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A Song of Ice and Fire / Other Topics / Why Glory is Such a Damn Good Movie

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 9th 9:39 PM
I just watched Glory last night for the third time, and I'm sorry, but I simply have to say something about it here.
I am addicted to history, American Civil war above all. The whole era fascinates me like no other. I won't go into all the details why. Glory gives me goosebumps and shivers at the end every time--the way all those former slaves in the 54th Mass. fought and died for their freedom.
You know, sometimes when I think I have it tough
I think "what if I were in the place of one of those guys--lying dying on the shores of South Carolina, my guts spilling out, or my arm off, the horrors of war all around me--giving my life for what I believed in." I have absolutely nothing in my life to whine about. And it's thanks to men like those who so gallantly gave their life, that I can sit here and think about it.

Sorry for the rambling, I don't know if any other sane person get so worked up over a movie....let me know.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 9th 10:05 PM
What??!!! no one in the "Good Movies" thread agrees with me? Hmmmm....someone please tell me they forgot about Glory.

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Mar 10th 5:26 AM
Well, haven't seen the movie, but I do have a philosophy somewhat like what you described above.

Difference is that my philosophy is worded a bit more cynically (all right, 'a bit' is a gross underestimation), so I will not say it here in public, lest I will be Bar-B-Q'd in one big flame.
:P

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Mar 10th 7:23 AM
Eric, I enjoyed Glory very much. I too am an American Civil War buff. In the past few years I have visited and walked the battlefields at Gettysburg, Antietam, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor. While Gettysburg gets most of the spotlight because of the huge, pivotal battle that took place there, I prefer the more quiet locales in Maryland and Virginia. If you listen closely at places like Manassas, you can actually hear the battle replaying itself.

Rebecca
User ID: 0038914 Mar 10th 8:07 AM
Eric, Glory sits on my video shelf, so I can say I definately enjoy that movie.

Gary, Antietam is my favorite battlefield...

Jeff
User ID: 1536664 Mar 10th 8:20 AM
Eric, I listed Glory in the "Favorite Movies" section awhile back. An absolutely fantastic movie.

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Mar 10th 9:55 AM
Rebecca, Antietam is amazing in that the battlefield there is so well preserved. It's pretty remained much exactly as it was when they fought there. The statues are wonderful, and I remember a tower too. In fact, a park ranger gave a great dissertation on the battle before we toured the field -- making everything that much more meaningful and enjoyable.

Sorry, I left out Chancellorsville from my earlier list. That was the site of Lee's greatest victory during the war. Ironically, it was also the site where the great "Stonewall" Jackson was felled by "friendly fire".

Jeff
User ID: 1536664 Mar 10th 10:37 AM
Ser Gary, when I was a student lieutenant at The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, our first conditioning hike (which some might call a forced march -- full pack, all weapons, etc, fast paced) was at Chancellorsville. We marched the same route Stonewall Jackson took on his flank attack -- about 15 miles. We had a local professor/Civil War reenactor along and, at each stop, he would tell us about the march, battle, etc. Really gave us a sense of history and made the whole thing much more pleasant than it might otherwise have been.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 11:10 AM
It has been a while since I have visited any battle fields, although I have been to Gettysburg, Antietam (my fav), Manassas, and Fredericksburg. I was anywhere from the age of 8-12 though, and the Civil War had not made such an impression on my life as it does now.

Such a tragic period--if I remember right, more people died at the first battle of Bull Run on the first day than all casualties in the Revolution? Wow. That puts things in perspective...

KAH, what do you mean cynical? Maybe something about how "Americans should not have fought that war" etc, etc. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, I have no idea what you mean, but I've heard many people say that before. The point, as with any war, is not that it should not have happened, but that it did--therefore we must never forget.

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Mar 10th 12:25 PM
Nonono...I was not speaking of the civil war; I'm speaking of what I think when I 'have it tough'.

Might as well elaborate, I guess.

You see, whenever I feel the world is unfair, or I'm a bit depressed, or I'm angry about the tax level...well, I just think of the hungry children in Africa, or the flood victims of Argentina, or some other people in pain and misery, and my mood gets better in a flash.

Ahem.

Now, before you all bite my head off, this is just my rather uncouth way of setting things in a bit of perspective - I do not, in fact, enjoy the thought of other people having a bad time, it is just a reminder that I'm pretty darn lucky being where I am - I pretty much won in the lottery being born in Norway. So, instead of grousing of whatever pathetic trouble I have, I consider myself lucky.

Does wonders for your mood, it does. :P

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 12:32 PM
My apologies KAH--I understand what you mean.

...I knew I shouldn't have said anything...

Jeff
User ID: 1536664 Mar 10th 12:33 PM
I think that's a good point, Kay-Arne. There are horrible things happening all over the globe all the time. Its just part of the human condition. Getting too wrapped up in those events just leads to more misery.

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Mar 10th 12:39 PM
Er...was that my point?

Claidhaim
User ID: 8590713 Mar 10th 12:43 PM
My list of favorite Battlefields would include Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas. The best time I've had at a battlefield was at Gettysburg on the 125th anniversary. There were literally thousands of reinactors for the entire event. Truly an experience.

