The two scenes that get me.
-
ancatdoh — 15 years ago(December 11, 2010 06:11 PM)
This movie has a lot of great scenes, and I thought I'd mention two that nobody else has so far:
The one where the company is on the ferry crossing the river and Morgan Freeman is promoted to Sgt. Major and presented with his stripes, sash and saber. Elwes' speech/announcement was great, and then the moment Freeman had with Broderick after the 3 cheers "I'm not sure I want this, Colonel" "I know exactly how you feel." At that moment, I forgot all about two movie stars dressed up as Civil War soldiersthey were REAL.
Another one was Broderick's interaction with Sgt. Mulcahy about Thomas: "The boy's your friend, is he?" "We grew up together." "Well let him grow up some more." "I see." Broderick knew instantly he'd have to treat Thomas' hard time getting up to speed as a Colonel, and not as Thomas' friend, and Thomas would have to sink or swim on his own.
Mulcahy was great as the tough-as-nails Irish drill Sgt. -
skipfab74 — 14 years ago(May 25, 2011 06:46 AM)
The two best scenes are:
- When Freeman dresses down Denzel. Love it when he's done and Dnezel is just dumbfounded.
- When they are singing around the fire before the assault on Ft. Wagner. These are guys who know what they are facing and are celebrating anyway. That is courage, plain and simple.
-
Hancock_the_Superb — 14 years ago(May 31, 2011 04:54 PM)
The campfire singing scene is amazing. I also like the "Give 'em Hell!" scene a lot, and the bit where Shaw chews out the pompous Quartermaster.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned the scene between Shaw and Trip at the pond right after the James Island battle. One of the movie's more quiet scenes, but it really gets the film's message across well. You get a great sense of both characters, two people from very different worlds coming to understand and respect each other.
However, the moment when Shaw is shot during the final attack on Ft. Wagner is just plain brilliant. When the music kicks in, with the horrified reactions of Trip and the other soldiers, I always get chills, and sometimes even tears - one of the most emotional scenes I can think of in any movie. The fact that the attack ultimately fails just makes it that much more powerful.
"That's what the elves call Justice of the Unicorn!" -
Zanza8 — 13 years ago(June 12, 2012 03:53 PM)
Those are all great scenes but for me it's two connected images. One is when Shaw points to the flag bearer and asks who will carry the flag if he falls, and then later when Trip picks up the flag and runs with it. Those two images go together for me-two men with nothing in common but the cause they fought for and the grudging respect they had for each other by the end.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/ -
IzzyTree — 12 years ago(July 27, 2013 10:57 PM)
"I'm surprised no one's mentioned the scene between Shaw and Trip at the pond right after the James Island battle. One of the movie's more quiet scenes, but it really gets the film's message across well. You get a great sense of both characters, two people from very different worlds coming to understand and respect each other."
I agree, this is one of my favorites scenes, too. Trip is finally able to express his different motivations for fighting the war. How Trip knows that the war will not really change much for blacks apart from ending slavery, they will still be relegated to the worst jobs, pay, prejudice, etc. I love the part where Shaw says it's all a mess and Trip agrees and says they're all covered in it and "how do we get clean?" It was magnificent. -
madetwolastforever — 12 years ago(July 30, 2013 10:38 AM)
Sorry to repeat, too. Mine are:
- The 54th is on the beach before the final battle. One of the soldiers says, "We's - we's ready, sir!" (I'm nearly undone when typing this).
- the beginning of the movie when the sweet music starts, the boys choir is singing and the statute of Shaw and his beautiful soldiers is shown
- Tripp throws his shirt off before the whipping and we see his scars. Some of the soldiers look away, and Cary Elwes' character looks horrified at the scars.
- when the soldiers starts running on the beach - and sand, bullets, and blood are flying in their faces as soon of them get shot
There's more, but if I keep typing, the lump in my throat will get bigger.
-
still_brooke1 — 13 years ago(July 04, 2012 02:45 PM)
This was one of my all time favorite movies growing upstill love this movie. I forgot how tore up Denzel's back was for this movie. For it to be 1989, they did a good job on the makeup for this scene. That scene made me cringe.
-
jpc578 — 12 years ago(May 17, 2013 08:06 AM)
I agree with the "Give 'em hell, 54th". That is a great scene.
I would say that the most powerful scene(s) was when Robert Shaw was reading the proclamation by the Confederate Congress about black men in arms being returned to slavery, black men in a Union uniform being summarily executed and white officers commanding black soldiers also being executed. Shaw said that anyone who wanted out would be given a full discharge and the next morning Shaw asks how many are left to find that everybody or almost everybody is has remained.
Another scene that gets me is when the 54th first arrives in the South and they are marching down a road and there are a family of slaves on a plantation. Morgan Freeman's character sees the smiles on young children and tells them that they weren't dreaming. That they were runaway slaves who came back as "fightin' men".
The scene where Denzel Washington was whipped was also powerful. Particularly how when Washington removed his shirt revealing his scarred back. Even the hard nosed racist Irish drill sergeant seemed to be moved by that. -
badwithsports — 12 years ago(May 19, 2013 04:19 PM)
All of these scenes mentioned are great. One of my favorites is when they finally get their uniforms and Shaw gives Sharts his first, after him asking all through boot camp "When they gonna give us the blue suit"? The look on his face was awesome. Great acting by everyone in this movie.
-
whitestripes76 — 12 years ago(June 21, 2013 12:09 PM)
SO many scenes in this movie got me.
The whipping scene
Morgans slapping of denzel
Andre braugher breaking down in front of robert because he is having a difficult time
"if you men wont accept this pay, then none of us will"
The whole gospel scene before the battle, each speech broke my heart
"give em hell 54"
Robert Dying
Denzel Grabbing the flag yelling "COMEON!!!!!!"
Amazing film -
noirgirl — 12 years ago(June 27, 2013 10:29 PM)
My faves:
"Give 'em hell, 54th!", and my tears start pouring.
The campfire singing scene. Lovely.
Morgan sending the child to the rear.
The entire "nasty little cuss" scene.
"We were a sight to see".
When Sharts testifies.
I'm out of Kleenex now! -
angelosdaughter — 11 years ago(February 14, 2015 11:17 PM)
There are so many powerful scenes in this movie
*The whipping scene of course, and imagining what was going through the actors' minds while it was being filmed. It must have been very difficult.
*The scene where the soldiers were marching through a village and little boys run after them, finally seeing heroes who look like them marching to war.
*The group of white soldiers who had derided them saluting them as they march to a fight many of them will not survive.
*The scene of Trip snatching up the flag after Shaw fell
*The final scene of the burial of all of those mothers' sons being thrown unceremoniously into a common grave, black and white, brothers in arms, and at last in death, without shoes.
In fact, I am teary-eyed much of the time watching this film.
I could be a morning person if morning happened at noon.