If this is the first time that you learned about Shaw and the 54th then it is a good day. At one point, the idea of exhuming Shaw from the South and moving his body back to Massachusetts was floated around, but the Shaw family believed Robert would want to remain with his fallen brothers. So, they are still all together.
Also why the monument to the 54th in Massachusetts isn't a statue of Shaw, but a bronze relief of Shaw leading the men. Shaw's family insisted the monument show him and his men.
They are literally a part of our country now. Together, they became the earth we walk on, and the land where we can enjoy the rights they died for us to enjoy.
Another layer to this was the confederates buried Shaw in a mass grave with his soldiers . At the time the corpses of officers, especially high ranking ones like Colonels, were usually given special treatment, whether by sending them home or special burial accommodations. Thus burying him with his men was meant as an insult. His parents though explicitly ordered that Shaw not be moved, they said something touching along the lines of "We can think of no finer place for him to be surrounded by his devoted men and we think of no finer honor guard to keep him."
In one sense, you don't fully die until you are not remembered by anyone. Every time someone in the next generation learns about the 54th Mass - they live on. BTW - not sure if it was mentioned, but that statue of the 54th that the closing credits is projected over is on Boston Common. It was made by Augustus Saint Gaudens, arguably America's greatest sculptor of the last half of the 19th century. Some people think it is supposed to show them in battle, but it actually shows them marching on Beacon St (where the statue is located). That was the parade scene shown in the film where Shaw sees his parents looking down on him as the troops see Frederick Douglass.
The bodies of the 54th Massachusetts fallen at Fort Wagner were exhumed after the war and reinterred at the Beaufort South Carolina National Cemetery. The Denzel Washington character is a composite character but based largely on Sgt. William Harvey Carney who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Fort Wagner. Until his death in 1908, he attended every regimental reunion. He is buried in New Bedford, MA.
The tall white soldier who almost fought Denzel and later yelled Give em hell, was the screenwriter, Kevin Jarre. He also wrote and/or directed films incl Tombstone, The Devil's Own, The Mummy, and The Alamo. He died in 2011, aged 56.
Tombstone was one of the best modern western films in the past 20-30 years. This inspite of some discrepancies when it comes to historical accuracy, is still one of the best films about the civil war of all time.
Don't apologize for crying!! If this doesn't break your heart, then do you really have one?? The performances of everyone in the cast were superb, but Denzel blew me away.
Denzel deserved an Oscar. So did Morgan Freeman. This is moviemaking at its finest. Any your emotional reaction was so moving. You earned my repect and my subscription. Too many Americans just don't care, and most of them will be voting for Trump, who is the living embodiment of the racism that just will not die in this hypocritical nation...
The flogging scene is so hard to watch. Shaw was in a bad spot the actual punishment for desertion during a time of war is execution, so it was either flog or shoot denzel ☹️ The ending where they are both thrown in the grave together is a sullen reminder we are all heading to the same place and hate is just baggage that isn't worth carrying. Great reaction fam!!!
Agreed that it is a very powerful scene, but in reality, Shaw never had any of his soldiers flogged. Flogging was banned as a punishment in the US military in 1861, and the 54th wasn't formed until late 1862. Had Shaw actually had any of his men flogged he at the very least would've been dishonorably discharged from the army. But if it had been an option, I agree that it would've been a better option than the others. Execution wasn't the only option however, the other would've been to put the man in a POW camp with the possibility of hard labor for the duration of the war. That would've also likely been a death sentence for a black soldier as it would've been a Union POW camp that was full of Confederate prisoners of war.
@@stonecoldku4161 One minor flaw in your comment is the 54th was a state unit not regular army thus such a regulation change my not have filtered down at such a time yet. It would take the state time to adopt such an update even going through the state legislature as well. Much like today's guard units, primary control rest with the states until actually deployed to a war zone then under federal control. It also was shown as a lesser punishment as the standard for that crime even through WWII was death by firing squad. The AWOL charge would have been more likely in WWII however.
While the scene is impactful because of the narrative within the film, IRL flogging was banned and the optics would have been bad at the time for the Union if officers ordered the flogging of Union soldiers that were former slaves.
The practice was banned but Colonel Custer used it as punishment in his regiment after the war in 1866. He also ordered that some soldiers heads be shaved after they went awol to get food but returned voluntarily.
@@sfodd1979 Yeah, he played Thomas. When I first saw him in Glory, I remembered him as the incredible lead actor in the series Homicide: Life on The Street. Completely different character from Thomas, but he played both roles (and many others) brilliantly.
The training is supposed to be drilled into you so much that when shit hits the fan you go in automatic mode to survive, protect your squad and eliminate hostiles.
"Following the battle, commanding Confederate General Johnson Hagood returned the bodies of the other Union officers who had died, but left Shaw's where it was, for burial in a mass grave with the black soldiers. Hagood told a captured Union surgeon that "Had he [Shaw] been in command of white troops ..." he would have returned Shaw's body, as was customary for officers, instead of burying it with the fallen black soldiers.[37] Although the gesture was intended as an insult by Hagood, Shaw's friends and family believed it was an honor for him to be buried with his soldiers. Efforts had been made to recover Shaw's body (which had been stripped and robbed prior to burial). His father publicly proclaimed that he was proud to know that his son had been buried with his troops, befitting his role as a soldier and a crusader for emancipation.[38] In a letter to the regimental surgeon, Lincoln Stone, Frank Shaw wrote: "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![39]""
I cry every time I read what his father said. What good men. The world yearns for more people like that, whose love of justice and brotherhood outweigh any petty, pathetic hatred do to with foolishness like melanin levels. Seriously, hating someone for color? It's so unevolved. A half-step from flinging your own poop at someone when you get angry with them.
The first Republican President stood for freedom. He fought despite having his hands tied by politics of the times. God rest his soul, Abraham Lincoln died after sacrificing so much for this country. I find it hard to forgive his assasin. Though Mr Booth likely has a debt to pay before God, so I will console myself with that. I honor the legacy of all who died fighting that war. Whatever their motivation, it ended that evil. Now it is up to us to be the country we want to be. To be better. To fight the cartels who even now enslave children and hide them underground in this very country. We need all to get in the fight.
And shamefully damaged by Antifa and BLM riots that attacked many civil war sites including a statue of Fredrick Douglass next to the place he published much of his works.
This movie broke my heart the first time I saw it. The first battle shown in the movie is the Battle of Antietam and still remains the bloodiest battle in US history with over 20,000 casualties in a day. William Carney was the first black Medal of Honor recipient was at the Battle for Fort Wagner. The flag bearer was shot and killed but Carney was next to him and grabbed the flag so it wouldn't hit the ground. Despite multiple gunshots and shrapnel wounds, Carney brought the flag all the way back to the Union side without it ever touching the ground.
Black History is American History. Asian History is American History. Native American History is American History. When I watch this; I see OUR History. When American Service Men and Women go into Harms way to rescue Americans, they don’t ask what color, what religion, what sex/sexual orientation. You are American, you are part of our collective tribe. We stand together or we fall apart.
Every Nov. 11, I've taken my daughter (now 19) to big cemetery in our city to put American flags on vets graves (vets section goes back to Civil War). In World War 1 section, there's a part called "Nurses row" w/4 women buried together. Since my daughter was little, I make sure she gets "Over There" to place a flag on one 'em. As a young women, I want her to know it isn't only "guys like me" who hv built & served our nation. Women & people of color hv also (it ain't woke, it's fact). Yeah, I'm a veteran, straight, white guy. But, if I expect my daughter to identify w/American history (not just "negative" stuff), she shld know "women like her" had / have a place in making it (our history isn't finished being written). Same goes for everyone else. Our nation has heroes (I don't pretend to be one). I can say, yes, some do look like me, but many don't. It's important that all the stories are told.
