The 1989 movie, Glory, is an American war movie based on the personal letters of Colonel Robert Shaw during the Civil War. During this war the country was divided into the Union and the Confederacy due to different views about slavery. Throughout this time period, it was very difficult for whites and blacks to coexist even though some African Americans, like Thomas, were actually free. This is holds true in the military as well. After returning from battle Robert Shaw is asked to be the Colonel of the first negro regiment. Upon first hearing this Robert seems a little shocked and not exactly sure how to react. After talking to his friend, Forbes, it is easy to understand his apprehension. In the world that they were living in, it seemed ridiculous to the military men that there would be black soldiers. At first, Forbes doesn’t even want to accept his friends invitation to accompany him in leading the men. Once the troops are assembled, it is obvious that the men are extremely eager to be in battle and fight for their own freedom. It also becomes obvious that the men will most likely never see battle. Throughout the high standing military officers it is hard to find one that believes in what Robert and the men are doing. They view the troops as a joke even though they may be the most passionate soldiers the military could find at the time. The men are denied essential items such as shoes and are forced to march with blistered feet. It is not until the Colonel goes and demands the items himself that they finally receive proper articles of clothing. This holds true for the uniforms as well. The men were training, sleeping, and living in their regular clothes instead of having proper uniforms. Throughout the movie you can see the struggle that the military men have with dealing with the colored troops from how to treat them, to how to train them. When Private Trip (Denzel Washington) is found “deserting” Robert and the other officers are not sure how to handle the punishment. Though the usual punishment would be to be flogged, they were not sure if that would be appropriate because the private was an ex-slave that had been whipped mercilessly countless times before. They are also unsure how to train them since in the beginning they are sure that the men will never see battle. During this time the entire world was dealing with diversity and how to handle it in everyday lives. The same goes for the people in the military. Though the colored regiment was eager and ready to fight they were laughed at by the higher officials, denied essential items, and experienced difficulty with discipline and training due to differences in color and the beliefs of society.

Citations:

Glory. Perf. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman. TriStar Pictures, 1989. Film.
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