican american soldiers that fought during the civil war, yes yes they did,
Teared up a number of times during this film... but the significance of letting the horse go on the beach, apart from the obvious act of kindness, he knew they were going to die 😥 underrated gem of a movie, Denzels performance was solid! Emotional roller coaster especially because it is based on the lives and devastating experiences of real people
When he's requesting to lead the attack, he knows already that attacking that fort is suicide. His voice breaks and he's holding back tears. He knows the importance, he knows his men are up to it, but he knows it's a death sentence.
@@mycroft16 I love that scene where he looks at the birds on the beach. The birds represent freedom/agency. The ability to go where you want as a free being, exactly what he and the 54th are fighting for. To me, it's not that he knows he's going to die. It's his realization of his life's purpose and mission as he stares out on the water. He could still turn back, but he doesn't. This is exactly where he's meant to be and what he's meant to do. That's a level of self-actualization that many of us will never achieve, the ultimate glory. It's a fantastic scene.
@@duecansam1248 This!
When I was in the navy, we watched this movie on July 4th and my buddy from Georgia, during the scene where they looted and burned the town that he said he was from that town, but didn't recognize any of those buildings. Then he realized why he didn't recognize any of the building when they burned it.
Atlanta was burned to the ground by General Sherman ,and many other places as well....so next to no buildings survived that time. I think maybe one in Atlanta, it was a small mansion, and it was saved by chance, soldiers were talked out of it by the owner who was a widow.... It is now used as a wedding/events destination.
The move Thomas did during the final battle was the one the drill Sargent did on him during training.
Lashes for desertion at that time was getting off lucky. Execution was the standard (it was a rough time).
Pvt. Eddie Slovac was executed in WWII for desertion. The only one, but it was still an option at the time.
General Bragg of the confederate army was infamous for executions and lashings of his troops. Some of them didn’t even desert but were simply awol to return home and help with harvesting crops so their families didn’t starve.
@@ffjsb Also used on people who were deemed insubordinate in certain situations.
Shaw only had 2 options at the time, have him shot by firing squad or to be whipped for attempted desertion/leaving his post without permission. Shaw was not being harsh or ignoring his men's needs.
@@gumbomudderx7503 So ironic that a lot of poor people in the south are confederate sympathizers. The southern elite only cared about themselves.
One of my favorite movies of all times. It wasn't a happy ending. It was a glorious one.
This movie makes me cry every time I watch it just great acting from everyone in the cast
It's a emotional roller coaster with this film.
One of my favorite films. This is American history. Not always easy to watch, but so important to remember.
I saw this in the theater when it came out as 22 year old, wound up seeing it I think 4x in the movies. The crowd was always in tears at the end. All the performances were top level. For many years it was my all time favorite movie and it's still way up there for me. Glad you saw it and dug it.
That was a heartbreaking movie. Remember watching when it first came out. Some of the bravest soldiers in American history.
I absolutely love this movie. It makes me cry every time I see it. As a white man, I can never know the heartache of my black brothers and sisters, so it's films like this one that teach me the struggles that the black community endures to this day. Be blessed.
The pride on that kid's face hits me every time. The look of hope. This movie hits the feels pretty hard.
Great movie, wonderful reaction. It was a privilege to watch this with you.
And Same With You
Agree 100%. I saw this movie in the early '90s and even as a white boy in New Zealand with no stake in any of the issues involved, it made a big impression.
@@HelloMellowXVI Yes, I loved your reaction. It was so genuine.
Thank All Of You I Love Doing This
"That was the only tactic they had at the time?" Shelby Foote said that the reason the Civil War was so brutal was because the weapons were far superior to the tactics. They were still using revolutionary war tactics but weapons that had become far more destructive in the 80 years since.
Shelby Foote was our greatest Civil War historian.
I saw this in the theater. At the time Matthew Broderick was known to everyone as Ferris since that movie was a recent and huge hit, so he was the biggest "star" at that point. Cary Elwes had been in THE PRINCESS BRIDE already but it wasn't a hit. People grew to love it on cable TV and video. Denzel Washington had had some critical success but was still mostly known for the TV series "St. Elsewhere". Even Morgan Freeman wasn't that well known. A lot of us knew him from the kids' program "Electric Company" since GLORY was just before DRIVING MISS DAISY made him super famous. It's funny how even though they were different ages it was really happened closer to the beginning of all their careers.
p.s. You might be psychic. When you said "car crash" it made me remember something I'd forgotten all about. Broderick had been in a car crash where the people in the other car died between FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF and this movie. At the time people thought he got away with it because he was famous. If that happened today his career probably would have been over.
