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Directed by: Edward Zwick 
Written by: Kevin Jarre, from the books Lay This Laurel by Lincoln Kirstein and One Gallant Rush by Peter Burchard, and the letters of Robert Gould Shaw
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| Tookey's Review |
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| Pro Reviews |
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| Mixed Reviews |
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| Anti Reviews |
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| Cast |
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| Released: |
1989 |
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| Genre: |
DRAMA
UNDERRATED
WAR
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| Origin: |
US |
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| Length: |
122 |
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The story of America's first black regiment to bear arms in the American Civil War. Under white officers and a callow young colonel, the black soldiers have to fight not only the opposing Confederates, but also the prejudices of their own side.
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Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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| That cherishable rarity: a war film which neither diminishes the heroism of soldiers, nor tries to glamorise warfare. James Horner's pompous, obtrusive score is a disastrous error of taste; the screenplay is efficient, rather than inspired; and you'd never guess from the upbeat ending that US regiments remained racially segregated until the Korean War, almost a hundred years later. |
| Despite these flaws, the film succeeds in being moving, entertaining and a stirring achievement on an epic scale. Veteran British cinematographer Freddie Francis deservedly won an Oscar; and director Edward Zwick, best known for TV's thirtysomething , shows he can handle action scenes as well as liberal angst (here embodied in the regiment's young, white commanding officer, Matthew Broderick: a sensitive and critically underrated performance). Steven Rosenblum was deservedly Oscar-nominated for his editing (the battle scenes are especially effective), as was Norman Garwood for his production design. |
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, Cary Elwes