It's important to realize Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy's brutal methods are exactly what he would have done to white soldiers. He was training them to survive much worse. In the flogging scene, any white soldier in that same circumstance would also have been flogged, or shot, for desertion. Still, Denzel's acting in the scene is gut-wrenching, and I've teared up watching it many times, especially knowing what Trip has suffered in his life so far. You can see every bit of that in Denzel's face, in his eyes.
We see in Montgomery’s Contraband regiment what could have happened with the 54th had Shaw NOT committed to training HIS men up to proper military standards…. He would have treated them like paper plates and plastic forks in stead of a military issue mess kit…
Flogging was far from unheard of as a punishment during the war, along with punitive head and face shaving (back in straight razor days), branding (cattle style), being tied up and exposed to the elements and regular old fashioned beating with hands, feet, butt stocks and the flat side of a sword.
I appreciate Shaw sticking to professionalism and rank in this movie. Fairness. He can't play favorites with Thomas, even though he's good friends with him and he now has to allow him to toughen up for war.
I believe it was sometimes after the Civil War they was talking about Exhumation Shaws body to be sent back to Ma but his fauther or parents said no and to leave him as he is with the rest of his men of the 54th Massachusetts
“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!” - Frank Shaw, Father of Robert Gould Shaw.
Glory is one of those movies that everyone should have. The reason why you feel so emotional is because this is something that really happened. They are our ancestors. And they fought in the spirit of change, for something better. And that spirit is in all of us. Loved your reaction. I felt the same way when I first saw it. That's all 👍🏼
In The Simpsons episode "The Color Yellow" and other supplementaey materials, it's joked that Ken Burns is a nephew of Mr. Burns through one of his brothers. Mr. Burns' grandfather Colonel Wainwright vows that Ken and Ric Burns' filmography will carry on the Burns legacy and seek revenge against the Simpsons for outwitting him.
Powerful words to any man. The time is going to come to every man's life...maybe not the same way as it does for the 54th...but the time will come to ante up and pitch in. We men...ain't we?
It is a true story- but they left out a lot of the real history. A couple of examples: Fredrick Douglas' son was a Sergeant in the 54th and survived the battle. The man you see in the attack on Ft. Wagner, waving the flag and yelling "Rally! Rally!" is most likely William Harvey Carney; he's the one who "really" picked up the flag when Colonel Shaw was killed and was the first African American to win the Medal of Honor.
Unfortunately at the time Glory was being produced there wasn’t alot of mini series in Hollywood …. Hollywood at that time mostly either invested in feature length movies where it could get a return on its investment through first theater ticket sales, then the secondary markets of personal home theater (vhs sales, movie rental, cable and broadcast licensing ) or in full season (26 week) television series …. Mini series at that time were mostly PBS or BBC and it wouldnt be until special interest cable channels started outsourcing to the BBC for content that the mini series model started appeal to hollywood…. Back in the day a televison series was considered a failure if it didnt reach either about 50 1 hour or about 100 30 minutes episodes so that it could be resold for syndication… a mini series just wasn’t much of an interest for selling commercials
Amazing thing to think about is the fact that Colonel Shaw was only 25 years old when he died such a big responsibility for someone in the early twenties
Every time I see this film, I cry like it's the first time. The road to freedom has been long and difficult. There's always good people and ignorant people who are resistant to change. In the heat of battle, you see their true colors. This was Matthew Broderick's best role. Your identification with these characters was very sincere. Great film, great reaction.
Imagine being in one of those battles when it breaks down into a melee. Mobs of screaming men wrestling, beating, stabbing each other. Raw rage and terror and survival instinct and all that training, in those precious seconds of life and death. War is crazy. War is hell. But sometimes, like with the Union, the cause is truly just. God bless our troops.
Because rifles used in most battles were single shot breechloaders, the only practical way to fight was getting off just a few shots followed by a furious bayonet charge.
Riots, and don’t ever forget that. BLM doesn’t give two shits about black lives if they can’t use them as a means to grift money or brutalize anyone who doesn’t fall in line.
9:44 Yeah, he's rough on them, but as you see, there's a purpose. He's toughening them up. I love when they are marching down Boston, and he's standing there proud of them.
Oh nooooooo Leo!! Saving Private Ryan and Glory are two movies that literally leave me dehydrated every time I watch them. I'm basically crying from start to finish. But dammit, I love them both.
That rage and pain on your face during the whipping scene was why it is shown. NEVER forget what our ancestors survived to gain our freedom, never forget we are the descendants of men and women that were that strong.
In the British army perhaps other European armies, the first wave to attack a fortress or castle is called the 'Folorn Hope'. The first wave never succeeds, sometimes it's 3rd, 4th, or 5th, sometimes seiges go on for years. So the title, means those with little to no hope.
I first saw this film in middle school almost thirty years ago and it stayed with me in a profound way. I am now a middle school history teacher myself and show this movie every year. I STILL get goosebumps and tear up at some scenes. The incredible bravery and valor of these men is so incredibly inspiring. They must’ve fought like absolute warriors knowing what was on the line and what they were fighting for! Shaw deserves his due too. Don’t forget Shaw was only 25 years old so of course he was unsure of himself at times but damn…. He was born into total privilege and he put it all on the line and fought and died in his belief of abolition. He walked the walk, didn’t just talk the talk. I absolutely loved your reactions to this film.
OMG! I have watched reactions to this movie many times. Yours was by way the most heart wrenching. The emotions you showed going thru was incredible. YOU had me in tears, not the movie. Thank you so much for your reaction.
@@AlexRominger Leo’s a legend. Please have a look at my stuff too! I’ve only done a few movies but I’m planning to do more over the remainder of 24’ and beginning of 25’!
"Please don't cut anymore" Breaks me every time. Don't have to see it, the brain fills in the horrors, along with the mans agonized screams. Those poor brave soldiers. Respect. Google "U.S. Civil war medical kit" and look at the bone saws. Chilling. This is an incredible film! There is a monument for the Massachusetts 54th in the middle of Boston. They man who made this film lived there and walked his dog past the monument. He once noticed that the solders were black and began to learn more about the 54th. This led to the film.
I must say that when I first started watching you, I didn't take you seriously, but I watched you because you were at least funny. I think you have come a long way and I hope your channel goes on forever.
32:35 When the reporter gives Shaw news from other battles, after the 54th's victory at James Island, he's talking about Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, PA, and Union Gen. Ulysses S Grant's victory at Vicksburg, MS, on the banks of the Mississippi River, and all on the 4th of July, 1863. Sadly, the war was not over by Christmas 1863, but would go on until April 9, 1865.
It’s worth noting that the music, composed by James Horner, incorporates the wonderful Boys Choir of Harlem. I had the honor of playing violin for a number of James’ scores and the man was brilliant and generous. Thank you for your reaction. Liked and subscribed.
15:54 I agree, but the thing Shaw is trying to do for Thomas, is to toughen him up. Thomas can't always go to Shaw, when things get tough. And he can't give special treatment, for Thomas, then it looks bad on Shaw.
The soldier who gets in an argument with Trip at 27:35 (and who yells "Give 'em hell, 54th!" at Ft. Wagner) was played by the late great writer and director Kevin Jarre, the man who wrote GLORY and much of TOMBSTONE.
26:31 Although they exaggerate greatly, James Montgomery was castigated for his action in Darien. However, at the Raid of Coombahee, Montgomery along with Harriet Tubman, freed over 800 slaves. His reasons for burning of Darien was to make the Southerners feel personally the real cost of war. He was "a sincere, if unscrupulous, antislavery zealot. In fact, there is no record of him ever owning slaves; on the contrary, he was a rabid abolitionist and routinely freed many slaves during the War. It is very unlikely he thought of them as "children" or "monkeys". Otherwise, he would never had worked with Tubman. In fact, his regiment of 2nd SC were the ones who freed the slaves at Coombahee.
Yeah it's sad how he got the shaft in the writing of this movie. I know they wanted to tell a bunch of stories through this movie and bent the actual events somewhat to make it fit in, overall I still love the movie but feel sad for Montgomery's legacy being tarnished.
