Almighty Glory

Not So Almighty Glory Glory takes a unique perspective on the triumphs and tribulations of Black men of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. This Civil War era, but non-slavery orientation film highlights a different aspect of the strength and resilience of Black people in the 19th century. While typically epic war films focus more on the violence and gore that war produces, Glory allows for the story of the individuals who were fighting for a cause in a meaningful tale. The film is both successful and enjoyable, but as well as slightly irksome. It fulfills its goals of being a tribute to the Black soldiers who fought in the 54th regiment, yet most of their stories are told mainly through the lens of their their White commanding officer.
This idea raises the question of: why was it not possible for Glory to be the experiences of Black troops as told by Black soldiers? Having the point-of-view shift from Shaw’s to Trip’s, Thomas’, or Rawlins’ would have allowed viewers to stray away from the one-dimensional idea that all Black people of the 19th century were unmotivated and complacent slaves. Though Glory’s intentions were to showcase the Black experiences of 54th regiment, but that ultimately failed once the experiences of the regime were shown primarily through White eyes. Even if the movie is from Shaw’s point-of-view to highlight his change of character from unfamiliarity to seeing himself as an equal with Black soldiers, there are other ways of portraying Shaw’s transformation without making him the star of the film.
Nonetheless, Glory remains a strong and inspiration film regardless of the lens that it is told through. With a gripping tale and powerful cinematic elements, such as a sound score that aids in one’s feelings in a particular scene and camera placement that makes one feel as if they are in the heap of war along with the 54th, Glory’s well-received response is not in