The year this came out, there was a section in my high school history book about the 54th. I went into this movie knowing the fate of most of the named characters. This movie is on my Everyone Must See list - because everyone needs to see this movie.
The American Civil War was the last war fought in the Napoleonic style where troops stand face to face in open fields using muzzle loaded muskets. Modern breach loaders and modern self contained cartridge ammo where only just making their first appearances that would allow soldiers to fire and reload while prone. This was a major turning point for infantry warfare. I have never been phased by the battle scenes, but the field hospital scene is always really hard to watch knowing the greater context.
I know it's been a year, but I this is the first post that I saw mention Napoleonic style warfare. And this is something historians get confused with to. When they say that the tactics were Napoleonic, they don't mean Napoleon Bonaparte. They mean Napoleon III. It's why you see so many Zouave units north and south. There was a French craze in the 1860's. The troops are based off the French soldiers who fought in the Algerian war. So the tactics aren't from 1810. They are from the 1840's. Just something I remember doing research on in college and finding fascinating as it was something even some of my professors didn't know.
Its why you don't see US units fighting in columns (A Napoleon Bonaparte Tactic) and in lines. And with skirmishers. And yes the 1840's were still smoothbore musket's, not rifled.
This movie turns me into a blubbering mess at the end
You wouldn't be human if you wouldn't. :'(
30 yrs later me too,,,57 yr old male in L.A...best war movie ever
They had no business fighting at the end. They were already exhausted after the scrimmage that had with the other solders. That sergeant took it upon himself to prove to the colonel he was a Twit. Which means Gay. He was already called that name earlier in the movie.
Amazing movie about US history. And it was the famous James Horner, rest in peace, who composed the power house score.
The US Government had actually outlawed whipped in August 1861. So if Shaw had done so, he could have actually been thrown out of the army, and the punishment for desertion at the time was actually execution by firing squad if Denzel's character was found guilty of desertion by a court-martial.
I'm sure he dropped the desertion charge once he realized Tripp was only running off to get shoes and intended to come back. But yes, the whipping scene was pure Hollywood BS.
@@TheStapleGunKid which is ironic because if they'd done it the proper way and showed him having a court-martial, they'd have still arrived at the same conclusion, just without breaking any laws of the time!
@@ignitetheinferno1858 Yeah it was just a case of them wanting to include a whipping scene because that's what we associate with slavery, and they wanted to include an ironic scene of Tripp being whipped because he had been whipped when he was a slave. Of course, that is nonsense on two levels. First, the Army didn't use whipping any more. And second of all, the 54th Massachusetts was comprised almost entirely of life-long free blacks from the North. They had very few, if any, runaway slaves in their ranks.
@@TheStapleGunKid Washington took a very hard stance when it came to white soldier/officer on black soldier/civilian interactions. They at least once completely replace the officer corps of refugee camps that exploited the ex-slave refugees And firing officers who led their troops poorly in the field. Shaw, being a staunch abolitionist, _never_ would have flogged his men, even if they had been freeman and the punishment had been still lawful.
With that said, I do appreciate artistically what they were trying to do with the scene.
@@ignitetheinferno1858 quite - everything about the scene is brilliantly portrayed, just not the accuracy
He went "Lean on Me" on his ass!!😂🤣😂🤣😂
I'm dead.
"First, they call me 'Crazy Joe', now they call me 'Batman'!"
@@panowa8319 😂🤣😂🤣😂
So happy to see this film get another reaction, and I've been enjoying your channel, good sir. So, rather than rehash my thoughts, I will lazily copy/past what I wrote before...
That final charge of the 54th under impossible circumstances, the swelling of the music, the waving of the American flag, the authentic feeling of courage and fear on display, then ending on the shot of two men of different color, who had fought for the right to be equals, having their bodies meet in a final embrace at the end...this sequence leaves me crying for long periods of time, just thinking about it, nevermind watching it. This came out when I was 12. Saw it in the theater. I feel like this was one of those movies at that age that leaves you a different person. I became a young man after that day, and it has always been a priority of mine to fight for equality ever since. Some movies really shape the kind of person you are at that age. I feel fortunate for the timing of this one. Thanks for reacting to this. It's a fantastic film in just about every way.
The guy at 17:35 who says “Stripes on a n-“ and “Give em hell, 54th” later is writer Kevin Jarre. He wrote the screenplay for this film and all the great dialogue you heard.
