The Glory Movie Facts You Need To Know If You Are A Movie Buff

'Glory' is a period movie about the Civil War that was directed by Edward Zwick and released in 1989.

The movie boasted of a stellar cast of Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Cary Elwes. The movie was about the Second Battle at Fort Wagner where the 54th Infantry participated.

The Second Battle at Fort Wagner was a part of the American Civil War that took place on July 18, 1863. The Union Army launched an attack to take control of Fort Wagner on Morris Island in South Carolina that was held by the Confederates.

However, the attack by the Union Army was unsuccessful.

Regardless, the battle became famous as it was the first time that African-American men participated as soldiers in a battle. Their participation made them quite popular in the northern USA and more white people started to support the cause of abolition.

Keep scrolling for more interesting 'Glory' movie facts!

Story Behind The Glory Movie

The 'Glory' film was based on the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was the first Union army unit with African-American soldiers. Robert Gould Shaw was given command over the unit as he was from a significant abolitionist family in Boston.

Director Edward Zwick and writer Kevin Jarre were inspired by the events to make a film about the 54th Regiment and their brave deeds.

The regiment's attack on Fort Wagner proved that African-American soldiers could fight for their rights. It significantly changed the perception that white men had in the northern part of the USA. This also allowed for African-Americans to enlist in the army later on.

More than half of the African-American soldiers were killed in the battle. Approximately 116 men from the Regiment lost their lives. Sergeant William H. Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his brave acts in the Battle of Fort Wagner. He was the first African-American soldier to receive the medal.

Characters In The Glory Movie

The feature film 'Glory' is made up of some of the most iconic characters in a Civil War drama film. From the real-life Colonel Shaw to fictional characters like Private Trip and Sargeant Rawlins, the characters and the actors who played them made the movie one of the best movies based on the Civil War.

One of the central characters in the movie was the actual leader of the 54th Regiment Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who was played by actor Matthew Broderick. Incidentally, Broderick is related to Robert Shaw.

Although Shaw died at the end, his character was lauded for his understanding of the racism that the African-American men dealt with every day.

While he initially ordered Private Trip to be whipped for leaving the base, he soon confronted the racist base master for his unfair allocation of supplies.

He also supported black men when he saw that the African-Americans were being paid $3 less than the white men were. He also rallied the 54th Regiment to the battle but died in the Battle of Fort Wagner.

Denzel Washington won accolades for his portrayal of Private Silas Trip. Silas Trip was previously a slave who joined the 54th Infantry to fight in the war.

Silas Trip was an outspoken, confident man who did not shy away from fighting for his rights. He was mistakenly whipped because he left the base. However, it was later discovered that he went to buy proper shoes for the black soldiers as they were being deprived of appropriate military uniforms.

He was also the first soldier to tear up his $10 salary banknote as a protest against the unequal pay in the Union forces. He tore up his note as a sign of protest that African-Americans deserved the same wages.

Morgan Freeman played the role of Sargeant John Rawlins who was promoted by Shaw. After Shaw's death, Rawlins and Major Forbes went ahead with the attack. Freeman performed his own stunts for the movie. He also used his own experience in the U.S. Army to explain how men in the military would act.

Cary Elwes played the fictional character of Major Cabot Forbes who was chosen by Shaw as his second in the Regiment. Most of Elwes' scenes were cut from the movie.

In the end, after both Shaw and Trip died, Forbes and Rawlins went ahead with the attack. Actors like Bob Gunton and Andre Baugher were also a part of the movie.

Glory Movie Adaptations

The 'Glory' movie was adapted from an important event in American history to cinema by writer Kevin Jarre. He used different sources, such as letters and books, to write the movie as accurately as possible. Although he created some fictional characters to add more essence to the film, the events described had happened in real life.

The writer for the movie, Kevin Jarre, was first inspired to write about the Second Battle at Fort Wagner after he visited the monument to Shaw and the 54th Infantry in Boston. Once he saw the monument, he wanted to learn more about the historic battle and the black men who were a part of the Infantry.

He was also inspired to learn more about Robert Gould Shaw himself.

He also read Lincon Kirstein's book 'Lay This Laurel' for writing the movie. Another book that he used to write the movie was named 'One Gallant Rush' by Peter Burchard.

He also used the letters written by Robert Gould Shaw to his family during the war as source material to get accurate facts for the movie.

The movie relies on the personal narration of Robert Gould Shaw's letters to his family during the war. Different parts of the movie are punctuated with Matthew Broderick's voiceover to explain the events of the movie.

Awards Won By Glory

The movie 'Glory' was a critical success with critics appreciating the stunning cinematography of the film along with the way the sensitive subject matters of racism and war were dealt with. The movie received several award nominations and even won quite a few of them.

Denzel Washington received his first Academy Award for Supporting Actor for his role of Private Silas Trip in the movie 'Glory'. He also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role.

The NAACP Image Awards awarded 'Glory' with the Best Movie award and also gave Denzel Washington the Best Supporting Actor award. The movie also won a Grammy award for Best Sound Composition.

Freddie Francis won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and the movie also won the Academy Award for Best Sound. It was also nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing but did not win either.

At the Golden Globe Awards, 'Glory' was also nominated for the categories of Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director for Edward Zwick, and Best Screenplay for Kevin Jarre.

FAQs

How did the movie 'Glory' get its name?

The movie 'Glory' got its name from the account of soldier Robert John Simmons, and his quote about giving God glory through his brave acts, which was published in the Columbus Enquirer.

Is the movie 'Glory' based on a true story?

The movie 'Glory' is based on the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, a regiment with black soldiers who fought in the Civil War as a part of the Union Army. Even though the characters Silas Trip, Cabot Forbes, and John Rawlins were fictional, Colonel Robert Shaw was a real soldier who led the regiment.

How long is the movie 'Glory'?

The movie 'Glory' has a runtime of 2 hours and 2 minutes.

How accurate is the movie 'Glory'?

The movie 'Glory' is quite accurate even though it created some fictional characters for the sake of the story. Apart from that, the 'Glory' movie portrayed the historic events of the battle at Fort Wagner pretty accurately.

What year was the movie 'Glory' made?

The movie 'Glory' was released in the year 1989.

Who directed the movie 'Glory'?

Edward Zwick directed the movie 'Glory'.

How old is Robert Shaw at the beginning of the movie?

Colonel Robert Shaw was 25 years old at the beginning of the movie.

What was the southern proclamation in the movie 'Glory'?

The proclamation from the Confederates in response to the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all black soldiers found in uniform would be killed. The Confederacy also warned that African-American Union soldiers who were found in training would be executed along with their white officers.

What is the theme of the movie 'Glory'?

The theme of the movie 'Glory' was about the racism that black soldiers faced during a time when slavery still existed. The soldiers also got lesser pay than their white counterparts.

What is the message of the movie 'Glory'?

The message of the movie 'Glory' is to educate people about the brave soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment that consisted of African Americans who were the first to participate in the Civil War.

What happened at the end of 'Glory'?

At the end of the movie 'Glory', Colonel Shaw and Private Trip tried to break through the fort's defenses but were soon shot dead. The Confederate army raised their flag over the fort and Trip and Shaw were buried next to each other.

Does Fort Wagner still exist?

The actual land of Fort Wagner does not exist anymore as it was consumed by the Atlantic Ocean. However, the Civil War Trust took over some land in Morris Island and preserved it as an important historical site.