How a 1989 war epic transformed the legacy of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 1989 film Glory brought the story of the Union Army's first African American regiment to global audiences. While it earned critical acclaim and an Oscar for Denzel Washington, the production faced intense scrutiny regarding its narrative focus and whether it centered the white officer over the soldiers themselves.

Directed by Edward Zwick, Glory chronicles the formation and combat experiences of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. The screenplay, written by Kevin Jarre, drew from historical texts like Peter Burchard’s One Gallant Rush and Lincoln Kirstein’s Lay This Laurel, alongside the personal letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. The film follows the regiment from its initial organization in Boston to its climactic, tragic assault on Fort Wagner. By depicting the soldiers' struggle for equal pay and their eventual combat roles, the film highlights how the 54th’s courage influenced the Union Army’s decision to enlist thousands of Black men for active duty.

The production process was marked by significant creative friction. Producer James Ivory was famously dismissed by Kirstein after suggesting a rewrite of the script, and the project shifted between studios before finding a home at Tri-Star. To ensure historical authenticity, Zwick hired technical adviser Shelby Foote, who later gained fame for his role in Ken Burns’s documentary series. Filming took place across Georgia and Massachusetts, with the Fort Wagner battle sequence shot on the beaches of Jekyll Island. Despite the film's success, critics remained divided on its perspective. Some, like Roger Ebert, praised its attention to period detail and emotional resonance, while others questioned the reliance on a white protagonist to frame the experiences of Black soldiers.

The film’s legacy remains robust, evidenced by its 2025 selection for the United States National Film Registry. Critics have long debated the film's structure, with some reviewers arguing that top-billing Matthew Broderick overshadowed the Black characters. However, others, including Gene Siskel, lauded the film for portraying the soldiers as distinct individuals rather than archetypes. With a worldwide gross of $27 million against an $18 million budget, Glory succeeded as both a commercial and cultural touchstone. It remains a complex example of how Hollywood attempts to balance historical education with the demands of epic storytelling, ultimately cementing the 54th’s sacrifice in the American consciousness.

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