Such is the case with the Civil War film "Glory" (1989). The Civil War has been the subject of many films over the years, but "Glory" focuses on a little known fact about the Civil War. In 1863, a regiment of black soldiers was assembled, which at the time was completely unheard of. The 54th Massachusetts was comprised of primarily free blacks from throughout the North. Among its recruits were two sons of famed orator and ex-slave Frederick Douglass. They were led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, son of a prominent Boston abolitionist family.
We won't go into the history of the 54th Massachusetts here, as it's easily researched. Nor will we go into the actors' performances, although Denzel Washington deservedly received both a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe and Academy Award for his portrayal of Trip, an embittered runaway slave.
What we will discuss is the subject matter itself, and why it took a movie to make so many people aware of the 54th (and other regiments like it). Yes, everyone learns about the atrocities of slavery in school, and the way the Civil War pitted Americans against each other. But I certainly don't recall learning about the 54th in school. I don't remember learning about Sgt. William H. Carney, who in May 1900 became the first black man to win the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic actions he'd performed while a member of Company C of the 54th during their assault on Fort Wagner. It took a movie for me, and countless others, to learn these things. While I'm certainly happy to have been made aware of them, I wish they'd become part of the mainstream educational curriculum.
Ultimately, "Glory" handles a difficult subject extremely well and contrasts the brutality of war with the brutality of racial issues. "Glory" is also, at its heart, a story of respect. Throughout the movie, we see the characters seeking to earn the respect of others. Colonel Shaw wants the respect of his men, but he also wants the respect of those who didn't think a regiment of black soldiers were capable of being trained, let alone fighting. The men themselves seek that kind of respect as well - to be thought of as men, as soldiers. All the men in the 54th were interested in was doing their part and being seen as soldiers, no different from the thousands of other soldiers fighting on both sides. But they were seen as inferior, fit to do manual labor but unfit to fight. By the end of the movie, however, they've shown that there is absolutely nothing inferior about them. Finally, the movie seeks and earns the audience's respect, for introducing us to the 54th and reminding us that history comes in all colors and shouldn't be ignored or forgotten.
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