Glory is based upon the letters of one Colonel Robert Gould Shaw who would lead the Civil War's first all-black fighting regiment, the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts. Robert Shaw (Matthew Broderick), after surviving a particularly bloody battle at Antietam, is made Colonel at only 25 years old and he is asked to lead the nation's first all-black volunteer regiment. Col. Shaw is an educated man and considers the position an honor. He is equally thrilled when his childhood friend, Major Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), agrees to assist with the task, and then he is joined by his other long-time friend, Thomas Searles (Andre Braugher), who joins the regiment not as a runaway slave like most, but as a highly educated free black man. He takes Private Jupiter Sharts (Jihmi Kennedy) under his wing, as Jupiter wants to learn how to read. However, Thomas undergoes constant verbal abuse from another member of the regiment, Private Trip (Denzel Washington), who is a particularly argumentative former slave and who insults him for his education. The mediating factor in the regiment is John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman), who is later made Sgt. Major Rawlins by Shaw, because of his ability to lead the men so effectively.

Shaw soon realizes that the task may be far more difficult than he first realized, as his troops encounter prejudice within the service. They are denied necessities like decent shoes and socks, and when Private Trip decides to go find his own shoes, he is beaten mercilessly under Col. Shaw's watch for desertion. However, his spirit is never broken and this same spirit will drive he and the other members of the 54th on a dangerous assault on a fort.

As Shaw works to prepare his men for battle, he soon learns that his men are merely to be used as manual labor and there were never plans to let them actually fight, even though they are among the very people whose futures are so heavily affected by the outcome of the Civil War. Time and again, he must face the mockery of the other leaders and he is even forced to order his men to burn a town to the ground, rather than face the alternative of having his men led by a complete racist. However, when push comes to shove and the men are allowed to go into a small skirmish, they decimate the enemy and prove their mettle.

The 54th finally gets the chance to show their true colors when an assault is planned on a fort in South Carolina and the regiment leading the assault will surely face death in great numbers. Shaw and his men happily volunteer for the task, knowing what their fates will be, but glad to finally participate in the war and do something that matters.

Glory is a particularly moving film. The fighting spirit that these men shared comes through loud and clear in the performances of all involved. Seeing tears roll down Denzel Washington's face as he is beaten, yet refuses to even flinch, was difficult to watch but shows just how tough these men were. Everyone involved turns in stellar performances, however. A character in and of itself is the soundtrack done by James Horner. It's rousing and moving and completely fitting for this film. For those who want additional info, special features include a couple of deleted scenes, standard commentary, and several featurettes on the making-of and the characters who shaped the movie Glory. A really cool Blu-ray exclusive in the interactive virtual map of the US where you can click on the various states and corresponding battlefields to learn extra info. This is especially nice for the history buffs out there.

Glory looks and sounds terrific on Blu-ray. Explosions rumble all around you and everything is beautifully crisp and clear. The battle scenes are especially visceral and show just what a horrific war the Civil War was. Watching the deleted scenes really shows just how much this version has been cleaned up. While I don't know if the one additional special feature and remastering is worth a re-purchase if you already own Glory, you'll definitely want to go Blu-ray if you are adding it to your collection for the first time.