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The 1985 Soviet film "Come And See" is a powerful movie covering what the horrors of the Eastern Front of the Second World War was like for the civilian militias who fought against the Nazis; it's a great film, damn powerful though.
The director of this film also directed the Last Samurai. I like that both films involve a commanding officer firing a revolver around a desperately reloading infantryman to prove an important point about the stress of battle. :)
The last shot of Trip being tossed into the mass grave next to Robert is the most powerful message of the movie. Despite all differences, we are all equal in death. Such a good movie.
This is one of those movies where every time there's a reaction, I literally HAVE to watch it, because more people need to see this underrated CLASSIC! Launched a lot of black actor's careers in a big way. Denzel Washington (Trip), Andre Braugher (Thomas), and Morgan Freeman (Rawlins) were not the household names we know them as today, because this was among some of their first and most memorable roles. It put all of them on the map in a huge way, and we've been reaping the benfits of their dramatic experience ever since! Solid performances by all! GIVE EM HELL, 54th!!!!!
IIRC, it was Braughers first onscreen role. He'd only done theatre until that point. He credited Denzel with teaching him how to change his acting for the camera. How to hit marks, avoid looking into the camera, the style as it differs from theatre.
I respectfully disagree with this launching the career of Freeman, especially knowing he was also in Driving Miss Daisy that same year and most of the buzz he was getting at that time was from that movie during Oscar time. The movie that made him the star, in my opinion, was Lean On Me (a cult classic), which also came out that same year and till this day there will be a lot of people that will say his role as Joe Clark, is his most famous one. For Denzel, the movie that put him on the map was Cry Freedom so a very small disagreement there, but him winning the Oscar for his role in Glory, put him on the A list for sure, because Denzel was everywhere after that and hasn't looked back.
"Shaw's body was stripped and tossed into a mass grave with 70 Black soldiers who fell at Fort Wagner. Burying Shaw with the men of the 54th was intended to be an insult to him and his loved ones, but the family instead asked that his remains stay with those of his men."
Great reaction! 32:39 When Col. Shaw is looking off towards the Ocean, he's coming to terms with the fact that he's going to die in the upcoming assault. He was excising the remainder of his fears from Antietam, casting them away and preparing to lead his Regiment.
Morgan Freeman’s character wasn’t practicing in the rain, he was doing something called watch. Someone always has to be awake in the military so the others can sleep. What makes that scene so poignant is that he is only armed with a broom and not a firearm as he’s suppose to be, bc the regiment wasn’t taken seriously by other army officials.
@@MaskHysteria it does very much look like a polearm of some sort, but I think it's his shovel. He was a gravedigger, it's likely his only personal possession, and you can even see it sitting in their tent.
Two of Fredrick Douglass' sons joined the 54th. One of them was promoted to Sgt. Major, the same rank the Morgan Freeman's character was promoted to in the movie.
Sergeant Major Lewis Douglass 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Colored Infantry Regiment. First Sergeant Charles Redmond Douglass transferred to the 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Colored Cavalry Regiment.
Very true... I guess they wanted a gravedigger to fill that part. Sergeant Major was not a rare military rank back then. Also colonels and even generals during that period would most likely lead from the front. There are many examples of Brigadier Generals, Colonels, Lt. Colonels and Majors leading regiments and being killed during the Civil War. It was not uncommon.
@@Smenkhaare General Strong also charged Fort Wagner and was killed. I'm amazed how high ranking officers back then would sacrifice their lives with their men.
@@fz7091 Thanks. It is what marked warfare up to the Civil War era. Colonels would lead their regiments from the front. Brigadier generals would often go in front or not far behind with their brigades. Major generals tended to stay out of the fighting. The sniper who shot Major General Reynolds at Gettysburg got a chance kill. It was very different back then. Major Generals on up are immune to fire these days. Brigadier Generals are generally safe and they actively discourage full bird colonels from getting stuck in at the pointy end of things. They are supposed to stay alive to give orders. General Strong was said to be so distraught about his brigade that he rushed in with the follow on regiment during the third charge, was wounded and died later due to sepsis.
There is a monument dedicated to the 54th Massachusetts across from the state house in Boston. It is right at the opening to the Boston Common. The confederates thought that burying Robert with his men would be an insult. His family said they could not think of a better honor guard for their son, then the men he fought and died with!
Correct on both points- good job! Sergeant William Carney won the Medal of Honor for gallantry in saving the regimental colors during the assault of Battery Wagner.
i'am in MA and during the mostly peaceful riots Antifa and BLM tried to destroy the monument , they also tried to have it removed cause shaw was mounted on a horse as to make him elevated above the blackman or some dumb crap none of it worked
Wasn't that the civil war monument defaced by the Black Lives Matter riots? (to be fair a ton of those rioters were just white troublemakers who loved burning stuff down). But I saw photos of a monument to the 54th that was defaced during that time span where ANY civil war monument was being trashed. It made me so angry.
I can’t watch the end of this movie without crying, from the moment the white soldier says “Give ‘Em HELL 54th!” til the credits roll I’m a blubbery mess
"GIVE 'EM HELL 54TH!" From the opening scene where you think what kind of person just marches to their death like that to the end when you get your answer this movie is firing on all cylinders.
29:09 General Strong doubted the fort could be taken but was under strict orders from the war department to do so. He was so guilt ridden from sending three separate regiments to certain death that he personally led the forth attack and suffered fatal wounds during the battle.
Denzel Washington took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie. A very important motion picture that shows us what we were fighting for: Freedom and the end of slavery.
To all those idiots who say State's Rights, all you have to ask is "The states rights to do what exactly? Hmmm, I wonder what it was they wanted the right to do that the north didn't? " Those who are blind to the fact that states rights is simply a euphemism for slavery are wilfully blind.
@@mestupkid211986Don't worry. We just need to remember what we need to say to the idiots that proclaim the war was about "states rights". " The states rights to do what?" The answer is of course: to continue slavery and make money from it.
In case no one knows, they refer to Shaw's letters throughout the movie, anytime you hear Shaw narrate a letter in the movie, that is really Shaw's words.
One of the best movies of all time! Glad you enjoyed it! Fun fact about the wages: Massachusetts offered to compensate the 54th the extra $3, but the 54th refused on principle. They took no pay until Congress relented and paid them equal wages in full.
The whipping scene is incredibly powerful…and also shows the genuine moral struggle Shaw was going through. On the one hand, whipping was apparently the standard punishment for desertion…but on the other hand… That’s of course the reason he confides in Morgan Freeman’s character afterwards.
He could have very well been shot as almost any soldier during that time, white or black could have been court martialed, and shot for desertion in 1862 because we were actively at war on U.S. soil.
The flogging scene is one of the inaccuracies of the movie. The U.S.military abolished flogging in 1861, no member of the 54th Massachusetts was ever whipped.
While flogging had been a punishment in the army, from what I've seen elsewhere, it was actually removed as a possible punishment at least a few years before the events of this movie.