"zealot". I gather that was the fellow who was introduced as a "Jayhawker". That term has origin in the history of "Bleeding Kansas". Some southern hooligans went to Kansas to ensure that the incipient state entered the Union as a slave state. This escalated into a miniature civil war before the Civil War even started, with bitter atrocities on either hand. The anti-slavery side were called "Jayhawks". When the formal war kicked off, both sides got recruited into the respective armies, but the Union command wanted to reassert the rules of war in the west, so they sent regiments from other states to fight the war in Kansas, and redeployed the Jayhawks to the Army of the Potomac, where they wouldn't be interacting with the folk they'd been trading atrocities with, and would be under the supervision of higher command. Apparently, the cure didn't take perfectly in a few cases. Some of the western forces didn't surrender after the war and take the amnesty, notably Quantrill's Raiders. They continued to sustain themselves for a time by raiding, like it says on the tin, until they were finally subdued. Many early outlaws of the post-war west were former Raiders, some quite notorious, like Jesse James.
Most white SOUTHERNERS did not own any black slaves then, either. The average white Southerner in 1860 was poor or working class, often little better off than the black slaves. There were also lots of whites in the South who were pro-Union and lots of whites in the North who were pro-Confederacy. The White plantation owners actually were a very small percentage of the Southern white population. Also the act of "freeing slaves" as depicted in most movies about the Civil War was not really such a happy day for the slaves. Just use logic. For the majority of freed slaves it must have been a really scary time to survive.
Gettysburg and Vicksburg are considered turning points in the Civil War. Gettysburg dulled the Confederacy's spear, Vicksburg broke their back. After July 4th 1863, the Confederacy was fighting a defensive war, it was only a matter of time to their defeat.
Yes and no. The Confederacy was very foolish to engage with Union troops is big open field battles. If the "rebels" had engaged almost exclusively in guerilla warfare hit-and-run attacks and never tried to go so far north, they could have forced the Union to negotiate a peace settlement. There was widespread opposition to the war in the North and an endless stream of young men coming back in coffins with no tangible gain might have pressured Lincoln to sue for peace or risk losing the 1864 election to the Democrats, who would sympathize with the Confederacy.
See my comment for further but... hearing that made me lose all support for their cause. I couldn't believe it when I heard. Unforgivable in my eyes. Someone should've sat down everyone who touched a can of spray paint that night and make them watch this movie for 24 hours straight and then clean up the mess. Semper Fi 54th.
Seeing this movie in the 80's and knowing about the 54th I and many Aussies were horrified that the BLM protests desecrated the 54th monument, just a bunch of thugs.
I love this movie. The soundtrack is haunting and beautiful. I think you should follow up by watching "Men of Honor" featuring Cuba Gooding Jr. Based on the true story of the first black navy diver Carl Brashear. It will move and inspire you much like this movie did.
Grew up and live in MA - this was a big part of (forget what year) our history class. The Civil War in general, but also Shaw and this movie. I remember seeing the film but not knowing about them (yet) and being so angry and upset when the flag is relieved to be the confederates. Great movie and of course a subscription from me back when you had the other channel lol. Qapla!
@@Strawberry-12.Yes, her letter is very touching. That and the incredible 54th Mass memorial monument in Boston which is a masterpiece memorial for those brave US Army soldiers.
My eighth grade social studies teacher was an extra in the filming of this movie. It was long before the mental deficiencies plaguing humans today, and he loved his role. Arrington. He kept his award on his desk for being in the movie.
A person should not be OK when this movie ends. Anyone who does not feel moved has turned off all the sympathy in their heart. This is one of my all-time favorite films… A top-five film for me. It’s a story about what it means to be a man. we all have baggage. We all have trauma. Skin color doesn’t matter. Social status doesn’t matter. Neither does religion nor rank. Each one of us is left with a choice to either continue with our brothers and fight or two quit and run away. Soldiering is a serious business life and death. War is about the worst thing that humans can do. So why did the men of the 54th Massachusetts volunteer Regiment sign up? They did it to get rid of the practice and the concept that human beings can be property. This movie is the perfect answer for Clint Eastwood’s film, the outlaw, Josey, Wales. Josie’s wife and child were killed by soldiers. He decided to make a new world and to get some revenge along the way. I don’t know why Josie Wales is celebrated as a hero, because he fought for the side that wanted slavery. Josey Wales fought for the right to continue to own human beings as property. I find him disgusting. Whatever their reasons, in the end Trip, Thomas,, Rawlins, Forbes, and Shaw all foughtfor and died for the abolition of slavery
Ehh, I agree with you for the most part but the notion that religion, aka spiritual beliefs, don't matter is a ridiculous one. Everything I am comes from God. It informs who I am, what I believe, how I act, what I like, and what I don't like. I cannot stand for false gods nor will I support evil when I see it. I don't have a religion with God, I have a relationship with Him and I will do everything I can to uphold that relationship and behave in a way that would make Him proud. That matters a whole hell of a lot. And for the people that oppose me and my beliefs, their beliefs matter a lot too. They believe it's fine to murder unborn children, they believe it isn't harmful to engage in promiscuous sex, they think money is the most important thing in life, and ultimately they think that people only matter as long as you're getting something out of them. We are fundamentally opposed to each other and the reason for that is because of their religious views and my spiritual views. I really couldn't imagine a *MORE* important thing than that.
Your reaction video is awesome! I was an infantry instructor for six of my thirteen years in the army. The Irish sergeant proudly watching the troops he helped make into soldiers parade through Boston gets me.
You should read the books written about the 54th Massachusetts. The attack on Fort Wagner was a massacre. The rebels took no prisoners and Col. Robert Gould Shaw was buried with his men. The letter he wrote to his mother before the attack is his real words. I visited the Houghton Museums and his letters are a heart breaking description of the war and what he knew would be a doomed attack.
A wonderful film. My 4th great- uncle, John Sampson, Union Army from New Hampshire 22 years old was killed at Battle of Peterbough. His brother was fighting near by. When he heard John was killed, he and 2 other soldiers got Johns body ,hid him under leaves by a creek so he wouldnt be buried in a mass grave. Next day both brothers were on a train to NH and John was buried in our family cemetary. I'm proud to be one of his decendants.
When asked if he would like his son's remains buried at home he said: "we would not have his body removed from where it lies, surrounded by his brave and devoted brothers and soldiers." And I personally believe that's exactly where he would want to be. With the men who started as runaway slaves, and became his brothers.
@20:57 "I got the chills in my body" I've been living for this. Been on this ride with Leo since 'the big TV days.' How far you've come! Glad you brought us with you--
We watched this in my 7th Grade History class. I had no idea what to expect. The lights went out and the movie rolled. Unlike normal everyone was silent the whole way through, and I found myself completely captured by the movie. When Denzel picks up that flag tears flooded down my face. They didn't stop until the credits were rolling. I was horribly embarrassed knowing the lights were going to come on and everyone would see that I had been crying. I was wiping my eyes doing everything I could think of to hide my tears, but it was no use. The lights flipped on and basically the entire class was crying. A good story is a powerful and unifying thing.
The true testament to Shaw and the 54th is what they did without him. Their heart and his dedication to the men is - they believed, organized, and fought on their own in the face of his death. He gave them the ability to be a group of fighting men (not black or white) and they had the courage and strength of character to take it and act on it.
I loved reading about The Buffalo Soldiers during a school project, if I remember correctly they were the first all black WW2 Squad, Platoon? And learning about the Tuskegee Airmen in Night At the Museum 😅
You remember half the story. Buffalo Soldiers were black US Army regiments who fought Native Americans in the wild west in the 19th century after the civil war. There was a black Infantry division that was known as the Buffalo Soldiers in WW2, but they were paying homage to the originals, who the government paid to fight Natives during the westward expansion of America in the second half of the 19th century.
@@DanHoslerYeah, the Indian Wars were brutal, and you’ll forget about the noble savage myth real quick once you start reading. Empire of the Summer Moon is one worth checking out.
