Even though Denzel Washington has been in the film business since the 1970s, it was the war film “Glory” at the end of the 80s that was to make him an Oscar winner and thus also a superstar. The highlight is only available for a short time on Netflix.
Denzel Washington (“Malcolm X”) is one of the greatest actors ever. With hard-hitting revenge action (“The Equalizer” trilogy), black-cinema milestones (“Mo’ Better Blues”), touching dramas (“Fences”) and gripping thrillers (“Unstoppable”), the superstar’s oeuvre is marked by plenty of varied as well as high-class cinema fare. Washington’s big breakthrough, however, came with a historical film in 1989.
For his haunting performance in “Glory” by “Blood Diamond” director Edward Zwick, the then 35-year-old Washington received the first Oscar of his career (the second came twelve years later for “Training Day”) and immediately rose to become one of the most sought-after actors in the dream factory. You haven’t seen the visually stunning war film yet, but now you really want to catch up? That’s currently possible at Netflix, but only for a short time: In the subscription of the streaming service, “Glory” is still available up to and including August 31, 2023.
THAT’S WHAT “GLORY “
IS ABOUT.
There is a belief among the general population, and especially in the Army, that whites are better soldiers and African Americans are only good for work. Even the Union Army of the Northern States is far from liberal in its attitude toward black residents*. In this situation, the up-and-coming Northern officer Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is given the task of building up the 54th Infantry Regiment from African Americans.
For Shaw, who vehemently supports the equality of blacks, the assignment means an honor. But he must first break resistance among his Army colleagues, because the regiment is to become a working unit. Shaw, however, wants to prove that African Americans can fight just as well as whites. Despite external and internal opposition – escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington) is opposed to fighting in the service of whites – Shaw manages to lead his troops into battle.
POWERFUL THROUGH AND THROUGH
Although “Glory” is somewhat forgotten today, it is immensely worthwhile to rediscover the war film. Edward Zwick, who would later prove himself as an outstanding craftsman a few more times with “Legends of Passion”, “Last Samurai” or even “Blood Diamond”, already delivered proof with “Glory” that he has a knack for visually stunning visual experience. His civil war scenario shines with an impressively outfitted equipment frenzy that makes for plenty of powerful images.
The real highlight of “Glory,” however, is the actors. While Matthew Broderick in the lead role can still be waved through as a sympathetic miscast, Denzel Washington is the sensation of the film. One scene in particular, in which he is whipped by his superiors and a lonely tear trickles down his cheek, always gets under your skin. In the end, it was precisely this scene that probably contributed decisively to the Oscar win. Also damn strong: Morgan Freeman as a wise authority within the battalion.
For us, “Glory” is one of the best war films of all time. In the corresponding FILMSTARTS ranking, Edward Zwick’s epic was able to secure a strong 26th place. Even beyond that, the work enjoys the highest recognition, as a look at the reviews aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes proves. The proportion of positive reviews here is an outstanding 95 percent. So if you haven’t seen “Glory” yet, you should definitely catch up on it. You won’t regret it.