Yes, it is inaccurate but only by a couple of years. It was a standard punishment for desertion so white men were whipped for this. However.... Denzel won the Academy Award most likely because of that single tear.
This is one of my favorite civil war movies, the performances of Denzel, Morgan Freeman, Broderic, Andre Braugher and Cary Elwes, as well as all the other supporting actors is unmatched. The 54th was the second regular army African American regiment formed, following the Kansas 1st Colored Volunteer Regiment. Other regiments were formed after they proved themselves in combat.
The scene where Tripp spoke at the testimonial was so powerful. He had to make everything a joke, always posturing, never allowing anyone to show their true face. "This feels funny lol" He didn't even know how to look at a group of men in the face and speak, man to man. "You're doing fine," said Morgan Freeman, cuz he understood. Seems like a lot of young men today.
He never had any family or friends. Or learned to trust anyone....he was always on the run. Couple that with constant fear and anger for the world and you have a very tough person to get through to. It was a scene where he let his guard down and opened up to his unit to express to them that they were indeed equal men...even if it meant dying to prove it.
I was 16 when my dad took me to see this. He loved history and was very well-read. One of the best movies I've ever seen. As you said, the acting was on another level by all involved. Incredible film.
Interesting story is that Colonel Shaw's sword was recently rediscovered. The sword he used in the battle was taken by a rebel officer before it was found again by the 54th and returned to Shaw's family. It was lost in 1900 until it was found again by a family relative.
I salute you sir I feel like everyone needs to watch this movie again. Too much petty evil these days. We need to be proud of our heritage, even if some did questionable, immoral acts. Both blacks and whites have accomplished so much the past 150 years.
One of my favorite movies of all time. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and we watched this in school often. I’ve probably seen this movie a hundred times, and I still tear up every time.
At 15:30 when Private Trip (played by Denzel Washington) was about to be whipped for desertion, the major played by Cary Ewles sealed his fate. Even if Col. Shaw wanted to give an alternative punishment, the major telling Shaw that he cannot order the whipping inadvertently undermined his authority in front of the troops. To maintain the chain of command, the major should have spoken to his commander in private.
If we ever lose the ability to teach this history, this nation will truly have lost its soul. Thank you for reacting to this, one of the most important films I had the honor to watch
Funny if Hollywood is what people use to seek any semblance of true history as classrooms become the fiction. The extent regressive people & politicians will go to indoctrinate to maintain power.
I feel like that moment is almost here. Revisionist history is certainly taking root, trying to ease any "black eye" in our history, and I can only think of the quote - "those who fail to remember the past are condemned to repeat it". First people deny the holocaust, then they will deny slavery, and then... well, what's next?
America has lost us history long ago. Wee to big. To militaristic. And just the Roman's. The United States will collapse. And and it will be a whole lot worse then before.
This was Denzel's breakout role. If you want to see him at his best ever in what I often say is the best acting performance I've ever seen with no hyperbole whatsoever, react to him in Malcolm X.
I read Blue Eyed Child of Fortune in college. One of the most heart wrenching letters in the book of his and his families letters came from his sister. She was 16 at the time the 54th march through Boston. She wrote that when she looked down and her eyes met with Robert's he had the face of an angel, and that was convinced in that moment she would never see him alive again. I loved this film. My only real gripe was the portrayal of Col. Montgomery. Montgomery was a veteran of the Bleeding Kansas affair. He pioneered turning freed slaves into union regiments. He had formed the 1st and 2nd South Carolina before the 54th was formed. One of his raids was with Harriet Tubman herself. He was a true believer in the abolitionist cause. Also, almost all of the 54th were free men, but I wasn't worried about that detail. Still a fantastic and emotional film.
Yep, Gettysburg was the largest battle. But Antietam was the bloodiest. I wonder if it was because of bayonet charges? I know those bayonets made crazy gouges that bled alot
@@Dime_time333 No, Antietam was bloody mostly for the tactics and poor decisions made, and the field itself caused units to engage at times in bad spots chosen out of desperation than choice; at one place in the battlefield there was a simple road with fences on both sides, there was union and rebel units literally shooting almost eyeball to eyeball across the road with JUST the fences as protection, or lack-there-of.. It was also mostly encounters of surprise than planned confrontations, also orders were at times very poor and vague, the genius in charge of the whole army had a strategy that was overly complicated, and some commanders barely had plans and some units never got proper orders so attacked on instinct than real planning. Bayonets were actually rarely used in battle, and MANY men died from wounds and infection than bullets. All this was why Antietam was so deadly, adlibbed battle plans, bad orders, inexperienced vs veterans and so on, it was a clustercluck battle.
The musical score to this movie is also amazing - composed by James Horner and performed by the Harlem Boys Choir it has always been one of my favorites -- right up there with the score from The Thin Red Line. During the final "Charging Ft Wagner" scene - parts of the chorus are an homage to Carl Orff's O'Fortuna - which is in another favorite movie of mine - Excalibur.
There is debate on if it was deliberate or not, but whether Hagood or anyone else intended the burial in a common trench as a desecration, Shaw’s family took it as a point of pride. His father rebuffed attempts to have the body found and exhumed. “We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies,” he wrote, “among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company-what a body-guard he has!”
This movie is so brutal to watch as a North Eastern black man. Can't even watch a reaction without crying. Those men's sacrifice is a big part of why I can live my life the way I do today.
The movie glosses over one thing that happened at the end; The Confederates buried the black soldiers in mass graves and threw Shaw in with them, to insult his family and everything else that it meant at the time. They also stole all of their belongings. But once Shaw's father had heard that he was buried with his men, he is quoted saying : "We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has!"
Literally one of the most iconic movies of all time. Moves me to tears so easily. Just like Schlinders list. Give ‘em hell 54th They performed admirably post the battle of fort Wagner across the south and this story is worth checking out Also look for a character callled William Carney - was awarded the Medal of Honor at fort Wagner for being wounded and returning the flag back to union lines God bless these men
The singing you hear in the score is the Harlem Boys Choir and they did a fantastic job. The first major role Denzel Washington had was in a TV series called St. Elsewhere. He was one of the main characters and was so good. Also Howie Mandel with a head full of hair was also one of the main characters. A great show. I think more people need to see this movie. I saw it in the theater. You did a good reaction. 😊
This movie has aged very well and continues to represent a very important period in United States history. What makes the ending even more sad for me is knowing that in real life, Shaw was thrown in the burial pit with all his soldiers who had been killed and his father later commented that he was deeply proud to have his son buried with his very courageous men.