Great reaction! This is such a real depitction of the horrors of the Civil War. This is a heartbreaking movie about a heartbreaking time in our nation's history. Thank you for your honesty.
Funfact: the confederate buried shaw eith the 54th in a mass grave thinking it would be disrespectful. Shaws mother later said, his son would be honored to be buried with his men so they were never excavated and laid rest together
Antietam 1862, 25,000 men became casualties in one day. Not even Normandy in 1944 would surpass this massacre. 700,000 men died in the civil war to free us all.
Abithef good Civil War movie is Gods & Generals (2003) and Gettysburg (1993). Both was directed Ronald F. Maxwell and was based on a civil war book series (forgot th books names). Gods & General is based on the the beginning of the civil war from 1861-1863. Even though Gettysburg came out in 1993 its entirely sbout the Battle of Gettysburg. I believe there was a 3rd book that was depicting what went on aftewr the Battle of Gettysburg till the end of the Civil War but they never made it.
@@peepinR I think it's less propaganda and more just a REALLY bad movie. Quite a few people believed Gettysburg was CSA propaganda too, including Gene Siskel, and I think the reasoning is largely the same. The main reason both films can be seen as Pro-CSA is because there is a CSA POV. Gettysburg works with this though because it doesn't JUST focus on the CSA, it focuses on multiple major characters on the Union side and shows us what THEY are fighting for, just as it shows why the CSA is fighting. On top of this, Gettysburg largely focuses on...well GETTYSBURG! The focus of the film is primarily on the Battle of Gettysburg and the tactics of the fight. As a result, you get a balanced movie with sympathetic characters on all sides and ultimately come away with arguably the greatest Civil War movie ever made. G&G has NONE of Gettysburg's positives though. Rather than focusing on Chancellorsville, the film focuses almost exclusively on Stonewall Jackson, who is HORRENDOUSLY miscast btw. The prominent Union characters from Gettysburg are almost completely absent as well, so the entire film ends up on projecting one side of the conflict. And since this was a battle that the Confederates WON, it makes the film come off even more like a love letter to the CSA. There are a LOT of other problems with G&G, like I said, it's a REALLY bad movie, but I don't think the filmmakers set out to make a Pro-CSA movie necessarily. I think they wanted to make their prequel to Gettysburg but wanted to change the formula around so that it didn't feel like a rehash of Gettysburg. Sadly, they failed SPECTACULARLY and it pretty much ruined any chance of us getting "The Last Full Measure" made into a film.
Such a great movie. I remember watching part of it in 5th grade, but we didn’t finish it. I made my mom take me to rent it after school so I could see the whole movie. Also, what a great score this movie has! It’s as moving as the story itself.
When that previously racist dude with the moustache has a change of heart and yells "Give 'em hell 54th!", now respecting them. That's some good shit! We need more of that in this current world, everywhere.
The film doesn't do the actual man credit. In actuality, he was so anti-slavery that he encouraged his black troops to burn down southern towns to punish the Confederacy for starting the war (which they did. Anyone who blames the Union is an idiot)
If this is the first time that you learned about Shaw and the 54th then it is a good day. At one point, the idea of exhuming Shaw from the South and moving his body back to Massachusetts was floated around, but the Shaw family believed Robert would want to remain with his fallen brothers. So, they are still all together.
Also why the monument to the 54th in Massachusetts isn't a statue of Shaw, but a bronze relief of Shaw leading the men. Shaw's family insisted the monument show him and his men.
They are literally a part of our country now. Together, they became the earth we walk on, and the land where we can enjoy the rights they died for us to enjoy.
Another layer to this was the confederates buried Shaw in a mass grave with his soldiers .
At the time the corpses of officers, especially high ranking ones like Colonels, were usually given special treatment, whether by sending them home or special burial accommodations.
Thus burying him with his men was meant as an insult.
His parents though explicitly ordered that Shaw not be moved, they said something touching along the lines of "We can think of no finer place for him to be surrounded by his devoted men and we think of no finer honor guard to keep him."
In one sense, you don't fully die until you are not remembered by anyone. Every time someone in the next generation learns about the 54th Mass - they live on.
BTW - not sure if it was mentioned, but that statue of the 54th that the closing credits is projected over is on Boston Common. It was made by Augustus Saint Gaudens, arguably America's greatest sculptor of the last half of the 19th century. Some people think it is supposed to show them in battle, but it actually shows them marching on Beacon St (where the statue is located). That was the parade scene shown in the film where Shaw sees his parents looking down on him as the troops see Frederick Douglass.
The bodies of the 54th Massachusetts fallen at Fort Wagner were exhumed after the war and reinterred at the Beaufort South Carolina National Cemetery. The Denzel Washington character is a composite character but based largely on Sgt. William Harvey Carney who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Fort Wagner. Until his death in 1908, he attended every regimental reunion. He is buried in New Bedford, MA.
"GIVE EM HELL, 54TH!!!" Breaks me every single time.
Yeah, me too. And, when Trip picks up the flag.
Yup.
The guy that yells that is Kevin Jarre. He wrote the script for Glory and Tombstone.
Its the charge and the music at the end that kills me every time.
Me too. I've seen this film over and over since the 90s and that moment has never not made me cry.
The tall white soldier who almost fought Denzel and later yelled Give em hell, was the screenwriter, Kevin Jarre. He also wrote and/or directed films incl Tombstone, The Devil's Own, The Mummy, and The Alamo. He died in 2011, aged 56.
I didn't know he had passed. That's a bummer. Today's Hollywood could use a man of his talents.
Tombstone was one of the best modern western films in the past 20-30 years. This inspite of some discrepancies when it comes to historical accuracy, is still one of the best films about the civil war of all time.
Don't apologize for crying!! If this doesn't break your heart, then do you really have one?? The performances of everyone in the cast were superb, but Denzel blew me away.
I'm sixty
I've seen this at least twenty times. Still makes me cry. ☮️
Denzel deserved an Oscar. So did Morgan Freeman. This is moviemaking at its finest. Any your emotional reaction was so moving. You earned my repect and my subscription. Too many Americans just don't care, and most of them will be voting for Trump, who is the living embodiment of the racism that just will not die in this hypocritical nation...
Denzel Washington earned his Oscar for his performance in this great film. Great reaction Leo! 👍🏿
First of two, as far as I remember. Denzel crushed Training Day, too.
@@sfodd1979and he should have won for Malcolm X.
@@jenfineHe was robbed!
@@jenfine He should have won for SEVERAL in my opinion, including Pelican Brief.
the tear drop that won the oscar.
The flogging scene is so hard to watch. Shaw was in a bad spot the actual punishment for desertion during a time of war is execution, so it was either flog or shoot denzel ☹️
The ending where they are both thrown in the grave together is a sullen reminder we are all heading to the same place and hate is just baggage that isn't worth carrying.
Great reaction fam!!!
What gets me about that scene is the look of shock and uncertainty from the sgt major after the back is stripped ….
Agreed that it is a very powerful scene, but in reality, Shaw never had any of his soldiers flogged. Flogging was banned as a punishment in the US military in 1861, and the 54th wasn't formed until late 1862. Had Shaw actually had any of his men flogged he at the very least would've been dishonorably discharged from the army.
But if it had been an option, I agree that it would've been a better option than the others. Execution wasn't the only option however, the other would've been to put the man in a POW camp with the possibility of hard labor for the duration of the war. That would've also likely been a death sentence for a black soldier as it would've been a Union POW camp that was full of Confederate prisoners of war.
@@stonecoldku4161 One minor flaw in your comment is the 54th was a state unit not regular army thus such a regulation change my not have filtered down at such a time yet. It would take the state time to adopt such an update even going through the state legislature as well. Much like today's guard units, primary control rest with the states until actually deployed to a war zone then under federal control. It also was shown as a lesser punishment as the standard for that crime even through WWII was death by firing squad. The AWOL charge would have been more likely in WWII however.
While the scene is impactful because of the narrative within the film, IRL flogging was banned and the optics would have been bad at the time for the Union if officers ordered the flogging of Union soldiers that were former slaves.
