'Glory'

If you watch any decent amount of TV or movies, there are certain films that you catch bits and pieces of for a number of years. In the end, you've probably seen 95-100 percent of the film but in different order with a hodgepodge of different scenes.

"Glory" is one of the many films that fits this scenario in my life. Over 20 years since it's release, I have seen probably 99 percent of the entire film in different pieces.

Last night, I saw it in its entirety, straight through in order.

And it sucked.

I have many opinions about race that might sound insensitive or ignorant. Although I love people of all colors, creeds, ethnicities and religions, the idea of "equality" sounds and is different to everyone.

Starting around the time of "Glory" a shift took place where the pendulum of how we considered race and racism shifted -- not to the middle where everyone is on an even keel and we try to move forward, but all the way to an overly sensitive political correctness that tried to make up for 300 years of slavery, hate, segregation and violence that pockmarked the United States and still does.

The thing about pockmarks -- if you had bad acne as a teenager -- is that they never go away. No matter if we make a movie about black soldiers in the Civil War starring Denzel Washington or force Matthew Broderick to grow a moustache or record a boy's choir for the music, it will never make up for the actual time period "Glory" portrays. Nothing we can make, no story to be told, no apologies or good gestures will never make up for that. I believe we can only move forward smarter and kinder.

So force feed me African American stereotypes -- the angry, vengeful guy (Washington), the wise, understanding older guy (Morgan Freeman), the intelligent, conflicted "Uncle Tom" (Andre Braugher) and the ignorant, stuttering well-meaning hick (a dude that doesn't even act anymore).

And it's not like these characters are well executed. Washington won an Oscar for this. I can name you a dozen other Washington roles that were better. Broderick is stuffy, off balance and stunted. Freeman is solid, but he can not carry an entire film.

Then there's the corny parts. Washington's tear rolling down his cheek when being whipped. The slow clap as the regiment goes off to fight the final battle (ah, the start of the U.S. Army's role in using black guys as cannon fodder). The stuttering guy give a half-assed prayer during which a contrived "Negro" spiritual is being sung.

This movie made me sick to my stomach.