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Mar 10th 12:49 PM
Jeff, IIRC Jackson's flanking march took about 11-12 hours' time to complete. What the heck was wrong with "Fighting Joe" Hooker's scouts that they were unable to figure out what was happening? And why did Hooker stop his march at Chancellorsville when he outnumbered Lee about 2-1 and had him in the middle of a two-pronged attack? Again, IIRC, Lee twice divided his army before that historic battle. Until that time, it was unthinkable to divide your army at all. All in all, though, a brilliant strategic victory for Lee and Jackson.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 12:54 PM
Claidhaim--wish I could have been there for that. That would have been awesome. I used to live in Washington D.C., and was realatively nearby many battlefields. I now live in Michigan, and would love to get back to see them again, now that my interest in the Civil War is much greater. Ah well, someday.

There is definately something magical about standing in a former field of battle, seeing what those men saw--its like no other feeling I've ever had. I can remember gazing out on Antietam with the picture in my mind of it strewn with bodies. Terrible. For me, however, nothing tops the feeling I had when I saw Little Round Top at Gettysburg--where Chamberlain made his famous stand and bayonet charge to hold the extreme right flank of the Union line. Wow. Thats cool stuff.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 12:58 PM
Ser Gary, IIRC, Hooker had missinformed numbers about the Confederate force at Chancellorsville. A problem which plagued the Union army more than once, especially with McClellan.

Let me haul out the ol' trusty source o' Civil War knowledge to be sure... get back later...

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Mar 10th 1:40 PM
Eric,
At the start of the Chancellorsville campaign, Hooker initially confronted the Confederates at Fredericksburg -- so he personally should have had a pretty good idea about what he was dealing with. Then he left 23,000 troops there and took the bulk of his army in a counterclockwise rotation across the Rappahannock River. Lee was in the middle of what should have been a fast-closing vise. But you are right, the Union informers were the worst. They never seemed to deliver the correct info to their commanders, who obviously were far too cautious anyway.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 11:51 PM
Ser Gary,
You're right--I remember that now. Chancellorsville was a perfect example of Lee's brilliance--and Hooker's (like many other Union generals) incompetence.

Have you read Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels"? That was quite the historic novel. A must for any Civil War enthusiast I'd say.

Generic Eric
User ID: 8339223 Mar 10th 11:58 PM
Dang!! why do I always seem to start a new post without ever realizing that I'm rehashing old discussion? My apologies for not realizing Glory was already discussed--for some reason "Good Movies II" totally passed me by...I guess thats what you get for bein' a newbie...

Anyways, I'm always up for some Civil War discussion!

Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 9th 9:39 PM I just watched Glory last night for the third time, and I'm sorry, but I simply have to say something about it here. I am addicted to history, American Civil war above all. The whole era fascinates me like no other. I won't go into all the details why. Glory gives me goosebumps and shivers at the end every time--the way all those former slaves in the 54th Mass. fought and died for their freedom. You know, sometimes when I think I have it tough I think "what if I were in the place of one of those guys--lying dying on the shores of South Carolina, my guts spilling out, or my arm off, the horrors of war all around me--giving my life for what I believed in." I have absolutely nothing in my life to whine about. And it's thanks to men like those who so gallantly gave their life, that I can sit here and think about it. Sorry for the rambling, I don't know if any other sane person get so worked up over a movie....let me know.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 9th 10:05 PM What??!!! no one in the "Good Movies" thread agrees with me? Hmmmm....someone please tell me they forgot about Glory.
KAH User ID: 0541004	Mar 10th 5:26 AM Well, haven't seen the movie, but I do have a philosophy somewhat like what you described above. Difference is that my philosophy is worded a bit more cynically (all right, 'a bit' is a gross underestimation), so I will not say it here in public, lest I will be Bar-B-Q'd in one big flame. :P
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Mar 10th 7:23 AM Eric, I enjoyed Glory very much. I too am an American Civil War buff. In the past few years I have visited and walked the battlefields at Gettysburg, Antietam, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, Malvern Hill and Cold Harbor. While Gettysburg gets most of the spotlight because of the huge, pivotal battle that took place there, I prefer the more quiet locales in Maryland and Virginia. If you listen closely at places like Manassas, you can actually hear the battle replaying itself.
Rebecca User ID: 0038914	Mar 10th 8:07 AM Eric, Glory sits on my video shelf, so I can say I definately enjoy that movie. Gary, Antietam is my favorite battlefield...
Jeff User ID: 1536664	Mar 10th 8:20 AM Eric, I listed Glory in the "Favorite Movies" section awhile back. An absolutely fantastic movie.
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Mar 10th 9:55 AM Rebecca, Antietam is amazing in that the battlefield there is so well preserved. It's pretty remained much exactly as it was when they fought there. The statues are wonderful, and I remember a tower too. In fact, a park ranger gave a great dissertation on the battle before we toured the field -- making everything that much more meaningful and enjoyable. Sorry, I left out Chancellorsville from my earlier list. That was the site of Lee's greatest victory during the war. Ironically, it was also the site where the great "Stonewall" Jackson was felled by "friendly fire".
Jeff User ID: 1536664	Mar 10th 10:37 AM Ser Gary, when I was a student lieutenant at The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, our first conditioning hike (which some might call a forced march -- full pack, all weapons, etc, fast paced) was at Chancellorsville. We marched the same route Stonewall Jackson took on his flank attack -- about 15 miles. We had a local professor/Civil War reenactor along and, at each stop, he would tell us about the march, battle, etc. Really gave us a sense of history and made the whole thing much more pleasant than it might otherwise have been.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 11:10 AM It has been a while since I have visited any battle fields, although I have been to Gettysburg, Antietam (my fav), Manassas, and Fredericksburg. I was anywhere from the age of 8-12 though, and the Civil War had not made such an impression on my life as it does now. Such a tragic period--if I remember right, more people died at the first battle of Bull Run on the first day than all casualties in the Revolution? Wow. That puts things in perspective... KAH, what do you mean cynical? Maybe something about how "Americans should not have fought that war" etc, etc. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, I have no idea what you mean, but I've heard many people say that before. The point, as with any war, is not that it should not have happened, but that it did--therefore we must never forget.
KAH User ID: 0541004	Mar 10th 12:25 PM Nonono...I was not speaking of the civil war; I'm speaking of what I think when I 'have it tough'. Might as well elaborate, I guess. You see, whenever I feel the world is unfair, or I'm a bit depressed, or I'm angry about the tax level...well, I just think of the hungry children in Africa, or the flood victims of Argentina, or some other people in pain and misery, and my mood gets better in a flash. Ahem. Now, before you all bite my head off, this is just my rather uncouth way of setting things in a bit of perspective - I do not, in fact, enjoy the thought of other people having a bad time, it is just a reminder that I'm pretty darn lucky being where I am - I pretty much won in the lottery being born in Norway. So, instead of grousing of whatever pathetic trouble I have, I consider myself lucky. Does wonders for your mood, it does. :P
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 12:32 PM My apologies KAH--I understand what you mean. ...I knew I shouldn't have said anything...
Jeff User ID: 1536664	Mar 10th 12:33 PM I think that's a good point, Kay-Arne. There are horrible things happening all over the globe all the time. Its just part of the human condition. Getting too wrapped up in those events just leads to more misery.
KAH User ID: 0541004	Mar 10th 12:39 PM Er...was that my point?
Claidhaim User ID: 8590713	Mar 10th 12:43 PM My list of favorite Battlefields would include Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas. The best time I've had at a battlefield was at Gettysburg on the 125th anniversary. There were literally thousands of reinactors for the entire event. Truly an experience.
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Mar 10th 12:49 PM Jeff, IIRC Jackson's flanking march took about 11-12 hours' time to complete. What the heck was wrong with "Fighting Joe" Hooker's scouts that they were unable to figure out what was happening? And why did Hooker stop his march at Chancellorsville when he outnumbered Lee about 2-1 and had him in the middle of a two-pronged attack? Again, IIRC, Lee twice divided his army before that historic battle. Until that time, it was unthinkable to divide your army at all. All in all, though, a brilliant strategic victory for Lee and Jackson.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 12:54 PM Claidhaim--wish I could have been there for that. That would have been awesome. I used to live in Washington D.C., and was realatively nearby many battlefields. I now live in Michigan, and would love to get back to see them again, now that my interest in the Civil War is much greater. Ah well, someday. There is definately something magical about standing in a former field of battle, seeing what those men saw--its like no other feeling I've ever had. I can remember gazing out on Antietam with the picture in my mind of it strewn with bodies. Terrible. For me, however, nothing tops the feeling I had when I saw Little Round Top at Gettysburg--where Chamberlain made his famous stand and bayonet charge to hold the extreme right flank of the Union line. Wow. Thats cool stuff.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 12:58 PM Ser Gary, IIRC, Hooker had missinformed numbers about the Confederate force at Chancellorsville. A problem which plagued the Union army more than once, especially with McClellan. Let me haul out the ol' trusty source o' Civil War knowledge to be sure... get back later...
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Mar 10th 1:40 PM Eric, At the start of the Chancellorsville campaign, Hooker initially confronted the Confederates at Fredericksburg -- so he personally should have had a pretty good idea about what he was dealing with. Then he left 23,000 troops there and took the bulk of his army in a counterclockwise rotation across the Rappahannock River. Lee was in the middle of what should have been a fast-closing vise. But you are right, the Union informers were the worst. They never seemed to deliver the correct info to their commanders, who obviously were far too cautious anyway.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 11:51 PM Ser Gary, You're right--I remember that now. Chancellorsville was a perfect example of Lee's brilliance--and Hooker's (like many other Union generals) incompetence. Have you read Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels"? That was quite the historic novel. A must for any Civil War enthusiast I'd say.
Generic Eric User ID: 8339223	Mar 10th 11:58 PM Dang!! why do I always seem to start a new post without ever realizing that I'm rehashing old discussion? My apologies for not realizing Glory was already discussed--for some reason "Good Movies II" totally passed me by...I guess thats what you get for bein' a newbie... Anyways, I'm always up for some Civil War discussion!