I first watched Glory in 8th grade. It was part of our US History curriculum.
Yeah Mine Too But Like I Said I Fell Asleep Lml, But 8th Grade History Was The Best.
@@HelloMellowXVI I didn’t fall asleep, haha. I was totally riveted. I remember crying quietly at the end so no one in the class could hear me.
@@chastitykolb9643 Had An Issue Of Falling Asleep In Class Because They Would Have The AC Blasting Non Stop Lmao And I Had A Terrible Sleep Pattern
Lol we watched it our junior year of high school along with Saving Private Ryan, Ride With The Devil, Gettysburg, I miss history class it was the one thing in school I looked forward to besides sneaking to the bathroom with my friends to dip Copenhagen and Skoal.
I was 9 when I first saw Glory. It was the first movie that ever made me cry. Got in trouble when I asked for a VHS of it for Christmas.
The way I see it if your going to get enslaved if you get caught fighting, then you have a very good reason to fight hard and not surrender.
General Charles Garrison Harker, the one who took his sweet time smoking his cigar, was played by Bob Gunton. Bob also played Warden Norton in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption."
I’m a history buff who has spent a lot of time reading about civil war tactics. Unfortunately for these men, charging headlong into volley fire was the order of the day early in the war. It wasn’t until later when both sides adopted essentially an early form of WW1 trench warfare.
My understanding, which is very limited, is that this used to be done because it was considered honorable. Where you saw your opponent directly in front of you and knew exactly what you were dealing with, and the opponent granted you the same courtesy. But then they soon came to realize that honor equated to suicide, because it doesn't do much good when the opponent is no longer playing by the same rules.
@@BurningFreesias that was part of it. But these tactics also had a long history in European militaries dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. The thing was, military technology had advanced since then. Rifles and artillery were much more accurate during the Civil War. When outdated tactics meet modern weapons, it’s a massacre.
Generals were always fighting with the lessons learned from the last war. West Point had institutionalized battlefield tactics handed down from the effective tactics of the Napoleonic Wars. Such massing of men was necessary due to the inaccuracy of the musket used during that period. It fired a spherical round through a smooth bore barrel. Effective accuracy was about 100-yards. Beyond that it was a gamble if aimed fire would hit its intended target since there was no stabilizing spin on the ball. Hence, massed fire from soldiers packed close together was more of an effected use of such a weapon. The tactic was to closely approach the enemy, fire a volley or two, and then charge in with a high dependency on the bayonet.
However, by the time of the War Between the States, the miniè ball had been introduced into warfare. A conical shaped bullet, fired through a barrel that had spiral grooves (rifling) and provided a better seal to keep the expanding gas behind the round, improved the accuracy out to 300-400 yards. Unfortunately, the use of massed ranks learned from an earlier time was still in use. As the war progressed the belligerents realized that firing from a covered position such as walls, makeshift barriers, and trenches was a reaction to the more deadlier effect of the miniè ball.
1. It didn't have anything to do with honor. It had to do with command and control. How can I command and control my soldiers without radios? Tight formations allow me to get my large command in the same place at the same time. Because even trumpets and drums are hard to do if they aren't all together.
2. Line formations also allow me to change from a marching order to a fighting order, to skirmishing in a lot less time. If cavalry arrive, I can go into a square formation if needed.
3. In the 1840's the French went to war in Algeria. These were fought partially with Native troops of the region. This created the Zouaves, and in the 1850s and then 1860's the US went French crazy. It's why so many US and even Confederate units were Zouaves early in the war. This also explains the next point.
4. When people talk about Napoleonic tactics, they aren't talking about Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1810's. If that was the case, you would see attacking in columns and square formations with cavalry being used for breaking enemy lines. I think a Union regiment attacked in columns ONCE during the entire war.
The Napoleonic tactics we are talking about in the Civil War is based on Napoleon III tactics. This means that the battles of the Civil War aren't based off 1815, but 1845. This is why you see linear combat without columns attacking, you don't see shock use of cavalry. And even the Napoleon Cannon is named after Napoleon the III, not his uncle. While out of date, the tactics aren't as out of date as people think. And skirmishing and other tactics are more develops. This is why sharpshooter regiments are so important in these battles.