A lot of people don't understand the roughness of the Irish drill sergeant. His job even the job of drill instructors today is to prepare troops for war both mentally, physically and emotionally. Troops must learn to obey orders and still function despite the utter chaos of battle around them. Robert also had to bear that cross as you see he could not treat Thomas as an equal. If he did so this would play favoritism and possibly give him a bad reputation amongst the troops. You could see many times he cared for the men and not just Thomas. especially when he was explaining it to the Major about the weight of getting these men ready for battle is his upmost importance and duty as commanding officer. This is a great movie and shows not only the dedication of the men who risked their lives to fight as black men, but also the men who trained them and died along side them in battle. As Lincoln said " It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". We must carry on and protect their legacy and carry on the task of keeping this nation free and great for ALL men. :-)
9:25- the mindset of every drill sergeant in every military training program in every country throughout time is "I will break you down, and when I have a clean slate, I will build you back up better than you ever were."
A small personal note and this is my personal shoutout to my Drill Instructors Sgt. Thomas and Sgt. Kadisak, the two leaders that made me and my brothers who we are today; Drill instructors never yell at you because they hate you. They are tough and hard on everyone because they care about us a lot. They don't want us to leave basic training and boot camp unprepared for how tough a real fight or war can actually be. They're tough because they don't want us to be killed because of poor training. Sgt. Thomas and Sgt. Kadisak were two of the biggest and toughest guys I'd ever had the privilege of being trained by. I never forgot how loud they yelled at us and how much energy they always dedicated every single day to shaping us and learning how to protect each other and ourselves. 27:20 The clear example of reloading quickly in this scene is always a great way to showcase just that. With the threat of a screaming Confederate soldier charging him, he was able to protect himself even with all the sounds, the chaos and keep his mind focused to do what he was trained to do.
Yeah it like if you're gonna break in training camp then maybe its time for a different career path because its basically trying to prepare you for anything out there so of course its gonna go to the extremes of stressing you out to actually try to break you but its for their benefit
How many units were like this? When this scene takes place, about half a dozen -- the 54th and 55th Infantry from Massachusetts, the 1st and 2nd South Carolina Infantry (colored), the 1st Kansas Infantry (colored), and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Louisiana Native Guard. By war's end, about 140 infantry regiments, 7 cavalry regiments,, 14 heavy artillery regiments, and some independent batteries of field artillery. There were about 180,000 African-American soldiers in the US Army and 20,000 African-American sailors in the US Navy. They did allow some African-American officers to serve by war's end -- I'm blanking on the exact number, but it was less than 200. The highest-ranking black officer was a lieutenant colonel.
Thanks for watching this. I wish everyone today was required to see it. I'm in my mid-40s and this was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Shows us what love for each other should've become
Edward Zwick is super talented as a director when organizing massive army scenes. The logistics behind it all, the planning and choreography is impressive, and the costumes and prop weapons is always amazing to see on screen. He also directed The Last Samurai too. Even though most of that movie's story is fictional but inspired from some historical figures, I still absolutely love how much time and dedication was put into training/choreographing the massive amount of extras in that movie and this one too.
Trivia: Robert Shaw's abolitionist parents were friends with author of Uncle Tom's Cabin author, Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was apparently formative in his own political and social beliefs and he read it multiple times.
8:05 - Not practicing, he's actually on night watch. There's always a watch in a military encampment. I've gotta agree, Denzel is incredible. In that punishment scene you can see defiance, humilation, anger, internal hurt, and trauma all in one long look. Blows my mind every time!
Robert wasn't really abusing power. He respected his men enough that he treated them all as soldiers. Thomas got no better or worse treatment than anyone else.
The style of fighting you saw was one of the reasons the Civil War was as brutal as it was as far as casualties go. For centuries, armies marched towards each other in long, shoulder to shoulder rows with sharp and/or relatively inaccurate weapons. By the time of the Civil War, weapons technology had become so much more accurate and deadly. Medical technology was also in its infancy as infectious disease was unknown, so the scene in that medical tent was not only accurate with the mass amputations but those saws used were never properly sterilized after, so germs were passed from one amputee to another. Great reaction to a great movie!
Every single actor brought their "A" game to this movie, Denzel in particular. It is one of my personal favorites. Fun fact: the screenwriter, Kevin Jarre, makes two cameos. The first is during the "soldier's fight" (the "tits on a bull" guy) and again as the 54th is marching to the beach before the assault on Ft. Wagner, he's the guy that yells "Give 'em hell 54th!"
Matthew Broderick was brilliant casting. At the time we had known him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". So casting him as a Colonel who was too young was perfect. One of the best movies ever.
That charge at the very end when they’re met with a barrage of bullets and cannon fire was so surreal. It felt like a fever dream from the sounds to the lighting, and even the expressions on the mens faces as they knew what was about to happen.
Meaning it as an insult the confederate soldiers threw Col. Robert Shaws body in a mass grave with his men. When asked later whether his body should be exhumed and buried in a single marked grave Shaws father said no: “We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has!”
This was one of the movies my father had me watch when I was very young (he was a history and sociology professor) and this was deeply etched into my brain for a very long time.
In the assault on Ft. Wagner, they didn't think that they MIGHT die, they knew that it was likely that they would die. They were attacking a fortified position. The enemy can shoot you from cover and you can't shoot them until you run the gauntlet. In a fort, they have artillery that can use grape shot (like a giant shotgun) as you get nearer. They likely each thought that they WOULD give their lives. Still, they did it.
The town burned at the end of the movie is Darien, Ga. My family lived there back in 2008, and their schools were in Darien. And the final battle scene on the beach was filmed on Jekyll Island. There is a boardwalk on the beach called the "Glory Boardwalk" because it was built by the production company to get the cameras used in the filming over the protected sand dunes.
The opening battle which was at Antietam remains the deadliest single day in American history with 7600 men killed on both sides. You very correctly noted the fact that Shaw treated his men like soldiers just like white regiments. The standard punishment for desertion was flogging, and junior enlisted men were not allowed to be friends with Officers.
The flogging scene is one of the inaccuracies of this movie. The U.S. military abolished flogging in 1861, no member of the 54th Massachusetts was ever whipped.
@@richardstephens5570 Even though flogging and whipping are totally different you are right but officers still imposed flogging subjecting themselves to discipline afterwards.
I fist saw this movie in like 7th or 8th grade History class (1996/1997) and it's been one of my favorites with a great cast. This was Andre Braugher's (Thomas) first roles his first credited movie role.
A small scene stuck out in this movie;the surgeon scene. The thought of not having anesthesia was absolutely terrifying to me. Fast forward to my 20s and I became a paramedic. I'm in my 40s now and I'm studying to be a surgical assistant on a trauma team. The hypodermic needle,anesthesia and advancement in trauma surgery advanced to new levels after the civil war.
Antietam (the battle in the beginning) was a Union victory mostly in the sense that it turned back a Confederate advance north. It was the bloodiest day of battle in the War, and inadequate Union generalship meant that too many of their soldiers were sacrificed. It did, however, provide enough of a strategic victory for Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation declared the slaves in the Confederacy to be free, so any slave-owning state loyal to the Union (like West Virginia and Delaware) kept their slaves for the meantime.
One of THE BEST war movies ever made!! Seriously the end gets me every single time. The acting in this movie is on another level and it deserves every award it got. IMO it should have won best picture but that went to Rain Man (also a good movie just not as good as this one).
