While every war or military skirmish has its share of compelling figures and amazing stories, few match the American Civil War in both subjects. Of course, any civil war brings along its own share of added conflict since they often involve neighbors, relatives and family members fighting one another in their own backyards. They also usually result in much higher domestic casualties and deaths than "standard" wars (since both sides are the "enemy") and often have chapters and historical figures that are buried, forgotten or simply overlooked by the presence of more prominent ones and/or the passage of time.
In regards to the American Civil War, most everyone remembers or has heard of Lee, Sherman and obviously President Lincoln, and knows that the rural South seceded from the Union and battled the more industrialized North over many issues, most notably slavery.
What most didn't know, however, until the release of the film, "Glory," was that various slaves and both freed and free black men fought with the Union against the Confederacy. Now, that 1989, 3-time Oscar winning film arrives on DVD in a splendid 2-disc set, ready to retell that story.
Impressively mounted and executed by director Edward Zwick ("Courage Under Fire," "Legends of the Fall"), the film is a compelling and engrossing historical tale -- of the integrated 54th Massachusetts Infantry -- that's superb in most every way imaginable. Based on the letters of Robert Gould Shaw, screenwriter Kevin Jarre's ("The Mummy," "The Devil's Own") script is not only a great historical drama as far as war films are concerned, but is also a deeply moving examination of the social and human experience related to that conflict.
Much of that stems from the impeccable cast and the performances they deliver. While some initially had reservations about Matthew Broderick playing the film's lead - after all, he was the star of "War Games" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" up to that point - he turned out to be a great choice for the part.
The real standouts, however, are Morgan Freeman ("Nurse Betty," "Kiss the Girls"), Andre Braugher ("Duets," "City of Angels") and Denzel Washington ("Remember the Titans," "The Hurricane") - the latter of whom won an Oscar for his performance - as several black men who fought for various reasons in the war. The performances are all different but incredibly strong, with each performer bringing a tremendous amount of dignity and compassion to their characters.
Equally as impressive as Zwick's direction and Jarre's script, the production team's efforts here are top-notch, especially regarding their re-creation of the Civil War era and the various battles therein. Although later films such as "Saving Private Ryan" eventually outdid this one as far as realistically displaying the horrors of war, the ones on display here are still quite horrific and incredibly gripping in their own right.
While "Gone With the Wind" may be considered the greatest film set during the Civil War, "Glory" is certainly the best regarding the war itself. Featuring a moving story, first-rated production values, great direction and terrific performances - not to mention composer James Horner's incredible score - this is one heck of a film. I've seen it many times, and still enjoy and find myself moved by it every time. I highly recommend it.
The same holds true for the disc itself. While some of the film's more dimly lit scenes aren't outstanding from a visual standpoint (they have a bit of a muddy/grainy look), the audio is terrific as are the many supplemental features about the film and the true story.
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