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Glory

1989 2h 2m
Drama History War
MOVIEVIBE Rating
7.5/10
1,867 reviews
Your Rating
Glory

Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

"Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives."

Top Billed Cast

Matthew Broderick
Matthew Broderick
Col. Robert Gould Shaw
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Pvt. Trip
Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Maj. Cabot Forbes
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
Jihmi Kennedy
Jihmi Kennedy
Pvt. Jupiter Sharts
Andre Braugher
Andre Braugher
Cpl. Thomas Searles
John Finn
John Finn
Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy
Donovan Leitch
Donovan Leitch
Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

J John Chard Verified TMDB Critic
2019-02-05

And there wouldn't be nothing but rebs dyin if they'd let the fifty-fourth in it.

Based around the actual letters sent by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw to his parents, this Civil War picture tells the story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, the first black regiment to fight under the American flag. Led by their white leader (Shaw), they must overcome bigotry, in fighting and the war itself, and this just to feel like men of honour.

The most striking thing about Glory is that it is never over sentimental. With the subject to hand it would have been easy for the makers to over egg the puddin...

F Filipe Manuel Neto Verified TMDB Critic
2023-07-20

**An excellent film that deserves to be revisited and brought back from oblivion.**

For me, as a historian, this film couldn't be more interesting. It's not your average war movie, with soldiers running and shooting, and heroism spilling over from bloody deaths. It is much sharper and deeper because it talks about a topic that is treated with excessive ease when talking about the American Civil War: racism. And it's a shame that it's another relatively forgotten film these days.

Really, if we think about it and are faithful to the mentality of the time, it cannot be said that the Civil W...

C CinemaSerf Verified TMDB Critic
2025-03-22

Based on historical fact and on letters written to his parents by Col. Robert Gould Shaw, this dramatises the creation of the first all-black regiment in the Union army that fought in the US Civil War. It was created as the Confederacy looked dominant and there was an element of desperation, rather than because the army had great faith in this new squad, but the newly promoted Shaw had faith in these men. What now ensues illustrates that their foes were not just those wearing grey uniforms, but that their own side was fairly sceptical as to their effectiveness. Indeed, one of the first tasks f...

K kevin2019 Verified TMDB Critic
2025-11-21

"Glory" is an extremely important film and you can only hope it is historically accurate. It ought to be with the wealth of material widely available and historians knowlegable in the period being called upon to advise, assist and guide the production. They have contributed to putting a tremendous film on screen which looks suitably authentic and the battle scenes once more reaffirm how futile war always is, especially when you look across sand dunes absolutely littered with the broken corpses of dead soldiers. The price they are prepared to pay on our behalf should deeply humble each one of u...