40: Glory (1989)

Before this war began, many of my regiment had never seen a Negro. Now the roads are choked with the dispossessed. We fight for men and women whose poetry is not yet written but which will presently be as enviable and renowned as any.

Col Robert Gould Shaw, Glory

FIRST TIME VIEWERS:  ALISA, ANDREW, JOE

Director Edward Zwick brings us this late 80’s look at the first black regiment enlisted to fight for the Union during the Civil War. Populated by a cast of incredible actors including Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes, the film includes a standout performance from Denzel Washington, who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role.

Does this 33 year-old film offer a perspective that holds up under the scrutiny of current understanding? Can Matthew Broderick effectively embody a character so charged with authority? Did people really use the term “secesh” for those who favored the Confederate cause? And is the ending of this story quite what we expected? Join the charge as we raise our Union flag and bravely march into our discussion of this story of the Civil War, race, bravery and emotion.

Click here to listen to Episode 40: Glory.

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