Robert Gould Shaw was the son of wealthy, Boston, abolitionist parents who became a commissioned officer in the Union Army in 1861. After being injured at the Battle of Antietam, he returned home briefly before being promoted to Colonel and placed in charge of the 54th Massachusetts, one of the first black units assembled to fight in the American Civil War. The 54th was made up of volunteers who were discriminated against because of their skin color. They received a lower pay wage than their white counterparts, less provisions and they were forced to do manual labor instead of doing what they were trained to do... fight. The 1989 Academy Award-winning film, Glory, offers a glimpse inside their story, and for the 35th anniversary, a new 4K steelbook is available for purchase.
Shaw (Matthew Broderick; Ferris Bueller's Day Off) finds himself in charge of untrained, somewhat uneducated, black volunteers who are to become the second black infantry unit in the Union Army. He makes his good friend, Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes; The Princess Bride) his second in command and brings in Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy (John Finn; Cold Case) to train his troops.
The volunteers include Trip (Denzel Washington; Fences) a former slave who has a chip on his shoulder, John Rawling (Morgan Freeman; The Shawshank Redemption), an older individual who keeps the others in line and Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher; Homicide: Life on the Street) as a freeman who has been a lifelong friend of Shaw's and Forbes'. As hard as they train, it becomes evident that they will never see battle until Shaw writes to President Lincoln. Still facing discrimination, the unit holds off Confederate troops at James Island, South Carolina, and finally earns the respect they deserve. Even though Shaw and half the unit died in their second battle at Fort Wagner, the 54th was instrumental in expanding colored Union troops that helped the North win the war.
Acclaimed as one of the best Civil War films of all time, Glory was nominated for five Oscars, winning three including Best Supporting Actor for Denzel Washington (one of 10 nominations and 2 wins for him to date). Broderick was also praised for his performance as was Freeman and all the accolades are well deserved. Cinematographer Freddie Francis (Cape Fear) brings the battlefield, the blood and gory front and center, and the original score by the Late James Horner (Titanic) is haunting and memorable.
Presented in Dolby Vision, Glory gets a slight uptick from the 30th anniversary 4K edition. Details are sharp and minimal grain is detected. The bayonets showcase incredible details and the color saturation is rich, especially from the Union blue uniforms.
The Dolby Atmos offers a nice compliment to the video but is the same track that was used on the release five years ago. The surround sound is solid and the dialogue is crisp for the most part but there isn't any upgrade from the previous edition.
The steelbook case has new cover art that is beautifully displayed although what is inside hasn't drastically changed. The set comes with the new 4K disc, the Blu-ray Disc, and a digital download. The extras are previously released and include the following: Picture in Picture Video Commentary in HD Resolution, Glory Theatrical Trailer, Audio Commentary with Director Edward Zwick, Virtual Civil War Battlefield, The Voices of Glory, The True Story Continues, Original Theatrical Making-Of Featurette, and Deleted Scenes.
Even though Glory still isn't a completely accurate depiction of Shaw or his troops during the Civil War, it has some great scenes and shots throughout. Director Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond) made an action-filled yet poignant movie that deserves to be celebrated.
Grade: B+