It's one of my nitpicks with a film I deeply love, in that the 54th was almost entirely free men. Not only that, because the stakes of fielding such a unit, that would perform well, the regimental surgeon dismissed far more potential applicants than would have otherwise been dismissed in a normal unit. Many went on to form the 55th.
@@Rikalonius colored units spent years proving themselves in the field of battle. General Burnside wanted to use colored regiments in the seige of Petersburg, VA but his commanding officer Gen Meade didn't trust them on the field though they already had been combat tested for over a year. It's crazy to think about all the trials they went thru to be able to serve in the Federal Army
This movie was such a powerful piece of cinema. I was able to go see this in the theater when it first came out. No one in the theater moved when it was over, no one spoke or made a sound while the credits rolled. Then slowly people began to get up to leave, still in silence. I don't think anyone I was with spoke until we got to the car.
A list of Denzel Washington movies I think you would enjoy. 1. Remember The Titans 2. Courage Under Fire 3. American Gangster 4. Unstoppable 5. A Soldiers Story 6. John Q. 7. Training Day 8. Antwone Fisher 9. Out of Time 10. Malcolm x and of course THE EQUALIZER PT. 1 and 2
Your next Denzel Washington movie should be A Soldier's Story. It takes place during WW2, but on a base in Mississippi. It's an amazing movie and the acting is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Great reaction!
One of my favorite movies of all time. Cant count the amount of times ive watched this film growing up. I dare say the soundtrack might be one of the best if not the best of any movie ive ever seen as well. Highly recommend listening to it in its entirety. Also Edward Zwick is one of the most underrated directors ever. Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire etc....
The caption at the end saying the fort was never taken is wrong. After the failure of the direct assault, the Union Navy bombarded the Confederate forts on Morris Island (Wagner and Gregg) and Union soldiers dug trenches closer and closer to the rebel earthworks. Another assault didn't take the forts but did capture the Confederate rifle pits in front of them. By early September the forts were so damaged and the rebels had taken so many casualties that it was impossible to hold on any longer, so they abandoned the forts under cover of darkness on the night of September 6, getting out what was left of their soldiers but abandoning their heavy equipment. The fall of Fort Wagner allowed the Union to effectively close off Charleston as a blockade-running port, though the Confederates held on to the city of Charleston until 1865. The 55th Massachusetts Infantry, another black regiment, was among the first Union soldiers to march into the city.
Also a cool side note: The Confederates in the fort had also run out of fresh water by the time they abandoned the fort, and it's largely believed that this was caused by the dead 54th Mass. soldiers bodies contaminating the ground water. So in a way, the 54th Mass. DID drive the Confederates out of Fort Wagner.
There is another movie that I believe is highly underrated set during the American Civil War that I recommend. The movie is called Gettysburg. The movie is about the battle of the same name that took place on July 1st, 2nd and 3rd of 1863. It was the bloodiest and possibly most important battle of the entire war. One of the reasons that the movie is often overlooked is the length. It is around 4 and half hours long and was originally intended to be a made for TV miniseries, but it got a theatrical release. It is worth it though and is also one of the more historically accurate movies ever made, just like this one.
Unfortunately, Gettysburg was followed up by the awful prequel film Gods and Generals, which romanticizes the Confederacy and the whole Lost Cause mythology.
The flogging scene really seems to bother younger people who aren’t fully aware of military history. The flogging scene was added to the movie for dramatic effect. Flogging had already been banned by the US Army and Navy. However, when flogging was allowed, it wasn’t exclusive to black soldiers/sailors. White soldier and sailor were also subjected to flogging. When you asked if there was another option for punishment for desertion the answer is yes. The alternative before flogging was outlawed was death by firing squad. As I said, the scene was added for dramatic effect and had it actually happened, the deserter would have been locked in the stockades. One last point, looking for shoes was not an exemption or excuse for desertion. Leaving without authorization is still desertion.
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The 1985 Soviet film "Come And See" is a powerful movie covering what the horrors of the Eastern Front of the Second World War was like for the civilian militias who fought against the Nazis; it's a great film, damn powerful though.
Have you ever seen 'Cold mountain' also from the civil war Era. Beautiful and sad movie
The director of this film also directed the Last Samurai. I like that both films involve a commanding officer firing a revolver around a desperately reloading infantryman to prove an important point about the stress of battle. :)
The last shot of Trip being tossed into the mass grave next to Robert is the most powerful message of the movie. Despite all differences, we are all equal in death. Such a good movie.
This is one of those movies where every time there's a reaction, I literally HAVE to watch it, because more people need to see this underrated CLASSIC! Launched a lot of black actor's careers in a big way. Denzel Washington (Trip), Andre Braugher (Thomas), and Morgan Freeman (Rawlins) were not the household names we know them as today, because this was among some of their first and most memorable roles. It put all of them on the map in a huge way, and we've been reaping the benfits of their dramatic experience ever since! Solid performances by all!
GIVE EM HELL, 54th!!!!!
IIRC, it was Braughers first onscreen role. He'd only done theatre until that point. He credited Denzel with teaching him how to change his acting for the camera. How to hit marks, avoid looking into the camera, the style as it differs from theatre.
If people like this, they should watch Amistad
I respectfully disagree with this launching the career of Freeman, especially knowing he was also in Driving Miss Daisy that same year and most of the buzz he was getting at that time was from that movie during Oscar time. The movie that made him the star, in my opinion, was Lean On Me (a cult classic), which also came out that same year and till this day there will be a lot of people that will say his role as Joe Clark, is his most famous one. For Denzel, the movie that put him on the map was Cry Freedom so a very small disagreement there, but him winning the Oscar for his role in Glory, put him on the A list for sure, because Denzel was everywhere after that and hasn't looked back.
Morgan Freeman and Denzel had both been in a number of blockbusters before this
@@oldgeezer3324yess, amistad is INCREDIBLE.
"Shaw's body was stripped and tossed into a mass grave with 70 Black soldiers who fell at Fort Wagner. Burying Shaw with the men of the 54th was intended to be an insult to him and his loved ones, but the family instead asked that his remains stay with those of his men."
Great reaction!
32:39 When Col. Shaw is looking off towards the Ocean, he's coming to terms with the fact that he's going to die in the upcoming assault. He was excising the remainder of his fears from Antietam, casting them away and preparing to lead his Regiment.
I watched this in my history class, I was crying at the end. Truly an amazing movie
Morgan Freeman’s character wasn’t practicing in the rain, he was doing something called watch. Someone always has to be awake in the military so the others can sleep. What makes that scene so poignant is that he is only armed with a broom and not a firearm as he’s suppose to be, bc the regiment wasn’t taken seriously by other army officials.
I always thought it was a pike or some other polearm. Too long and thick to be a broom. Don't know that the camera ever shows the business end.
@@MaskHysteria Thought it was a shovel, since he was known as the Gravedigger.
