Glory [Blu-ray] [1990] [Region A & B & C]

This Region 2 DVD is great: affordable and neat, no extra features though - the way I describe it is the VHS picture onto a DVD but it's a legit DVD version. I am not knocking it for it's cheaper than a cinema ticket, and compared to the dross in the last 2 years, the film is still a moving tale where the 54th Mass. overcome adversity and prove themselves to be accepted as equals rather than being looked down or pandered to (something modern political movements may want to learn about) in the American Civil War era. The moving soundtrack from James Horner and the depictions from Denzel Washingtons and Morgan Freeman with Matthew Broderick and Carys Elwes as the officers is like icing on a cake. Definitely worth a watch.

In so many ways, this film captures the gritty truth of black soldiers who took up arms for the North. The acting is superb, the script is inspired, and the realism excellent.A friend of mine was in the film and participated in the charge along the beach. He remarked that they didn't warn the re-enactors that they would be very close to the explosives. He said that it was scary.

A moving tribute to the 54th Massachusetts regiment which fought with great distinction in the American Civil War which culminates in the failed assault on Fort Wagner. Stirring performances from all before the camera and a literate script deliver a film deserved to be seen by all. I do wonder if there is the possibility of a scene which is in the script but not in the released film being brought to light where Shaw makes a fool of himself at a dance.

A superb historical drama/war film. Yes it has some clichés in it but it's also a moving and historically important piece telling a crucial chapter in American history. Our characters are rich, diverse and grow to share and strong bond, there is also some fine character development, especially for Denzel Washington's character.The blu ray is a good looking transfer, the colours don't knock you out like some modern releases, things are more muted with lots of dark blues, browns and sandy colours, it does give a natural realistic feel though.The soundtrack is suitably dramatic. Morgan Freeman gives a performance of his usual high standard playing another wise steady character he's so well known for, The film touches on themes of Idealism v reality, discrimination, friendship and overcoming limitations. It's also rather slow paced, I'm still not quite sure about Matthew Broderick though, unsure he was suited to military roles.

Civil war drama. The film is full of realistic battle scenes with gruesome detail. It is also rich in period detail with a moving score by James Horner. The film has no problems at all and is not too long at 2 hours. The plot follows the true story of Colonel Shaw and his command of an African American Unit during The U. S. Civil War of the 1860s.

Although somewhat inaccurate, Edward Zwick's film has a good sense of historical truth to it and makes you feel as though you are actually in the Civil War era. The characters despite many of them being fictional are relatable and believable. Denzel Washington who plays the slave turned soldier, Trip and Morgan Freeman who is perfect for the role of the wise mentor character, Sergeant Major Rawlins obviously steal the spotlight. Matthew Broderick however does do a spectacular job of depicting the naive but dedicated young Colonel of the 54th, Robert Gould Shaw. There are a lot of complaints about Broderick's role in the film but I cannot think of an actor at the time who could have done a better job of portraying the 'boy Colonel' than he did.While there are significantly less battle scenes when compared to other Civil War films such as Gettysburg, the film focuses very much on character development. The four principal black soldiers have to accept each other’s different walks in life while Colonel Shaw learns to respect the abilities of his men as well as confronting injustice when it rears its ugly head. Your emotions for the characters throughout the story will often vary, while you may be congratulating Shaw one minute for taking up the leadership of the 54th, you will feel anger when he looks at Private Trip in the eye (who had already suffered at the hands of his former master) as he is flogged upon the wheel. The battle scenes though few and far between are excellent examples of great cinematography and required many reenactors to pull them off. When the inevitable arrives and Colonel Shaw leads his men on the suicidal charge of Fort Wagner, you can only watch in horror as the characters you knew and loved are gunned down. The film actually ends on a somewhat positive note, although this can be hard to see as the young Colonel and his men are buried in a pit. This great sacrifice of Shaw and his brave black men ultimately paved the way for black enlistment which in the long term, would help the Union to triumph over the Confederates.There are a few nitpicks which I have to mention, the first and most glaring one is how quickly Captain Shaw takes to accept the 54th’s leadership when in reality he refused at first, pondering whether or not he should take part in a task that would most likely result in his demise. Ironically Cary Elwes’ character, who is partly based on Edward Needles Hallowell, a dedicated abolitionist is the one displaying the most reluctance here. Also the film implies that the whole regiment was wiped out at Fort Wagner when in reality the 54th, now led by Colonel Hallowell would fight again in many future battles such as Olustee. The Fort contrary to what was stated in the film was taken soon after the battle (the rebels abandoned the area when the decomposing bodies of the 54th contaminated the water supplies). Finally the 54th is depicted as consisting of mostly slaves when most of its members were actually freemen of the North, although I think the film made it this way so all black regiments would be represented.Overall this film is a gem, and any enthusiast of the Civil War or of black history should definitely have this on their shelf. Despite Glory being just a little more accurate than Braveheart the film depicts likeable characters and the struggles they have to face, spectacular battle scenes and an unforgettable soundtrack which helps to create tension and atmosphere throughout the story. Although some may understandably have problems with this film, the impact at the time of it's release and how we rethought the role of the black race in the Civil War cannot be denied.

So I ordered the Blu-Ray disc 'Glory' & I received a message saying it would be delivered on Sunday,13th September but in fact it was delivered a day earlier which I thought was excellent service. There are two discs inside the cover, why I have no idea but it didn't really matter because neither of them would play. A total waste of money!Unfortunately I don't have a printer so I cannot send the item back. In fact the best place for this Blu-Ray disc in in the Recycle Bin. Very disappointed!

I often don’t rewatch old movies because they simply feel too dated - for example the CGI is off. However, not so with this film. It comes across crisp with a great storyline, plenty of actions and doesn’t jar due to dated CGI. Well worth a watch.