The practice was banned but Colonel Custer used it as punishment in his regiment after the war in 1866. He also ordered that some soldiers heads be shaved after they went awol to get food but returned voluntarily.
Rest in Peace Andre Braugher, man. He was only 61. What a great actor.`
He was Thomas, wow! Mind blown.
@@sfodd1979Andre GOAT Braugher
@@sfodd1979 Yeah, he played Thomas. When I first saw him in Glory, I remembered him as the incredible lead actor in the series Homicide: Life on The Street. Completely different character from Thomas, but he played both roles (and many others) brilliantly.
He complied with the production company demands 💉💉💉
“I will” 😢
Those are RG Shaw's actual letters being read by Matthew Broderick throughout the film.. Just FYI
Drill Sgts are all the same in all wars. They are tough to keep you alive.
The fact that the Irish sergeant pushed them was a sign that he took his job seriously. He trained them to survive combat
The training is supposed to be drilled into you so much that when shit hits the fan you go in automatic mode to survive, protect your squad and eliminate hostiles.
"Let him grow up some more."
If you had a soft and easy drill Sargent you wouldn’t return from war to tell people about it
They weren’t just fighting to survive. They were fighting for the freedom of future generations of citizens.
"Following the battle, commanding Confederate General Johnson Hagood returned the bodies of the other Union officers who had died, but left Shaw's where it was, for burial in a mass grave with the black soldiers. Hagood told a captured Union surgeon that "Had he [Shaw] been in command of white troops ..." he would have returned Shaw's body, as was customary for officers, instead of burying it with the fallen black soldiers.[37]
Although the gesture was intended as an insult by Hagood, Shaw's friends and family believed it was an honor for him to be buried with his soldiers. Efforts had been made to recover Shaw's body (which had been stripped and robbed prior to burial). His father publicly proclaimed that he was proud to know that his son had been buried with his troops, befitting his role as a soldier and a crusader for emancipation.[38]
In a letter to the regimental surgeon, Lincoln Stone, Frank Shaw wrote:
"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![39]""
I cry every time I read what his father said. What good men. The world yearns for more people like that, whose love of justice and brotherhood outweigh any petty, pathetic hatred do to with foolishness like melanin levels. Seriously, hating someone for color? It's so unevolved. A half-step from flinging your own poop at someone when you get angry with them.
The first Republican President stood for freedom. He fought despite having his hands tied by politics of the times. God rest his soul, Abraham Lincoln died after sacrificing so much for this country. I find it hard to forgive his assasin. Though Mr Booth likely has a debt to pay before God, so I will console myself with that.
I honor the legacy of all who died fighting that war. Whatever their motivation, it ended that evil.
Now it is up to us to be the country we want to be. To be better. To fight the cartels who even now enslave children and hide them underground in this very country. We need all to get in the fight.
The inevitable appearance of Mr. Shaw’s letter is always my favorite comment on the reactions to “Glory”.
Same mud, same blood. God bless the 54th!
Give'em Hell 54th!
That is beautiful
the statue at the end is in Boston on the Common, it's beautiful and one of my favorites
the memorial had liknesses of his troops. if you look some of the actors resemble them.
I saw it on recent trip to Boston. A fitting tribute to Shaw and the men of the 54th.
A year ago it was vandalized by BLM protestors.
...and the original plaster cast by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.
And shamefully damaged by Antifa and BLM riots that attacked many civil war sites including a statue of Fredrick Douglass next to the place he published much of his works.
"Why am I getting so emotional?" James Horner. James Horner is why.
@@CalicoCooperFan He composed the scores for Aliens, Avatar and Titanic
I wore this soundtrack out.
@@graceskerpalso Braveheart.
This movie broke my heart the first time I saw it. The first battle shown in the movie is the Battle of Antietam and still remains the bloodiest battle in US history with over 20,000 casualties in a day.
William Carney was the first black Medal of Honor recipient was at the Battle for Fort Wagner. The flag bearer was shot and killed but Carney was next to him and grabbed the flag so it wouldn't hit the ground. Despite multiple gunshots and shrapnel wounds, Carney brought the flag all the way back to the Union side without it ever touching the ground.
It was the bloodiest single day but there were more casualties at Gettysburg but that lasted 3 days
I believe one of Fredrik Douglas' sons was injured during the siege of Ft Wagner?
@@richied484 Yes he was, he had two sons that fought in the 54th.
Me too
Black History is American History. Asian History is American History. Native American History is American History. When I watch this; I see OUR History. When American Service Men and Women go into Harms way to rescue Americans, they don’t ask what color, what religion, what sex/sexual orientation. You are American, you are part of our collective tribe. We stand together or we fall apart.
gay
Hear hear!
Every Nov. 11, I've taken my daughter (now 19) to big cemetery in our city to put American flags on vets graves (vets section goes back to Civil War). In World War 1 section, there's a part called "Nurses row" w/4 women buried together. Since my daughter was little, I make sure she gets "Over There" to place a flag on one 'em. As a young women, I want her to know it isn't only "guys like me" who hv built & served our nation. Women & people of color hv also (it ain't woke, it's fact). Yeah, I'm a veteran, straight, white guy. But, if I expect my daughter to identify w/American history (not just "negative" stuff), she shld know "women like her" had / have a place in making it (our history isn't finished being written). Same goes for everyone else. Our nation has heroes (I don't pretend to be one). I can say, yes, some do look like me, but many don't. It's important that all the stories are told.
Thank you for your service.
@@atheistdingo6273 Ok putin troll. Go to Ukraine and lose. USA!
It's important to realize Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy's brutal methods are exactly what he would have done to white soldiers. He was training them to survive much worse. In the flogging scene, any white soldier in that same circumstance would also have been flogged, or shot, for desertion. Still, Denzel's acting in the scene is gut-wrenching, and I've teared up watching it many times, especially knowing what Trip has suffered in his life so far. You can see every bit of that in Denzel's face, in his eyes.
Yeah, discipline in war is a must.
We see in Montgomery’s Contraband regiment what could have happened with the 54th had Shaw NOT committed to training HIS men up to proper military standards…. He would have treated them like paper plates and plastic forks in stead of a military issue mess kit…
I'm not familiar w/the actor who played the Irish-American Sgt. Major, but, he absolutely nailed the role.
And also remember the Irish were treated like second class citizens back then just above slaves but not as equally as other whites.
Flogging was far from unheard of as a punishment during the war, along with punitive head and face shaving (back in straight razor days), branding (cattle style), being tied up and exposed to the elements and regular old fashioned beating with hands, feet, butt stocks and the flat side of a sword.
Man this was most honest and compassionate Glory reaction I have ever seen. You got yourself subscriber.
As a veteran, who never tells anyone that I'm a veteran, I'm proud to be in the same army as these men.
I appreciate Shaw sticking to professionalism and rank in this movie. Fairness. He can't play favorites with Thomas, even though he's good friends with him and he now has to allow him to toughen up for war.
This movie is heart wrenching in so many ways. I remember crying like a baby at the ending. Damn... Haven't dropped in for awhile... love ya Leo!
You’re not crying because of the music. You’re crying because this really happened. ❤
It's both.
Don't worry about getting teary eyed. I was 19 when this movie came out. I'm 54 now. I cry every time. I cried this time.
I believe it was sometimes after the Civil War they was talking about Exhumation Shaws body to be sent back to Ma but his fauther or parents said no and to leave him as he is with the rest of his men of the 54th Massachusetts
yes! They said "We would not have his body removed from where it lies surrounded by his brave and devoted soldiers."
@@TresTrefusis So fucking epic
The love and respect is just a class right there..a story needs to be tought in every class today
“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!” - Frank Shaw, Father of Robert Gould Shaw.
@@toad1er Amazing!
I am a combat vet ( Vietnam ) this movies always makes me proud . You did an outstanding job Sir . Thank you for this and God bless you.
