Glory

Overall, I enjoyed the movie Glory.  I felt that it was interesting, well acted, engaging, and told a good story depicting a small part of the civil war.  I liked the plot; I enjoy watching war movies, they are my favorites.  I thought that the story was well developed, however, I sometimes found it a little hard to follow at times.  I got confused with many of the characters multiple times, and never really even remembered most of the characters' names.  But besides that, the message of the movie was wonderful. It shows hope and inspiration and a tremendous amount of courage; it shows to people what courage really looks like. Although it has been almost 200 years since the time this movie took place, it shows the root of a huge issue that would be a problem in our society even to this day, which is racism.  The way that the black soldiers were treated compared to the white soldiers was shocking.  I always knew that things like that were going on in our society a long time ago, and even today, however, I tend to turn a blind eye to it, and not really address the issue unless it is forced upon me.   That's what this movie does.  It forces you to think about the issue of racism in our country, a large root of the civil war, where people in our country were fighting and killing each other, because of the color of a person's skin.  And it shows what true courage is, and how all people, no matter your race, can be courageous, brave, and admirable.

I believe that people are willing to die for their country to prove a point.  In the civil war, many African Americans were so eager to become soldiers and volunteer to die for their country just in the hope that others might realize that they are people too, and deserve to be treated with the same respect.  Or maybe it is to prove a point that the country that you are fighting for is the strongest, the best, the greatest.  It could be out of simple love for your country, and wanting to protect the legacy of it and the people who live there.  I believe many people also wish to prove their bravery and courage by going to war; showing people that they can be heroes.  I do believe that the men of the 54th Massachusetts were heroes.  Being the first all black infantry would set a precedent for the rest of time.  They were the first African Americans to risk their lives for their country, knowing full well that they would be treated disrespectfully in the process, and they went out and proudly fought and died for their country anyway. I also believe that Shaw is a hero, being the commander of the first all black infantry.  He knew what stakes and prices would come with such a position, and he took it anyway, and proudly led his men into battle as equals to anyone else fighting for their country.  He died in battle with his men.

This story, about the 54th Massachusetts and its leadership at Fort Wagner, is significant to our society today.  While this may not have been significant at the time, seeing as it was a bloody, losing battle with many casualties, today it is seen as a turning point.  People recognized that African Americans could fight, and fight valiantly and bravely.  They realized that African Americans are people, so to speak.  It set a precedent, and proved a point to the entire country.  This is a story truly about courage and bravery.  While it is within a time in our country that we are not proud of, there is a shining moment within it, which this movie beautifully depicts.