Glory

Zwick doing what Zwick does best. Glory is a grandiose, pompous Hollywood flick. A barrage of sentimental kitsch that once again reiterates America's racist past and all its lingering traumas. As a war film, it's quite tedious. As a drama, it's just a load of drivel. Based on Zwick's track record, I can't say this outcome really surprised me.

The film focuses on Robert Shaw, an idealist whose first assignment is very sobering. He returns home after a bloody battle and is assigned the 54th infantry, which consists exclusively of black people. Shaw accepts his mission and recruits an old classmate to help him train these soldiers.

Performances are bad, but I can't even fault the actors when the direction is so dreary and overbearing. I didn't care about any of the characters or emotions, didn't care about the outcome of the film, not was I impressed by any aesthetic qualities. Glory is the equivalent of selling a Big Mac in a three-star restaurant. Well overpriced and just the thought alone makes you queasy.