He was on fire watch
@@MaskHysteria it does very much look like a polearm of some sort, but I think it's his shovel. He was a gravedigger, it's likely his only personal possession, and you can even see it sitting in their tent.
Exactly... was going to comment the same. If anyone leaves and/or deserts he has the force of command to apprehend and arrest them.
Two of Fredrick Douglass' sons joined the 54th. One of them was promoted to Sgt. Major, the same rank the Morgan Freeman's character was promoted to in the movie.
Sergeant Major Lewis Douglass 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Colored Infantry Regiment.
First Sergeant Charles Redmond Douglass transferred to the 5th Massachusetts Volunteer Colored Cavalry Regiment.
Very true... I guess they wanted a gravedigger to fill that part. Sergeant Major was not a rare military rank back then. Also colonels and even generals during that period would most likely lead from the front. There are many examples of Brigadier Generals, Colonels, Lt. Colonels and Majors leading regiments and being killed during the Civil War. It was not uncommon.
@@Smenkhaare General Strong also charged Fort Wagner and was killed. I'm amazed how high ranking officers back then would sacrifice their lives with their men.
@@fz7091 Thanks. It is what marked warfare up to the Civil War era. Colonels would lead their regiments from the front. Brigadier generals would often go in front or not far behind with their brigades. Major generals tended to stay out of the fighting. The sniper who shot Major General Reynolds at Gettysburg got a chance kill. It was very different back then. Major Generals on up are immune to fire these days. Brigadier Generals are generally safe and they actively discourage full bird colonels from getting stuck in at the pointy end of things. They are supposed to stay alive to give orders. General Strong was said to be so distraught about his brigade that he rushed in with the follow on regiment during the third charge, was wounded and died later due to sepsis.
There is a monument dedicated to the 54th Massachusetts across from the state house in Boston. It is right at the opening to the Boston Common.
The confederates thought that burying Robert with his men would be an insult. His family said they could not think of a better honor guard for their son, then the men he fought and died with!
Correct on both points- good job! Sergeant William Carney won the Medal of Honor for gallantry in saving the regimental colors during the assault of Battery Wagner.
i'am in MA and during the mostly peaceful riots Antifa and BLM tried to destroy the monument , they also tried to have it removed cause shaw was mounted on a horse as to make him elevated above the blackman or some dumb crap none of it worked
@@bbwng54 I kinda wish they would have named Morgan Freeman's character after Carney, since it's obviously inspired by him.
Wasn't that the civil war monument defaced by the Black Lives Matter riots? (to be fair a ton of those rioters were just white troublemakers who loved burning stuff down). But I saw photos of a monument to the 54th that was defaced during that time span where ANY civil war monument was being trashed. It made me so angry.
Unfortunately BLM and ANTIFA defaced it during the summer of love I don't know if it's been repaired since.
I can’t watch the end of this movie without crying, from the moment the white soldier says “Give ‘Em HELL 54th!” til the credits roll I’m a blubbery mess
"GIVE 'EM HELL 54TH!"
From the opening scene where you think what kind of person just marches to their death like that to the end when you get your answer this movie is firing on all cylinders.
The actor who saud that line was the screenwriter
Me too... Beautiful moment in the film. Breakthrough moment.
Same here.
And it was the same corporal who earlier in the film was spurting out racial slurs to the 54th. So satisfying to see that character go full 180.
29:09 General Strong doubted the fort could be taken but was under strict orders from the war department to do so. He was so guilt ridden from sending three separate regiments to certain death that he personally led the forth attack and suffered fatal wounds during the battle.
Matthew should have won the Oscar for that performance
Denzel Washington took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie.
A very important motion picture that shows us what we were fighting for: Freedom and the end of slavery.
but the war was about state's rights, not slavery~! (I'm being sarcastic please dont hurt me)
To all those idiots who say State's Rights, all you have to ask is "The states rights to do what exactly? Hmmm, I wonder what it was they wanted the right to do that the north didn't? "
Those who are blind to the fact that states rights is simply a euphemism for slavery are wilfully blind.
@@mestupkid211986Don't worry. We just need to remember what we need to say to the idiots that proclaim the war was about "states rights".
" The states rights to do what?"
The answer is of course: to continue slavery and make money from it.
Slavery was already gone.
You would be right. Just taught differently from the winner's point of view.
A moving piece of historical drama and an evocative human story of men whose fight wasn’t strictly reserved for the battlefield.
Amen...
Meanwhile a couple of assholes decide to deface the Monument dedicated to the 54th Massachusetts as a black man that really really made me angry
RIP Andre Braugher, the Brooklyn Nine Nine actor, playing the learned guy with the big smile. RIP
In case no one knows, they refer to Shaw's letters throughout the movie, anytime you hear Shaw narrate a letter in the movie, that is really Shaw's words.
I saw this movie when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old and it taught me the good guys dont always win. Really powerful stuff.
One of the best movies of all time! Glad you enjoyed it! Fun fact about the wages: Massachusetts offered to compensate the 54th the extra $3, but the 54th refused on principle. They took no pay until Congress relented and paid them equal wages in full.
Glory is one of my Top Five movies ever. The acting, the music. It stays with you.
The whipping scene is incredibly powerful…and also shows the genuine moral struggle Shaw was going through. On the one hand, whipping was apparently the standard punishment for desertion…but on the other hand…
That’s of course the reason he confides in Morgan Freeman’s character afterwards.
Denzel got with the prop master to find a whip that would still sting, but not cut into his skin.
He could have very well been shot as almost any soldier during that time, white or black could have been court martialed, and shot for desertion in 1862 because we were actively at war on U.S. soil.
The flogging scene is one of the inaccuracies of the movie. The U.S.military abolished flogging in 1861, no member of the 54th Massachusetts was ever whipped.
While flogging had been a punishment in the army, from what I've seen elsewhere, it was actually removed as a possible punishment at least a few years before the events of this movie.
Yes, it is inaccurate but only by a couple of years. It was a standard punishment for desertion so white men were whipped for this. However....
Denzel won the Academy Award most likely because of that single tear.
Mad respect for the men of the 54th! Salute!
Still my favorite movie. Give'em hell 54. Thanks for reviewing.
This is one of my favorite civil war movies, the performances of Denzel, Morgan Freeman, Broderic, Andre Braugher and Cary Elwes, as well as all the other supporting actors is unmatched. The 54th was the second regular army African American regiment formed, following the Kansas 1st Colored Volunteer Regiment. Other regiments were formed after they proved themselves in combat.
One of my favorite films period. :)
This is my favorite movie ever.
Morgan Freeman's character, when confronting DENZEL'S CHARACTER, MADE ME CRY.
The scene where Tripp spoke at the testimonial was so powerful.
He had to make everything a joke, always posturing, never allowing anyone to show their true face.
"This feels funny lol"
He didn't even know how to look at a group of men in the face and speak, man to man.
"You're doing fine," said Morgan Freeman, cuz he understood.
Seems like a lot of young men today.
It's easier to yell & scream to be heard, but a more humbling experience to be listened to for the first time.
