Glory (1989 film)

• 1. The Monument That Sparked A Film

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  Kevin Jarre stood in Room 421 of the Gramercy Park Hotel during a few weeks in 1988. He wrote the screenplay for Glory on spec while staring at the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common. The bronze monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens depicted Colonel Shaw and his Black regiment riding together into battle. Jarre had been a Civil War enthusiast since childhood but this specific statue ignited his desire to tell their story. Lincoln Kirstein first approached Lloyd Fonvielle to write the script before introducing Jarre to the project. Fonvielle became tied up with another assignment leaving Jarre to work alone. The writer drew inspiration from Peter Burchard's One Gallant Rush published in 1965 and Lincoln Kirstein's Lay This Laurel released in 1973. He also studied personal letters written by Robert Gould Shaw himself. These documents provided the foundation for the narrative that would eventually reach theaters.

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• 2. A Production Struggling For Control

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  Freddie Fields Productions produced the film while Tri-Star Pictures distributed it across the United States. Director Edward Zwick took over after Bruce Beresford left the project following David Puttnam's departure from Columbia Pictures. Filming occurred primarily in Massachusetts and Georgia between late 1989 and early 1990. The climactic assault on Fort Wagner took place on the beaches of Jekyll Island in Georgia. Scenes meant to show the Battle of Antietam featured volunteer reenactors at Gettysburg Battlefield. The production team filmed sequences depicting the Battle of Grimball's Landing at Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park. On the 16th of February 1989 a middle-aged man was found dead on the set near Savannah. His body showed no signs of violence yet he remained unidentified. Actor Morgan Freeman later noted that the crew wanted to avoid making this just another white hero story. They aimed to center the experience on the men of the 54th Regiment rather than Colonel Shaw alone. Shelby Foote served as technical adviser during the shoot before becoming famous for Ken Burns' documentary series.

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• 3. Oscars And Box Office Returns

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  Glory premiered in limited release on the 15th of December 1989 and expanded to wide release on the 16th of February 1990. The film grossed $27 million worldwide against an $18 million budget. It earned a domestic total of $26,828,365 over seventeen weeks in theaters. Critics gave the movie strong reviews with Rotten Tomatoes showing a 95% approval rating from sixty critics. Metacritic assigned it a score of 78 out of 100 based on twenty-two reviews. CinemaScore audiences polled gave the picture an average grade of A. Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor along with a Golden Globe win. The film received five Oscar nominations including categories for Art Direction and Cinematography. Freddie Francis earned a BAFTA nomination for his work behind the camera. Additional honors came from the Kansas City Film Critics Circle and the Political Film Society. The NAACP Image Awards also recognized the production for its outstanding motion picture and supporting actor performance.

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• 4. History Versus Hollywood Drama

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  The screenplay took creative liberties that diverged from verified historical records regarding the regiment's actual experiences. None of the soldiers portrayed except Shaw were real people though two sons of Frederick Douglass served in the unit. Lewis Douglass became Sergeant Major while another son remained unnamed in the film. The movie shows significant numbers of former slaves joining the ranks but most recruits were actually freedmen living in Northern states. Some men arrived from Canada or the West Indies rather than being enslaved individuals. The film depicts a soldier receiving a flogging yet such punishment was not permitted within the Union army. No record exists of any Black soldier being whipped during their service. The narrative suggests Shaw tore up his pay stub to protest unequal wages but he only protested to his father and governor without taking that specific action. The 54th did not struggle with equipment issues as shown since they received full supplies from the start due to Massachusetts support. The final battle scene shows troops attacking southward when history records them moving north toward Fort Wagner.

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• 5. A Legacy Preserved In Time

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  In 2025 the Library of Congress selected Glory for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. This decision recognized the work as culturally historically or aesthetically significant to American heritage. The film has become part of common curriculum in U.S. history classes across the nation according to retrospective reviews. A special repackaged version appeared on DVD on the 2nd of January 2007 featuring two discs with commentary tracks and documentaries. The Blu-ray edition released the 2nd of June 2009 included interactive maps and virtual civil war battlefield features. On the 1st of July 2008 a UMD version launched for the Sony PlayStation Portable offering color widescreen viewing options. Director Ed Zwick reflected thirty years later on how the movie avoided white savior narratives while honoring shared sacrifice. James M. McPherson noted the film sensitized many Black students to their ancestors' role in winning freedom during the Civil War. The soundtrack by James Horner won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or Television. The original motion picture soundtrack arrived via Virgin Records on the 11th of January 1990.

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