5. The drop off of a rifled musket was actually more than a musket. Aiming it you had to use the proper sights to get it to the mythical aiming from before. It could be more accurate, but when you crunch the numbers, it was only slightly more accurate. In fact, if you look at the numbers of the accuracy in combat of the Mexican American War it's very close to the rifled musket, and those were smoothbore. (About 0.82% vs 1.0%)
6. A good number of men in both militaries used smoothbore muskets from the start to the end of the war. Depending on their funding. Universal ammo never really got implemented.
William Harvey Carney received the Medal of Honor for saving the regimental colors (American flag) in the Battle of Fort Wagner. He got the medal 37 years later after the battle.
He retrieved the flag when the color sergeant was mortally wounded, took it to the top of fort and then held it until he was back in the union lines. He kept the colors from touching the ground saying to the other members of the 54th "Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground!".
He was severely injured and either made it back by himself, or was helped back during the withdraw. The citation for the medal states he received 2 severe wounds, but I have read some places he was shot more than 5 times in the chest leg and arms.
He died in 1908 at age 68.
You made me spit out my drink with “I thought his pants were down” 🤣
I liked when shaw was shot he said "he didn't let anyone know"
The Most saddest part In the American Civil War is when the soldier was wounded they were fine, and a day later/few days they died from Diseases (due the Amputation process and that medical equipment was still in the Early Ages of the Time back then). They were just helped and then went deceased
You should watch “RED TAILS” based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the WWII pilots who were the first black servicemen to fly combat missions for the US Army Air Forces. With Cuba Gooding jr and Terrance Howard. An important part of our history not often spoken about.
That was a terrible film, that deservedly bombed at the box office. Tuskegee Airman was much better. It did a better job telling the story of black pilots in WW2 despite having a much smaller budget. Red Tails is a great example about how it takes more then an inspiring story concept to make a good movie.
I appreciate watching you’re reaction. I first saw this way back in the 90s when it came out. I’m from Massachusetts and am very proud that the 54th was ours. We still honor them with a statue in front of our state house
This One made me sad bruh but the sacrifices they made are not forgotten
One of the most underrated movies ever. Such an emotional masterpiece.
"My dearest wife:
On this day, I can address you thank God as a free man. I had a little trouble getting away but, as the Lord lead the Children out of Israel to the Land of Canaan, so He lead me to a land where freedom will reign in spite of earth and hell. My dear, I trust the time will come when we meet again. And if we don't meet on earth, we will meet again in Heaven where Jesus reigns. Dear wife I must close. Rest yourself contented, for I am free. Your affectionate husband. Kiss Daniel for me". - John Boston.
This movie made a massive impact on me as a kid. You always hear about certain people in regards to the Civil War, never about others that helped, and lost lives during this era and during this insanely divided part of this nations history.
The best american civil war film; hands down.
Sorry but no. I really like this movie but the best one hands down is Gettysburg .
Lincoln starring Daniel Day Lewis was pretty decent.
Your forgetting gods and generals
To me it is because some of the Dialogue in this film was actually from Colonel Shaw personal memoirs.
What about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?
So glad somebody finally did this. My favorite movie of all time. The story of the 54th, the cast, the performances and the music are all just superb. A masterpiece in my opinion. The choir singing gives me chills every time I watch this. When the music peaks and falls off into one, single note just as the tear drops from Denzel ...... damn. One of the best scenes ever. Didn't expect Ferris Bueller to be convincing as Shaw, but he proved me wrong. All the performances were just amazing.
Also, great reaction ! One of the best I've seen. Well done.
Glad you did this one! I LOVE this movie, probably one of my top historical films of all time! Some movies I would like to see you watch:
'The Help'
'The Black Klansman'
'Inglorious Basterds'
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'
'The Breakfast Club'
'The Princess Bride'
Those are worse than bunions, those are blisters that broke and broke and broke to the point they're on the verge of septic infections. I once took a 35 mile walk from the Bronx to Ossining NY, and had bloody heels wearing "good shoes".
I'm been binging your content for the past few days. You have such a great grasp of emotional storytelling. When you said you wanted to be an actor, my first thought was 'He'd probably be great at it.'
So from one actor to another go for it.
Col. Robert Shaw was a distant relative of mine. We are both descended from William Traske (1585-1666), who is our most recent common ancestor, but we also share several more ancestors including Thomas Prence and his wife Patience Brewster, and Edmund Freemen and his wife Bennett Hodsoll. All were very early settlers to Massachusetts, and in fact Patience Brewster was the daughter of pilgrim William Brewster.
The thing is back then they almost never had stuff to knock the men out to perform surgery or what not so that part when the man was screaming they more than likely were cutting his leg off with no sedation or numbing medication.