Glory is one of those movies that everyone should have. The reason why you feel so emotional is because this is something that really happened. They are our ancestors. And they fought in the spirit of change, for something better. And that spirit is in all of us. Loved your reaction. I felt the same way when I first saw it. That's all 👍🏼
Watching this with you meant a lot to me. Thank you for sharing your reaction with us. I wish there were more people like you in the world.
Dude as soon as I see Glory being reacted to I need to recommend 2 things for Mr. Video:
1. Ken Burns Civil War PBS Series
2. Malcolm X (Denzel as X)
Anything by Ken Burns is great, but the civil series was beyond. good recommendation
In The Simpsons episode "The Color Yellow" and other supplementaey materials, it's joked that Ken Burns is a nephew of Mr. Burns through one of his brothers. Mr. Burns' grandfather Colonel Wainwright vows that Ken and Ric Burns' filmography will carry on the Burns legacy and seek revenge against the Simpsons for outwitting him.
Gettysburg is another great Civil War film.
"We men, ain't we?"
Yes, they were!
And then some!
Anti up and kick in, Like men. Like Men
Powerful words to any man.
The time is going to come to every man's life...maybe not the same way as it does for the 54th...but the time will come to ante up and pitch in.
We men...ain't we?
It is a true story- but they left out a lot of the real history. A couple of examples: Fredrick Douglas' son was a Sergeant in the 54th and survived the battle. The man you see in the attack on Ft. Wagner, waving the flag and yelling "Rally! Rally!" is most likely William Harvey Carney; he's the one who "really" picked up the flag when Colonel Shaw was killed and was the first African American to win the Medal of Honor.
It is factual but, the 54th was way more involved with the Civil War. They should have done a mini-series like Band of Brothers.
Unfortunately at the time Glory was being produced there wasn’t alot of mini series in Hollywood …. Hollywood at that time mostly either invested in feature length movies where it could get a return on its investment through first theater ticket sales, then the secondary markets of personal home theater (vhs sales, movie rental, cable and broadcast licensing ) or in full season (26 week) television series …. Mini series at that time were mostly PBS or BBC and it wouldnt be until special interest cable channels started outsourcing to the BBC for content that the mini series model started appeal to hollywood….
Back in the day a televison series was considered a failure if it didnt reach either about 50 1 hour or about 100 30 minutes episodes so that it could be resold for syndication… a mini series just wasn’t much of an interest for selling commercials
@@MrSheckstrRoots happened, though, so it wasn’t impossible.
@@Justanotherconsumer Maybe, but those were nowhere near the same time.
Amazing thing to think about is the fact that Colonel Shaw was only 25 years old when he died such a big responsibility for someone in the early twenties
Yes and there was a totally different maturity level back then as well. Totally different world as wars of freedom were fought.
Every time I see this film, I cry like it's the first time. The road to freedom has been long and difficult.
There's always good people and ignorant people who are resistant to change. In the heat of battle, you see their true colors.
This was Matthew Broderick's best role. Your identification with these characters was very sincere.
Great film, great reaction.
Imagine being in one of those battles when it breaks down into a melee. Mobs of screaming men wrestling, beating, stabbing each other. Raw rage and terror and survival instinct and all that training, in those precious seconds of life and death. War is crazy. War is hell. But sometimes, like with the Union, the cause is truly just. God bless our troops.
Because rifles used in most battles were single shot breechloaders, the only practical way to fight was getting off just a few shots followed by a furious bayonet charge.
Their 54th statue was desecrated during the BLM protests. Can’t forget the history or the sacrifices
Of course it was. You think those people actually know history? They are entirely comprised of rejects of society.
"riots"
Riots, and don’t ever forget that.
BLM doesn’t give two shits about black lives if they can’t use them as a means to grift money or brutalize anyone who doesn’t fall in line.
"Mostly peaceful violence"
Yeah that was a punch in the stomach. Seeing the dregs of society defile a monument to some of America's finest sons. It's so wrong on so many levels.
9:44 Yeah, he's rough on them, but as you see, there's a purpose. He's toughening them up. I love when they are marching down Boston, and he's standing there proud of them.
Oh nooooooo Leo!! Saving Private Ryan and Glory are two movies that literally leave me dehydrated every time I watch them. I'm basically crying from start to finish. But dammit, I love them both.
Grave of the Fireflies is that way for me.
I don’t watch it though. Even watching reactions to it is hard.
That rage and pain on your face during the whipping scene was why it is shown. NEVER forget what our ancestors survived to gain our freedom, never forget we are the descendants of men and women that were that strong.
Shaw's blonde friend is the guy in the Princess Bride.
Aaaaaas youuuuu wiiiissshhh!
Cary Elwes. The name deserves respect.
and Robin of Loxley
In the British army perhaps other European armies, the first wave to attack a fortress or castle is called the 'Folorn Hope'. The first wave never succeeds, sometimes it's 3rd, 4th, or 5th, sometimes seiges go on for years. So the title, means those with little to no hope.
This is why fighting in frontal naked charges like that have been mostly abandoned in modern advanced armies. It just isn't worth the cost in lives.
Saw Glory in the theater when I was a kid. Have always loved it and cry every time I watch it. Such a powerful story.
"Glory" is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
I first saw this film in middle school almost thirty years ago and it stayed with me in a profound way.
I am now a middle school history teacher myself and show this movie every year. I STILL get goosebumps and tear up at some scenes.
The incredible bravery and valor of these men is so incredibly inspiring. They must’ve fought like absolute warriors knowing what was on the line and what they were fighting for! Shaw deserves his due too. Don’t forget Shaw was only 25 years old so of course he was unsure of himself at times but damn…. He was born into total privilege and he put it all on the line and fought and died in his belief of abolition. He walked the walk, didn’t just talk the talk.
I absolutely loved your reactions to this film.
Who those who don’t know Antium creek the battle at the very start of the movie was the bloodiest day for American military ever
Antietam
OMG! I have watched reactions to this movie many times. Yours was by way the most heart wrenching. The emotions you showed going thru was incredible. YOU had me in tears, not the movie. Thank you so much for your reaction.
Leo, your passion during this reaction is wonderful, the connection you feel to those brave souls of the The 54th is beautiful. 😢
This movie should be a requirement to watch in History class. This is very powerful and truist depiction of tbis time and war.
LOVE YA LEO!!
@@AlexRominger Leo’s a legend. Please have a look at my stuff too! I’ve only done a few movies but I’m planning to do more over the remainder of 24’ and beginning of 25’!
This is unfortunately the part of our history that is being removed from classrooms in southern states. 😢
We watched in my 11th grade US History class-1995, Kentucky.
Wish all US schools showed it.
We watched this in my 7th grade history class.
@@React2ThisYeah, they’ve lost their damn minds down there😞
"Please don't cut anymore" Breaks me every time. Don't have to see it, the brain fills in the horrors, along with the mans agonized screams. Those poor brave soldiers. Respect. Google "U.S. Civil war medical kit" and look at the bone saws. Chilling. This is an incredible film!
There is a monument for the Massachusetts 54th in the middle of Boston. They man who made this film lived there and walked his dog past the monument. He once noticed that the solders were black and began to learn more about the 54th. This led to the film.
That short-range canister fire is the worst. It turns the cannon into a giant shotgun.
I must say that when I first started watching you, I didn't take you seriously, but I watched you because you were at least funny. I think you have come a long way and I hope your channel goes on forever.
Glory is definitely a classic.
32:35 When the reporter gives Shaw news from other battles, after the 54th's victory at James Island, he's talking about Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, PA, and Union Gen. Ulysses S Grant's victory at Vicksburg, MS, on the banks of the Mississippi River, and all on the 4th of July, 1863. Sadly, the war was not over by Christmas 1863, but would go on until April 9, 1865.
It’s worth noting that the music, composed by James Horner, incorporates the wonderful Boys Choir of Harlem. I had the honor of playing violin for a number of James’ scores and the man was brilliant and generous. Thank you for your reaction. Liked and subscribed.