He never had any family or friends. Or learned to trust anyone....he was always on the run. Couple that with constant fear and anger for the world and you have a very tough person to get through to. It was a scene where he let his guard down and opened up to his unit to express to them that they were indeed equal men...even if it meant dying to prove it.
It warms my heart to see young people watch and love this beautiful movie.
In case anyone is curious, $13 in 1863 would be about $313 in 2023, while $10 in 1863 would be about $241 in 2023.
Crazy how those numbers in today age are scrap
Nice research 👌 😊
Appreciate it
W😂😅
Also everything was probably cheaper and affordable lol
I was 16 when my dad took me to see this. He loved history and was very well-read. One of the best movies I've ever seen. As you said, the acting was on another level by all involved. Incredible film.
Interesting story is that Colonel Shaw's sword was recently rediscovered. The sword he used in the battle was taken by a rebel officer before it was found again by the 54th and returned to Shaw's family. It was lost in 1900 until it was found again by a family relative.
One of the best war movies ever made. As a veteran and a black man simply makes me proud to have followed in their footsteps.
Thank you for your service sir.
Thank you for your service. I empathize with you. I too am a veteran and was inspired to enlist by watching such movies as this masterpiece.
I salute you sir I feel like everyone needs to watch this movie again. Too much petty evil these days. We need to be proud of our heritage, even if some did questionable, immoral acts. Both blacks and whites have accomplished so much the past 150 years.
I cry EVERY time I see this movie! Sooo good
One of my favorite movies of all time. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and we watched this in school often. I’ve probably seen this movie a hundred times, and I still tear up every time.
Memphis here, was an usher, at a theater when this came out. First thing I saw Denzel in, knew he was going places. Excellent film.
At 15:30 when Private Trip (played by Denzel Washington) was about to be whipped for desertion, the major played by Cary Ewles sealed his fate. Even if Col. Shaw wanted to give an alternative punishment, the major telling Shaw that he cannot order the whipping inadvertently undermined his authority in front of the troops. To maintain the chain of command, the major should have spoken to his commander in private.
Another good point. You are correct.
Part that always stood out to me is even the tough SGT looked back at him when he looked at his back.
Excellent point.
If we ever lose the ability to teach this history, this nation will truly have lost its soul. Thank you for reacting to this, one of the most important films I had the honor to watch
Funny if Hollywood is what people use to seek any semblance of true history as classrooms become the fiction. The extent regressive people & politicians will go to indoctrinate to maintain power.
I feel like that moment is almost here. Revisionist history is certainly taking root, trying to ease any "black eye" in our history, and I can only think of the quote - "those who fail to remember the past are condemned to repeat it". First people deny the holocaust, then they will deny slavery, and then... well, what's next?
America has lost us history long ago. Wee to big. To militaristic. And just the Roman's. The United States will collapse. And and it will be a whole lot worse then before.
Denzel Washington 1989 won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in 'Glory'. 😉👍
This was Denzel's breakout role. If you want to see him at his best ever in what I often say is the best acting performance I've ever seen with no hyperbole whatsoever, react to him in Malcolm X.
I read Blue Eyed Child of Fortune in college. One of the most heart wrenching letters in the book of his and his families letters came from his sister. She was 16 at the time the 54th march through Boston. She wrote that when she looked down and her eyes met with Robert's he had the face of an angel, and that was convinced in that moment she would never see him alive again. I loved this film. My only real gripe was the portrayal of Col. Montgomery. Montgomery was a veteran of the Bleeding Kansas affair. He pioneered turning freed slaves into union regiments. He had formed the 1st and 2nd South Carolina before the 54th was formed. One of his raids was with Harriet Tubman herself. He was a true believer in the abolitionist cause. Also, almost all of the 54th were free men, but I wasn't worried about that detail. Still a fantastic and emotional film.
As a love of history, this is a top 5 movie for me. The cast, the performances and the soundtrack are just amazing.
That opening scene is the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day of fighting in the entire war.
Yep, Gettysburg was the largest battle. But Antietam was the bloodiest. I wonder if it was because of bayonet charges? I know those bayonets made crazy gouges that bled alot
@@Dime_time333 No, Antietam was bloody mostly for the tactics and poor decisions made, and the field itself caused units to engage at times in bad spots chosen out of desperation than choice; at one place in the battlefield there was a simple road with fences on both sides, there was union and rebel units literally shooting almost eyeball to eyeball across the road with JUST the fences as protection, or lack-there-of.. It was also mostly encounters of surprise than planned confrontations, also orders were at times very poor and vague, the genius in charge of the whole army had a strategy that was overly complicated, and some commanders barely had plans and some units never got proper orders so attacked on instinct than real planning.
Bayonets were actually rarely used in battle, and MANY men died from wounds and infection than bullets. All this was why Antietam was so deadly, adlibbed battle plans, bad orders, inexperienced vs veterans and so on, it was a clustercluck battle.
The musical score to this movie is also amazing - composed by James Horner and performed by the Harlem Boys Choir it has always been one of my favorites -- right up there with the score from The Thin Red Line. During the final "Charging Ft Wagner" scene - parts of the chorus are an homage to Carl Orff's O'Fortuna - which is in another favorite movie of mine - Excalibur.
There is debate on if it was deliberate or not, but whether Hagood or anyone else intended the burial in a common trench as a desecration, Shaw’s family took it as a point of pride. His father rebuffed attempts to have the body found and exhumed. “We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies,” he wrote, “among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company-what a body-guard he has!”
❤ this.. everytime Tripp yells cmon. I cry. The passion.. Im from the South, so senseless seeing men decitmated by war.
This movie is so brutal to watch as a North Eastern black man. Can't even watch a reaction without crying. Those men's sacrifice is a big part of why I can live my life the way I do today.
Real men!
The movie glosses over one thing that happened at the end; The Confederates buried the black soldiers in mass graves and threw Shaw in with them, to insult his family and everything else that it meant at the time. They also stole all of their belongings. But once Shaw's father had heard that he was buried with his men, he is quoted saying : "We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has!"
Literally one of the most iconic movies of all time. Moves me to tears so easily. Just like Schlinders list.
Give ‘em hell 54th
They performed admirably post the battle of fort Wagner across the south and this story is worth checking out
Also look for a character callled William Carney - was awarded the Medal of Honor at fort Wagner for being wounded and returning the flag back to union lines
God bless these men
The singing you hear in the score is the Harlem Boys Choir and they did a fantastic job. The first major role Denzel Washington had was in a TV series called St. Elsewhere. He was one of the main characters and was so good. Also Howie Mandel with a head full of hair was also one of the main characters. A great show. I think more people need to see this movie. I saw it in the theater. You did a good reaction. 😊
St. Elsewhere was an excellent show, always highly intelligent, everybody showcased so well.
This movie has aged very well and continues to represent a very important period in United States history. What makes the ending even more sad for me is knowing that in real life, Shaw was thrown in the burial pit with all his soldiers who had been killed and his father later commented that he was deeply proud to have his son buried with his very courageous men.
