Racial Issues in "Glory"

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the film "Glory" directed by Edward Zwick. Specifically, it discusses the ideological message of the film using formalist analysis supported by research on the film and its filmmaker. The writer proposes that race seems to be the only issue in Edward Zwick's classic film "Glory". The paper examines the film's depiction of the racial tension that exists in the army unit, in the other fighting units, and in the nation as a whole. The paper concludes that the film graphically illustrates those tensions for the viewer, and indicates a country torn not only by war, but also by racial prejudice and stereotypes.

From the Paper:

"Many scenes throughout the film indicate the tensions between blacks and whites. It is quite clear not only the Confederates hate blacks. Many of the white soldiers and officers also dislike the African Americans, and do not want to work with them. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick, has to convince his friend to lead the regiment with him, and there are scenes of the black soldiers marching through Boston to the jeers of the crowds and other soldiers. One graphic scene during the men's training shows how the Irish Sergeant Major holds the new recruits in contempt. He calls them monkeys and animals, and treats them just the same. He is vulgar and prejudiced, and it takes a reprimand from Shaw to calm him just a little. Much of the U.S. population at the time held the same ideas as the Sergeant Major, and so, simply because of their race, blacks were seen as not trainable, animalistic, and dimwitted."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Author not Available. "Clouds of Glory; Can Great Cinema be Good History?" The Economist, Vol. 314, Num. 7639. 20 Jan. 1990. 103-104.
• Editors. "Edward Zwick Biography." Yahoo.com. 2006. 20 July 2006.< http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800012192/bio >
• Glory. dir. Edward Zwick. perf. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. Tri-Star Pictures, 1989.
• Holsinger, M. Paul, et al. "6 The Civil War." War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Ed. M. Paul Holsinger. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 74-147.
• LoBrutto, Vincent. By Design: Interviews with Film Production Designers. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1992.

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