Directed by Edward Zwick. Written by Kevin Jarre, based on books by Lincoln Kirstein and Peter Burchard and the letters of Robert Gould Shaw.

Colonel Robert Gould Shaw

• [in a letter] Dear Mother, They learn very quickly; faster than white troops, it seems to me. They are almost grave and sedate under instruction and they restrain themselves. But the moment they are dismissed from drill, every tongue is relaxed and every ivory tooth is visible and you would not know from the sound of it that this is an army camp. They must have learned this from long hours of meaningless, inhuman work to set their minds free so quickly. It gives them great energy. And there is no doubt we will leave this state as fine a regiment as any that as marched. As ever, your son, Robert.

• We are fighting for a people whose poetry has not yet been written.

Private Trip

• [addressing the 54th the night before battle] I ain't much about no prayin,' now. I ain't never had no family, and... killed off my mama. Well, I just... Y'all's the onliest family I got. I love the 54th. Ain't even much a matter what happens tomorrow, 'cause we men, ain't we? We men.

Others

• Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins [to a group of children]: That's right, honeys. Ain't no dream. We runaway slaves, but we come back fightin' men. Go tell your folks how kingdom come in the year of jubilee!

• Pvt. Jupiter Sharts: [praying aloud] Tomorrow we goes into battle. So Lordy, let me fight with the rifle in one hand and the Good Book in the other. So that if I may die at the muzzle of the rifle... die on water, or on land, I may know that you blessed Jesus almighty are with me... and I will have no fear.

Dialogue

Shaw: Sgt. Mulcahy!

Mulcahy: Sir!

Shaw: I have no doubt you are a fair man, Mulcahy. I wonder if you are treating these men too hard. [Mulcahy hesitates to speak.] You disagree. You may speak freely.

Mulcahy: [referring to Searles] The boy is a friend of yours, is he?

Shaw: Yes, we grew up together.

Mulcahy: Let him grow up some more.

Trip: Hey, yo, nigger, that's my spot, see.

Searles: If you don't mind, I'd prefer a space where there's more sufficient reading light.

Trip: Oooh, I like it when niggers talk good as white folks!

Searles: I'd be happy to teach you. It would be my pleasure.

Trip: Now, listen here, snowflake, I ain't got nothin' to learn from no house nigger, you hear?

Searles: I am a free man, like my father before me.

Trip: Oh, you free, huh? Then move your free black ass out my space, see!

[Trip and Searles are about to fight when Rawlins steps in]

Trip: You better get your hands off me gravedigger!

Rawlins: Goddamn it! Does the whole world gotta stomp on your face?

Trip: Oh, I see. White man give you some stripes, next thing you hollerin' and orderin' everybody around, huh! Like you the massa hisself? Nigger, you ain't nothin' but the white man's dog! Shit. [Rawlins slaps him.]

Rawlins: And what are you? So full of hate you have to fight everybody because you've been whipped and chased by hounds. Well, that might not be living, but it sure as hell ain't dying. And dying's what these white boys been doin' for going on three years now, dying by the thousands! Dying for you, fool! I know, 'cuz I dug the graves. And all the time I keep askin' myself, "When, O Lord, when gonna be our time?" Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up and kick in like men, LIKE MEN! You watch who you callin' nigger. If there's any niggers round here, it's YOU! Smart-mouthed, stupid-ass, swamp-runnin' nigger. And if you ain't careful, that's all you ever gonna be.

Trip: I ain't fightin' this war for you, sir.

Shaw: I see.

Trip: I mean, what's the point? Ain't nobody gonna win. It's just gonna go on and on.

Shaw: Can't go on forever.

Trip: Yeah, but ain't nobody gonna win, sir.

Shaw: Somebody's gonna win.

Trip: Who? I mean, you get to go on back to Boston, big house and all that. What about us? What do we get?

Shaw: Well, you won't get anything if we lose.

Trip: See, the way I figure, I figure this war would be over a whole lot sooner if you boys just turned right on around and headed back on down that way, and you let us head on up there where the real fighting is.

Union Soldier: There's men dyin' up that road.

Trip: And there wouldn't be nothing but rebs dyin if they'd let the 54th in it.

Cast

• Matthew Broderick - Col. Robert Gould Shaw
• Denzel Washington - Pvt. Tripp
• Cary Elwes - Maj. Cabot Forbes
• Morgan Freeman - Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
• Jihmi Kennedy - Pvt. Jupiter Sharts
• Andre Braugher - Cpl. Thomas Searles
• John Finn - Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy
• Donovan Leitch - Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse
• JD Cullum - Henry Sturgis Russell
• Alan North - Gov. John Albion Andrew
• Bob Gunton - Gen. Harker
• Cliff De Young - Col. James M. Montgomery
• Richard Riehle - Kendric, quartermaster
• Raymond St. Jacques - Frederick Douglass