A lot of people don't understand the roughness of the Irish drill sergeant. His job even the job of drill instructors today is to prepare troops for war both mentally, physically and emotionally. Troops must learn to obey orders and still function despite the utter chaos of battle around them. Robert also had to bear that cross as you see he could not treat Thomas as an equal. If he did so this would play favoritism and possibly give him a bad reputation amongst the troops. You could see many times he cared for the men and not just Thomas. especially when he was explaining it to the Major about the weight of getting these men ready for battle is his upmost importance and duty as commanding officer. This is a great movie and shows not only the dedication of the men who risked their lives to fight as black men, but also the men who trained them and died along side them in battle. As Lincoln said " It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". We must carry on and protect their legacy and carry on the task of keeping this nation free and great for ALL men. :-)
9:25- the mindset of every drill sergeant in every military training program in every country throughout time is "I will break you down, and when I have a clean slate, I will build you back up better than you ever were."
A small personal note and this is my personal shoutout to my Drill Instructors Sgt. Thomas and Sgt. Kadisak, the two leaders that made me and my brothers who we are today;
Drill instructors never yell at you because they hate you. They are tough and hard on everyone because they care about us a lot. They don't want us to leave basic training and boot camp unprepared for how tough a real fight or war can actually be. They're tough because they don't want us to be killed because of poor training. Sgt. Thomas and Sgt. Kadisak were two of the biggest and toughest guys I'd ever had the privilege of being trained by. I never forgot how loud they yelled at us and how much energy they always dedicated every single day to shaping us and learning how to protect each other and ourselves.
27:20 The clear example of reloading quickly in this scene is always a great way to showcase just that. With the threat of a screaming Confederate soldier charging him, he was able to protect himself even with all the sounds, the chaos and keep his mind focused to do what he was trained to do.
Yeah it like if you're gonna break in training camp then maybe its time for a different career path because its basically trying to prepare you for anything out there so of course its gonna go to the extremes of stressing you out to actually try to break you but its for their benefit
How many units were like this? When this scene takes place, about half a dozen -- the 54th and 55th Infantry from Massachusetts, the 1st and 2nd South Carolina Infantry (colored), the 1st Kansas Infantry (colored), and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Louisiana Native Guard. By war's end, about 140 infantry regiments, 7 cavalry regiments,, 14 heavy artillery regiments, and some independent batteries of field artillery. There were about 180,000 African-American soldiers in the US Army and 20,000 African-American sailors in the US Navy. They did allow some African-American officers to serve by war's end -- I'm blanking on the exact number, but it was less than 200. The highest-ranking black officer was a lieutenant colonel.
Thanks for watching this. I wish everyone today was required to see it. I'm in my mid-40s and this was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Shows us what love for each other should've become
Edward Zwick is super talented as a director when organizing massive army scenes. The logistics behind it all, the planning and choreography is impressive, and the costumes and prop weapons is always amazing to see on screen.
He also directed The Last Samurai too. Even though most of that movie's story is fictional but inspired from some historical figures, I still absolutely love how much time and dedication was put into training/choreographing the massive amount of extras in that movie and this one too.
Also did Legends of the Fall and Courage Under Fire. He is an outstanding director.
He walked on as Ferris Bueller and walked off as Robert Gould Shaw. This was easily Matthew Broderick's finest role.
One of the biggest things in the military is keep your feet happy.
The white soldier that first said "Give 'em hell 54!" was the same one who almost got into a fight with Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.
He was also the screenwriter.
Trivia: Robert Shaw's abolitionist parents were friends with author of Uncle Tom's Cabin author, Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was apparently formative in his own political and social beliefs and he read it multiple times.
8:05 - Not practicing, he's actually on night watch. There's always a watch in a military encampment.
I've gotta agree, Denzel is incredible. In that punishment scene you can see defiance, humilation, anger, internal hurt, and trauma all in one long look. Blows my mind every time!
Was about to note this same thing.
Robert wasn't really abusing power. He respected his men enough that he treated them all as soldiers. Thomas got no better or worse treatment than anyone else.
Thank you!
The style of fighting you saw was one of the reasons the Civil War was as brutal as it was as far as casualties go. For centuries, armies marched towards each other in long, shoulder to shoulder rows with sharp and/or relatively inaccurate weapons. By the time of the Civil War, weapons technology had become so much more accurate and deadly. Medical technology was also in its infancy as infectious disease was unknown, so the scene in that medical tent was not only accurate with the mass amputations but those saws used were never properly sterilized after, so germs were passed from one amputee to another. Great reaction to a great movie!
Every single actor brought their "A" game to this movie, Denzel in particular. It is one of my personal favorites.
Fun fact: the screenwriter, Kevin Jarre, makes two cameos. The first is during the "soldier's fight" (the "tits on a bull" guy) and again as the 54th is marching to the beach before the assault on Ft. Wagner, he's the guy that yells "Give 'em hell 54th!"
True American heroes. Salute to the 54th
Matthew Broderick was brilliant casting. At the time we had known him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". So casting him as a Colonel who was too young was perfect. One of the best movies ever.
28:55 - It means he carries the flag, which was considered an honor but also would make him more of a target for the enemy.
Denzel ACTUALLY got whipped this scene. He asked to feel what slaves felt. That's why he won the Oscar.
That charge at the very end when they’re met with a barrage of bullets and cannon fire was so surreal. It felt like a fever dream from the sounds to the lighting, and even the expressions on the mens faces as they knew what was about to happen.
This is a tough one, but definitly a must watch.
Meaning it as an insult the confederate soldiers threw Col. Robert Shaws body in a mass grave with his men. When asked later whether his body should be exhumed and buried in a single marked grave Shaws father said no: “We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers. ... We can imagine no holier place than that in which he lies, among his brave and devoted followers, nor wish for him better company. - what a body-guard he has!”
This was one of the movies my father had me watch when I was very young (he was a history and sociology professor) and this was deeply etched into my brain for a very long time.
In the assault on Ft. Wagner, they didn't think that they MIGHT die, they knew that it was likely that they would die. They were attacking a fortified position. The enemy can shoot you from cover and you can't shoot them until you run the gauntlet. In a fort, they have artillery that can use grape shot (like a giant shotgun) as you get nearer. They likely each thought that they WOULD give their lives. Still, they did it.
"Zulu" (1964) is another great historical war movie.
"Apollo 13" is also a wonderful historical movie, although it's about space travel not war.
Ah, such a great movie. I own this on DVD and for a while we only had dvds to watch. My son would watch this over and over.
The town burned at the end of the movie is Darien, Ga. My family lived there back in 2008, and their schools were in Darien. And the final battle scene on the beach was filmed on Jekyll Island. There is a boardwalk on the beach called the "Glory Boardwalk" because it was built by the production company to get the cameras used in the filming over the protected sand dunes.
