Glory

Edward Zwick, USA, 1989, 122 minutes

The story of the first black fighting unit in the American Civil War, Glory is an important film for more than just cinematic reasons - it is a tale that needed to be told - but that is not to say that the film itself is lacking in quality. Indeed, although it is a bit slow to stan off with (and although Matthew Broderick never really convinces as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw) the film soon picks up speed, and fairly races to its stunning conclusion. The best performances come from Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington (who is, in particular, quite wonderful), but it is the battle sequences that really steal the show, and had this reviewer quite literallysitting on the edge of his seat. An ambitious and impressive film, Glory reaches heights other films can only dream of.

Review by Malcolm Maclaren
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94