Glory Reflection

The movie, "Glory", portrayed a realistic visualization of life during the Civil War for the 54th Massachusetts regiment and any other colored regiment. The discrimination that the black soldiers faced showed the relationship between them and the white soldiers. For example, the 54th regiment didn't receive shoes until Colonel Shaw had to forcefully demand shoes for them. It showed that the Union didn't want to waste their supplies on blacks, but rather save them for the white soldiers. Also, Col. Shaw had to resort to blackmail to let the 54th go into a real battle. Usually, black soldiers were used for labor in the army while the white regiments actually got to fight. However, by threatening to bring up charges against one of his superiors, Col. Shaw got orders for his regiment to go into battle against the Confederate.
What surprised me the most was the determination in the 54th regiment. When Col. Shaw received orders from the Department of War that any black soldiers found would be sent back to slavery or killed on spot, no soldier left the 54th. This was surprising because I thought at least some would leave in fear of their lives. However, they probably knew that some sacrifices had to be made in order for the North to win and end slavery. Also, I thought the black soldiers would be more rebellious within the regiment because of the harsh treatment (like the Irish drill sergeant's brutal drills.) However, most of them knew to stay quiet and obey orders. One exception was Trip, who was always talking back to the commanding officers. Another surprising thing was their determination in the actual battles. Since none of them had actually fought in a war before and didn't know the experience of it, I expected some of them to be shocked or overwhelmed. However, their bravery was commendable, and their willingness to make sacrifices showed that they understood the true meaning of war.
One of the things that I thought about during the movie was the bond they shared in the regiment. Before the final battle, everyone gathered around the campfire and sang songs (Mhmmm lord lord lord) and made final prayers. It seemed like the regiment was a family, caring for each other and understanding each other. Throughout the whole movie, the 54th slowly forged a bond between everyone, including Col. Shaw and Major Forbes. The regiment slowly went from strangers who didn't understand each other to friends who weren't only part of the same regiment, but also like a family.
I learned a lot about the life of African Americans in the war. They constantly faced racism and harsh treatment. However, after watching the movie, it was obvious that they cared less about that and more about trying their best on the battlefields and in the camps. Glory was a quite realistic movie, as it showed how tough life was during the war, and how people could come together to fight for a single cause.