Glory 4K
review by Bobby Blakey
Director Edward Zwick has offered up some great films throughout his career including About Last Night, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai and so many more. In 1989 he teamed up with Denzel Washington for the first time for the film Glory before going on to work together on numerous films. Now to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the film Sony is bringing the film to limited edition 4K Steelbook, but does the film hold up and do it justice or will it never make it to the battlefield?
Glory follows the heart-stopping story of the first Black regiment to fight for the North in the Civil War. Broderick and Elwes are the idealistic young Bostonians who lead the regiment; Freeman is the inspirational sergeant who unites the troops; and Denzel Washington, in an Academy Award®-winning performance, is the runaway slave who embodies the indomitable spirit of the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts.
The film features an amazing cast including Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, Cliff De Young, Bob Gunton, Richard Riehle and the late Andre Braugher. The film tends to focus more on Broderick’s character for much of the film as he struggles to find his place as their leader as well as fighting for their rights. Make no mistake, both Freeman and Washington are front and center giving powerful performances, but Broderick is carrying the narrative.
The film is an impactful story of these brave men during the Civil War that doesn’t veer away from the horrible treatment they endured complete with a
powerful scene with Denzel that will no doubt hit you in the depth of your soul without ever saying a word. Freeman offers up the same with some powerful moments and monologues that are sadly still way too relevant today. The entire cast is fantastic and while the film is a slow burn at times as opposed to the heavy war action you might expect it still delivers the powerful history these men deserve.
The war sequences that are here work well and although isn’t anything like we have become accustomed to today, still bring the emotion and chaos you might expect. They bring the battlefield to life but manage to infuse personal drama to the mix that really does a great job of getting the ultimate outcome that impact it needs for the finale and story of these heroes.
The 4K transfer looks great and this new release offers up all the bonus content including commentary, trailer, deleted scenes, documentaries and more. Step onto the battle field and grab your copy of the Glory Limited Edition 4K Steelbook available now from Sony Home Entertainment.