Denzel the GOAT
One of the few movies I think he killed the acting in. Fantastic acting all round though.
Morgan did his job right too.
I dunno, I just love him in whatever he’s in.
We watch these reaction videos just for when you guys start to cry 😅
Feels validating that our favorite movies are good.
15:54 I agree, but the thing Shaw is trying to do for Thomas, is to toughen him up. Thomas can't always go to Shaw, when things get tough. And he can't give special treatment, for Thomas, then it looks bad on Shaw.
The soldier who gets in an argument with Trip at 27:35 (and who yells "Give 'em hell, 54th!" at Ft. Wagner) was played by the late great writer and director Kevin Jarre, the man who wrote GLORY and much of TOMBSTONE.
26:31 Although they exaggerate greatly, James Montgomery was castigated for his action in Darien. However, at the Raid of Coombahee, Montgomery along with Harriet Tubman, freed over 800 slaves. His reasons for burning of Darien was to make the Southerners feel personally the real cost of war. He was "a sincere, if unscrupulous, antislavery zealot. In fact, there is no record of him ever owning slaves; on the contrary, he was a rabid abolitionist and routinely freed many slaves during the War. It is very unlikely he thought of them as "children" or "monkeys". Otherwise, he would never had worked with Tubman. In fact, his regiment of 2nd SC were the ones who freed the slaves at Coombahee.
Yeah it's sad how he got the shaft in the writing of this movie. I know they wanted to tell a bunch of stories through this movie and bent the actual events somewhat to make it fit in, overall I still love the movie but feel sad for Montgomery's legacy being tarnished.
"zealot". I gather that was the fellow who was introduced as a "Jayhawker". That term has origin in the history of "Bleeding Kansas". Some southern hooligans went to Kansas to ensure that the incipient state entered the Union as a slave state. This escalated into a miniature civil war before the Civil War even started, with bitter atrocities on either hand. The anti-slavery side were called "Jayhawks".
When the formal war kicked off, both sides got recruited into the respective armies, but the Union command wanted to reassert the rules of war in the west, so they sent regiments from other states to fight the war in Kansas, and redeployed the Jayhawks to the Army of the Potomac, where they wouldn't be interacting with the folk they'd been trading atrocities with, and would be under the supervision of higher command. Apparently, the cure didn't take perfectly in a few cases.
Some of the western forces didn't surrender after the war and take the amnesty, notably Quantrill's Raiders. They continued to sustain themselves for a time by raiding, like it says on the tin, until they were finally subdued. Many early outlaws of the post-war west were former Raiders, some quite notorious, like Jesse James.
Most white SOUTHERNERS did not own any black slaves then, either. The average white Southerner in 1860 was poor or working class, often little better off than the black slaves. There were also lots of whites in the South who were pro-Union and lots of whites in the North who were pro-Confederacy. The White plantation owners actually were a very small percentage of the Southern white population. Also the act of "freeing slaves" as depicted in most movies about the Civil War was not really such a happy day for the slaves. Just use logic. For the majority of freed slaves it must have been a really scary time to survive.
Gettysburg and Vicksburg are considered turning points in the Civil War. Gettysburg dulled the Confederacy's spear, Vicksburg broke their back. After July 4th 1863, the Confederacy was fighting a defensive war, it was only a matter of time to their defeat.
Yes and no. The Confederacy was very foolish to engage with Union troops is big open field battles. If the "rebels" had engaged almost exclusively in guerilla warfare hit-and-run attacks and never tried to go so far north, they could have forced the Union to negotiate a peace settlement. There was widespread opposition to the war in the North and an endless stream of young men coming back in coffins with no tangible gain might have pressured Lincoln to sue for peace or risk losing the 1864 election to the Democrats, who would sympathize with the Confederacy.
Their monument was defaced in the riots of 2019. I’m sure they had no clue who they were disrespecting and the sacrifice that they made.
Crooked LEOs caused that situation, I'm fine with blaming them for that.
See my comment for further but... hearing that made me lose all support for their cause. I couldn't believe it when I heard. Unforgivable in my eyes. Someone should've sat down everyone who touched a can of spray paint that night and make them watch this movie for 24 hours straight and then clean up the mess. Semper Fi 54th.
Doubt it. The monument has however been defaced after pretty much every Boston sports team championship
Seeing this movie in the 80's and knowing about the 54th I and many Aussies were horrified that the BLM protests desecrated the 54th monument, just a bunch of thugs.
@@dpw140OK, so be gleefully wrong, it's known for a fact that it happened, the shit is an hour away from me.
I love this movie. The soundtrack is haunting and beautiful. I think you should follow up by watching "Men of Honor" featuring Cuba Gooding Jr. Based on the true story of the first black navy diver Carl Brashear. It will move and inspire you much like this movie did.
Yes Men of Honor is awesome
I adore this film. Thank you. And thank you for all the crazy hard work you do!
"He got the new Jordans on"
You got me with that one.
Great film, glad you enjoyed this one.
Don't apologize for being emotional. That last battle makes everyone emotional. The score is incredible 😭
"Trips got some deep rooted stuff, thats causing him to act like this" Yea its called Chattel Slavery!!! 😒
Amazing movie. Still cry every time I watch.
This is prob the best reaction I've seen in a long long time. I think that's because I reacted the same way you did when I saw this movie. Cheers!
Grew up and live in MA - this was a big part of (forget what year) our history class. The Civil War in general, but also Shaw and this movie. I remember seeing the film but not knowing about them (yet) and being so angry and upset when the flag is relieved to be the confederates. Great movie and of course a subscription from me back when you had the other channel lol. Qapla!
Same ✊. I was raised on this Film at school and home. It’s a favorite and so powerful.
To get emotional watching this Leo just means you're human. Great movie and an equally great reaction.
40:06 The Confederates thought they were dishonoring Robert by throwing his corpse into a grave with his men... I'm sure there was no greater honor.
His mother wrote how she could not think of a better way to lay her son to rest
@@Strawberry-12.Yes, her letter is very touching. That and the incredible 54th Mass memorial monument in Boston which is a masterpiece memorial for those brave US Army soldiers.
Dying for you fool! Always gets me
FINALLY! This is one of my favorite movies ever.
The pride on your face gave me chills.
One of my favorite War movies.
One of the best soundtracks ever.
My eighth grade social studies teacher was an extra in the filming of this movie.
It was long before the mental deficiencies plaguing humans today, and he loved his role.
Arrington. He kept his award on his desk for being in the movie.
A person should not be OK when this movie ends. Anyone who does not feel moved has turned off all the sympathy in their heart. This is one of my all-time favorite films… A top-five film for me. It’s a story about what it means to be a man. we all have baggage. We all have trauma. Skin color doesn’t matter. Social status doesn’t matter. Neither does religion nor rank. Each one of us is left with a choice to either continue with our brothers and fight or two quit and run away.
Soldiering is a serious business life and death. War is about the worst thing that humans can do. So why did the men of the 54th Massachusetts volunteer Regiment sign up? They did it to get rid of the practice and the concept that human beings can be property.
This movie is the perfect answer for Clint Eastwood’s film, the outlaw, Josey, Wales. Josie’s wife and child were killed by soldiers. He decided to make a new world and to get some revenge along the way. I don’t know why Josie Wales is celebrated as a hero, because he fought for the side that wanted slavery. Josey Wales fought for the right to continue to own human beings as property. I find him disgusting.
Whatever their reasons, in the end Trip, Thomas,, Rawlins, Forbes, and Shaw all foughtfor and died for the abolition of slavery
Ehh, I agree with you for the most part but the notion that religion, aka spiritual beliefs, don't matter is a ridiculous one. Everything I am comes from God. It informs who I am, what I believe, how I act, what I like, and what I don't like. I cannot stand for false gods nor will I support evil when I see it. I don't have a religion with God, I have a relationship with Him and I will do everything I can to uphold that relationship and behave in a way that would make Him proud.