Just whiskey if their lucky
@Mike Jordan - Yep; back then 'medicinal alcohol' was a real thing! And there are stories about troops beating to a pulp, almost, somebody who was caught slugging down some, just to get drunk - *especially* if it happened out 'in the field', where you or your buddy might really *need* it, if you had to face surgery!
They had large supplies of chloroform, which knocks you out, but it was not always available on the spot or at the point of need. Those lucky enough to have it before they sawed off your leg nevertheless had to endure the agony of recovery - if they even lived. There was laudnum for recovery pain, a derivative of opium, but it was very expensive and never in great supply. It was like heroin that you took by teaspoon dose like cough syrup with codeine.
I thought I would never experience anything more emotional than watching "Glory," but watching the rise and fall of YOUR emotions while watching "Glory" deeply touched me. Well done. There are those who want to erase history. This is not the problem. The problem is the history that has never been told.
The tactics were far behind the technology in the first half of that war. They believed that in order to take a position or gain the ground you had to mass your firepower and to do that you massed your men.
You see that a lot in war. Europe quickly learned that tactics from WW1 were outdated when the Germans used Blitzkrieg. The allies responded in a change of tactics after that. It always coincides with a leap in technology, too. For WW2 is was the tank that allowed those large and fast pushes.
I wonder what the next tech leap will be that changes modern tactics.
You guys act as if there had been some sort of alternative. You run with what ya brung. And commanders then always tried to gain positional advantage. The buildup to nearly every one of the multi-day battles back then were all about attempts to flank, dominate, and route, but once the cards are dealt, you either play or cede ground.
@@ahwhite2022 There was an alternative - Don't attack an entrenched fort for a political symbolic victory. There are certain battles you HAVE to undertake. This wasn't one of them.
@@Kosh800 Not just the tank. People forget being able to drop paratroopers behind enemy lines was a huge advancement as well.
The introduction of helicopter mobile units changed tactics massively as well.
The horrible tactics they showed were the tactics used in Napoleonic wars. Which was the tactics in fact used for the first half of the American Civil War. There were so many new technologies that they had, but didn't really understand the impact of. Rifling was still in its infancy, and ballistics barely understood, the minnie-ball ammunition was hardly beyond prototype, though obviously better. Up to that point, smooth-bore muskets with ball ammunition were the armament for rank-and-file soldiers. These were horribly inaccurate, unless you had had years to practice with your specific musket. Hence the 'stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder, and fire en mass' tactics. Maybe then you might hit something, in the general direction you aimed, maybe.
Comparatively, the Enfield and Springfield rifles were something you could learn to shoot accurately in a month, and as they comprehended this, tactics changed, dramatically. Skirmishing tactics became far more widespread and used extensively towards the end. Guerilla tactics also came more and more into play, as the war dragged on.
The American Civil War remains one of the most interesting case studies of how technology can change the understanding of how to fight so dramatically. Its also rather unique in that both sides had roughly equivalent technologies, and the main differences of the forces themselves were roughly comparable: Confederate forces were typically better trained, Union forces were typically better supplied. In the end, the sheer numbers of the Union forces were inexorable, thankfully.
Just watched this movie now as a 28 year old the amount of great actors I’ve noticed in this film which I never knew crossed paths blew me away I properly enjoyed this film, glad I found it from a class scene in fresh prince season 1 these older movies just hit so much better than a lot of modern movies
Best line ever, 'Give em Hell 54th'
Ed Zwick also did Last Samurai, which was one of the best directed movies I've ever seen.
My favorite war movie! So many tears!
Saw this when I was 10, I became a huge Civil War buff
40 years old, I've seen many movies, and one of the reasons I like watching your videos is to relive the experience of seeing some of these movies for the first time again.
With Glory, it was always in my top ten movies of all time. Fights Saving Private Ryan of top war movie. It is the first movie I can remember crying to.
Thank you Mello, keep up the great work.
Love this one... possibly the best Civil War movie of them all! Excellent choice.
I'll never forget showing this to my fiancée, her first time seeing it:
:Watch movie up to storming the beach to get to the fort:
:she pauses it:
"They are going to make it, right? They cannot have come all this way just for it to end here!"
:slowly turn my head to look her in the eye:
"Babe, its true-story, history, not a fairy tale."
:she bursts into sobbing tears:
Yeah, probably could have handled that better...
But that is what makes it a drama. Drama is meant to make you cry. It isn't easy to make you laugh but it is HARD to make you cry.