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I've seen Glory many times over the years, including two or three times in various history classes growing up, and always felt it told a really compelling story with some top notch performances. Granted, it tells that story from the wrong perspective, but it remains a very worthwhile film and one that I voted for at #3.
Here's what I wrote about it when I rewatched it in 2018:
Glory (Edward Zick, 1989)
Imdb
Date Watched: 02/13/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 15th Hall of Fame, Nominated by SilentVamp
Rewatch: Yes
With its top-notch performances and moving story, Glory is a film I've long admired. But every time I watch it, I'm reminded of why each viewing has been so far apart: the carnage. The battle scenes are incredibly intense and it's a really tough watch, but a rewarding one as well.
The characters are what really make this movie and each of the major players is perfectly cast. Matthew Broderick, an actor I'm usually indifferent to, is wonderful as the idealistic and inexperienced young colonel who goes from being unsure of himself to being a leader to be admired. Morgan Freeman is, well... Morgan Freeman, and turns in a solid performance playing an older man who is respected by the others. Carey Elwes is very good as the second in command who struggles to balance his loyalties to his friends and his responsibilities as an officer. And then there's Denzel Washington in his well-deserved Oscar winning role, playing an escaped slave who - understandably - views the people around him with contempt but slowly learns to respect the other men.
On the more technical side of things, the film is beautifully shot and if it weren't for my long-standing familiarity with the film and with some of its actors, I might be surprised to find that it's almost 30 years old. But the movie is far from perfect. One major gripe I have with the film is the score. The music is rousing and effective, but it's also often overbearing and I really wish it would've been toned down.
The other big complaint I have is with the movie's perspective. While there's no denying that Colonel Shaw was an important figure in the 54th Regiment, this isn't a story that should've been told through the eyes of a white man. But such as it is, Glory is still a very moving film and my admiration for it remains intact.
+
I don't think I've seen Rome, Open City. Of the last few days worth of reveals, I've only seen Last of the Mohicans, which I barely remember, and Grand Illusion, which I didn't care for.
My Ballot:
1. Waltz With Bashir (#45)
3. Glory (#38)
6. Tropic Thunder (#84)
7. Jojo Rabbit (#57)
10. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (#53)
12. Hotel Rwanda (#91)
13. The General (#64)
25. In the Army Now (One Pointer)
Here's what I wrote about it when I rewatched it in 2018:
Glory (Edward Zick, 1989)
Imdb
Date Watched: 02/13/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 15th Hall of Fame, Nominated by SilentVamp
Rewatch: Yes
With its top-notch performances and moving story, Glory is a film I've long admired. But every time I watch it, I'm reminded of why each viewing has been so far apart: the carnage. The battle scenes are incredibly intense and it's a really tough watch, but a rewarding one as well.
The characters are what really make this movie and each of the major players is perfectly cast. Matthew Broderick, an actor I'm usually indifferent to, is wonderful as the idealistic and inexperienced young colonel who goes from being unsure of himself to being a leader to be admired. Morgan Freeman is, well... Morgan Freeman, and turns in a solid performance playing an older man who is respected by the others. Carey Elwes is very good as the second in command who struggles to balance his loyalties to his friends and his responsibilities as an officer. And then there's Denzel Washington in his well-deserved Oscar winning role, playing an escaped slave who - understandably - views the people around him with contempt but slowly learns to respect the other men.
On the more technical side of things, the film is beautifully shot and if it weren't for my long-standing familiarity with the film and with some of its actors, I might be surprised to find that it's almost 30 years old. But the movie is far from perfect. One major gripe I have with the film is the score. The music is rousing and effective, but it's also often overbearing and I really wish it would've been toned down.
The other big complaint I have is with the movie's perspective. While there's no denying that Colonel Shaw was an important figure in the 54th Regiment, this isn't a story that should've been told through the eyes of a white man. But such as it is, Glory is still a very moving film and my admiration for it remains intact.
+
My Ballot:
1. Waltz With Bashir (#45)
3. Glory (#38)
6. Tropic Thunder (#84)
7. Jojo Rabbit (#57)
10. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (#53)
12. Hotel Rwanda (#91)
13. The General (#64)
25. In the Army Now (One Pointer)
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