That matters a whole hell of a lot. And for the people that oppose me and my beliefs, their beliefs matter a lot too. They believe it's fine to murder unborn children, they believe it isn't harmful to engage in promiscuous sex, they think money is the most important thing in life, and ultimately they think that people only matter as long as you're getting something out of them. We are fundamentally opposed to each other and the reason for that is because of their religious views and my spiritual views. I really couldn't imagine a *MORE* important thing than that.
Your reaction video is awesome! I was an infantry instructor for six of my thirteen years in the army. The Irish sergeant proudly watching the troops he helped make into soldiers parade through Boston gets me.
The guy who plays Thomas Earles is the late great Andre Braugher. He’s most well known for Brooklyn Nine Nine.
You should read the books written about the 54th Massachusetts. The attack on Fort Wagner was a massacre. The rebels took no prisoners and Col. Robert Gould Shaw was buried with his men. The letter he wrote to his mother before the attack is his real words. I visited the Houghton Museums and his letters are a heart breaking description of the war and what he knew would be a doomed attack.
A wonderful film. My 4th great- uncle, John Sampson, Union Army from New Hampshire 22 years old was killed at Battle of Peterbough. His brother was fighting near by. When he heard John was killed, he and 2 other soldiers got Johns body ,hid him under leaves by a creek so he wouldnt be buried in a mass grave. Next day both brothers were on a train to NH and John was buried in our family cemetary. I'm proud to be one of his decendants.
Seen this movie 20 times, I ball like a baby every time - no shame
When asked if he would like his son's remains buried at home he said: "we would not have his body removed from where it lies, surrounded by his brave and devoted brothers and soldiers."
And I personally believe that's exactly where he would want to be. With the men who started as runaway slaves, and became his brothers.
@20:57 "I got the chills in my body"
I've been living for this. Been on this ride with Leo since 'the big TV days.' How far you've come! Glad you brought us with you--
What a great cast. They all look like babies (except for Morgan Freeman who always looks the same age.)
You gotta go back to those early episodes of The Electric Company on PBS to see a young Morgan.
We watched this in my 7th Grade History class. I had no idea what to expect. The lights went out and the movie rolled. Unlike normal everyone was silent the whole way through, and I found myself completely captured by the movie. When Denzel picks up that flag tears flooded down my face. They didn't stop until the credits were rolling. I was horribly embarrassed knowing the lights were going to come on and everyone would see that I had been crying. I was wiping my eyes doing everything I could think of to hide my tears, but it was no use. The lights flipped on and basically the entire class was crying. A good story is a powerful and unifying thing.
The true testament to Shaw and the 54th is what they did without him. Their heart and his dedication to the men is - they believed, organized, and fought on their own in the face of his death. He gave them the ability to be a group of fighting men (not black or white) and they had the courage and strength of character to take it and act on it.
Stunning film and reaction. Respect from England 🏴
I loved reading about The Buffalo Soldiers during a school project, if I remember correctly they were the first all black WW2 Squad, Platoon?
And learning about the Tuskegee Airmen in Night At the Museum 😅
You remember half the story. Buffalo Soldiers were black US Army regiments who fought Native Americans in the wild west in the 19th century after the civil war. There was a black Infantry division that was known as the Buffalo Soldiers in WW2, but they were paying homage to the originals, who the government paid to fight Natives during the westward expansion of America in the second half of the 19th century.
@@sfodd1979 Woah, I gotta check that out
I'm on a history kick right now
@@DanHoslerYeah, the Indian Wars were brutal, and you’ll forget about the noble savage myth real quick once you start reading. Empire of the Summer Moon is one worth checking out.
Great reaction! This is such a real depitction of the horrors of the Civil War. This is a heartbreaking movie about a heartbreaking time in our nation's history. Thank you for your honesty.
Waz up Leo😊 hey if you haven't yet watch Man On Fire with Denzel , makes me cry every time😢 really good movie
Funfact: the confederate buried shaw eith the 54th in a mass grave thinking it would be disrespectful. Shaws mother later said, his son would be honored to be buried with his men so they were never excavated and laid rest together
If you liked this one, you might also like LINCOLN (2012). One of Spielberg's greatest.
Great reaction as always. I know this movie by heart and I still cry every time at least 4 times.
There’s a similar movie to this except based on a true story from World War 2 called “Red Tails.” Please consider it Leo! It’s a cracking film mate!
I would recommend the HBO movie “The Tuskegee Airmen” with Laurence Fishburne. It’s more historically accurate.
Oh this movie makes me cry every single time!! An entire cast of great actors!! The people they portrayed are true heroes!
Am I going crazy or is that Ferris Buler
It is 😊
Yeah, it was his day off
Yes, that is the man who killed a mother and daughter in a head on collision and only received $175 fine.
He's remarkably similar looking to the actual Robert Shaw.
And that’s Cary Elwes aka dread Pirate Roberts/Wesley
Watching you brought back my memories (and tears) of my first time watching this glorious movie. Thank you so much. It’s a special one.
I clicked so fast!
Wow, your reaction was off the charts... its like you we're there!! 👍👍
Antietam 1862, 25,000 men became casualties in one day. Not even Normandy in 1944 would surpass this massacre. 700,000 men died in the civil war to free us all.
Abithef good Civil War movie is Gods & Generals (2003) and Gettysburg (1993). Both was directed Ronald F. Maxwell and was based on a civil war book series (forgot th books names). Gods & General is based on the the beginning of the civil war from 1861-1863. Even though Gettysburg came out in 1993 its entirely sbout the Battle of Gettysburg. I believe there was a 3rd book that was depicting what went on aftewr the Battle of Gettysburg till the end of the Civil War but they never made it.
Gettysburg is a all-time classic but Gods and Generals was awful. Confederate propoganda
@@peepinR I think it's less propaganda and more just a REALLY bad movie. Quite a few people believed Gettysburg was CSA propaganda too, including Gene Siskel, and I think the reasoning is largely the same. The main reason both films can be seen as Pro-CSA is because there is a CSA POV. Gettysburg works with this though because it doesn't JUST focus on the CSA, it focuses on multiple major characters on the Union side and shows us what THEY are fighting for, just as it shows why the CSA is fighting. On top of this, Gettysburg largely focuses on...well GETTYSBURG! The focus of the film is primarily on the Battle of Gettysburg and the tactics of the fight. As a result, you get a balanced movie with sympathetic characters on all sides and ultimately come away with arguably the greatest Civil War movie ever made.
G&G has NONE of Gettysburg's positives though. Rather than focusing on Chancellorsville, the film focuses almost exclusively on Stonewall Jackson, who is HORRENDOUSLY miscast btw. The prominent Union characters from Gettysburg are almost completely absent as well, so the entire film ends up on projecting one side of the conflict. And since this was a battle that the Confederates WON, it makes the film come off even more like a love letter to the CSA. There are a LOT of other problems with G&G, like I said, it's a REALLY bad movie, but I don't think the filmmakers set out to make a Pro-CSA movie necessarily. I think they wanted to make their prequel to Gettysburg but wanted to change the formula around so that it didn't feel like a rehash of Gettysburg. Sadly, they failed SPECTACULARLY and it pretty much ruined any chance of us getting "The Last Full Measure" made into a film.
@@kylewilson2819 I get many of your points yes the way they valorized and almost deified Stonewall Jackson was the really annoying to me.
@@peepinR I like calling it "The Passion of Stonewall Jackson". Portraying him as some secret abolitionist was definitely a choice...
Such a great movie. I remember watching part of it in 5th grade, but we didn’t finish it. I made my mom take me to rent it after school so I could see the whole movie. Also, what a great score this movie has! It’s as moving as the story itself.
When that previously racist dude with the moustache has a change of heart and yells "Give 'em hell 54th!", now respecting them. That's some good shit!
We need more of that in this current world, everywhere.
That man is the screenwriter for the film.
The film doesn't do the actual man credit. In actuality, he was so anti-slavery that he encouraged his black troops to burn down southern towns to punish the Confederacy for starting the war (which they did. Anyone who blames the Union is an idiot)