INCREDIBLE ACTING AND AMERICAN IDEALS WORTH FIGHTING FOR STILL! SOLDIERS WORTH HONORING AND MEASURING UP TO FOR THE TIMES WE'RE IN NOW.
The opening battle which was at Antietam remains the deadliest single day in American history with 7600 men killed on both sides.
You very correctly noted the fact that Shaw treated his men like soldiers just like white regiments. The standard punishment for desertion was flogging, and junior enlisted men were not allowed to be friends with Officers.
The flogging scene is one of the inaccuracies of this movie. The U.S. military abolished flogging in 1861, no member of the 54th Massachusetts was ever whipped.
@@richardstephens5570 Even though flogging and whipping are totally different you are right but officers still imposed flogging subjecting themselves to discipline afterwards.
The Massachusetts Army National Guards Ceremonial and Honors Unit now carries the Unit designation 54th Regiment.
For a TEAM to work as a whole cohesive unit, individuality MUST be weeded out!!! For one individual can kill a whole platoon.
This movie and Lincoln are an excellent pair of movies to have on your shelf.
One of the best films I’ve ever seen. Brings me to tears every time.
You the 🐐 for this
I agree!
Masterpiece ever.
I fist saw this movie in like 7th or 8th grade History class (1996/1997) and it's been one of my favorites with a great cast. This was Andre Braugher's (Thomas) first roles his first credited movie role.
I'm really happy you watched this and liked it so much!
Military code of coduct: this is spot on!! No fratinization between enlisted & officers!!!
A small scene stuck out in this movie;the surgeon scene. The thought of not having anesthesia was absolutely terrifying to me.
Fast forward to my 20s and I became a paramedic.
I'm in my 40s now and I'm studying to be a surgical assistant on a trauma team.
The hypodermic needle,anesthesia and advancement in trauma surgery advanced to new levels after the civil war.
Antietam (the battle in the beginning) was a Union victory mostly in the sense that it turned back a Confederate advance north. It was the bloodiest day of battle in the War, and inadequate Union generalship meant that too many of their soldiers were sacrificed. It did, however, provide enough of a strategic victory for Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation declared the slaves in the Confederacy to be free, so any slave-owning state loyal to the Union (like West Virginia and Delaware) kept their slaves for the meantime.
One of THE BEST war movies ever made!! Seriously the end gets me every single time. The acting in this movie is on another level and it deserves every award it got. IMO it should have won best picture but that went to Rain Man (also a good movie just not as good as this one).
A little known good movie with Mathew Broderick is "The Night We Never Met " you get to see even more of his range of acting
I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I believe 2 of Fredrick Douglass' sons were in the 54th Mass and they both survived the assault of fort
It's one of my nitpicks with a film I deeply love, in that the 54th was almost entirely free men. Not only that, because the stakes of fielding such a unit, that would perform well, the regimental surgeon dismissed far more potential applicants than would have otherwise been dismissed in a normal unit. Many went on to form the 55th.
@@Rikalonius colored units spent years proving themselves in the field of battle. General Burnside wanted to use colored regiments in the seige of Petersburg, VA but his commanding officer Gen Meade didn't trust them on the field though they already had been combat tested for over a year. It's crazy to think about all the trials they went thru to be able to serve in the Federal Army
This movie was such a powerful piece of cinema. I was able to go see this in the theater when it first came out. No one in the theater moved when it was over, no one spoke or made a sound while the credits rolled. Then slowly people began to get up to leave, still in silence. I don't think anyone I was with spoke until we got to the car.
I've been begging people to watch Denzel play Malcolm X in the 1992 Malcolm X movie. It is one of his most iconic performances
I feel like watching Gettysburg is kinda required after watching Glory. Two perfect Civil War movies back-to-back.
A list of Denzel Washington movies I think you would enjoy. 1. Remember The Titans 2. Courage Under Fire 3. American Gangster 4. Unstoppable 5. A Soldiers Story 6. John Q. 7. Training Day 8. Antwone Fisher 9. Out of Time 10. Malcolm x and of course THE EQUALIZER PT. 1 and 2
A great Denzel Washington movie that you and your husband should react to is his portrayal of " Malcolm X" 1992 directed by Spike Lee
Spike Lee, the Black racist who hated seeing mixed couples together. He's another crybaby crying racism while being a racist himself.
Your next Denzel Washington movie should be A Soldier's Story. It takes place during WW2, but on a base in Mississippi. It's an amazing movie and the acting is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Great reaction!
One of my favorite movies of all time. Cant count the amount of times ive watched this film growing up. I dare say the soundtrack might be one of the best if not the best of any movie ive ever seen as well. Highly recommend listening to it in its entirety. Also Edward Zwick is one of the most underrated directors ever. Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire etc....
The caption at the end saying the fort was never taken is wrong. After the failure of the direct assault, the Union Navy bombarded the Confederate forts on Morris Island (Wagner and Gregg) and Union soldiers dug trenches closer and closer to the rebel earthworks. Another assault didn't take the forts but did capture the Confederate rifle pits in front of them. By early September the forts were so damaged and the rebels had taken so many casualties that it was impossible to hold on any longer, so they abandoned the forts under cover of darkness on the night of September 6, getting out what was left of their soldiers but abandoning their heavy equipment. The fall of Fort Wagner allowed the Union to effectively close off Charleston as a blockade-running port, though the Confederates held on to the city of Charleston until 1865. The 55th Massachusetts Infantry, another black regiment, was among the first Union soldiers to march into the city.
Also a cool side note: The Confederates in the fort had also run out of fresh water by the time they abandoned the fort, and it's largely believed that this was caused by the dead 54th Mass. soldiers bodies contaminating the ground water. So in a way, the 54th Mass. DID drive the Confederates out of Fort Wagner.
There is another movie that I believe is highly underrated set during the American Civil War that I recommend. The movie is called Gettysburg. The movie is about the battle of the same name that took place on July 1st, 2nd and 3rd of 1863. It was the bloodiest and possibly most important battle of the entire war. One of the reasons that the movie is often overlooked is the length. It is around 4 and half hours long and was originally intended to be a made for TV miniseries, but it got a theatrical release. It is worth it though and is also one of the more historically accurate movies ever made, just like this one.
Unfortunately, Gettysburg was followed up by the awful prequel film Gods and Generals, which romanticizes the Confederacy and the whole Lost Cause mythology.
@@user-mg5mv2tn8q Agreed.
@@user-mg5mv2tn8qwhatever 🙄
The flogging scene really seems to bother younger people who aren’t fully aware of military history. The flogging scene was added to the movie for dramatic effect. Flogging had already been banned by the US Army and Navy. However, when flogging was allowed, it wasn’t exclusive to black soldiers/sailors. White soldier and sailor were also subjected to flogging. When you asked if there was another option for punishment for desertion the answer is yes. The alternative before flogging was outlawed was death by firing squad. As I said, the scene was added for dramatic effect and had it actually happened, the deserter would have been locked in the stockades. One last point, looking for shoes was not an exemption or excuse for desertion. Leaving without authorization is still desertion.