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That's five sorties down: the Wing Commander movie club has polished off 633 Squadron and lived to tell the tale! Unlike -- spoiler warning -- 633 Squadron itself. This week we're going to try a movie that doesn't have a single airplane... or even a spaceship! Join us Friday for a screening of the Oscar-winning civil war epic Glory (1989). You can join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.
Glory is a 1989 movie about the American Civil War, following the exploits of one of the first African American regiments, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry. The soldiers face racism from their own side with many insisting that black troops are incapable of fighting. But they but prove themselves under fire, ultimately suffering heavy casualties in an attempt to capture Fort Wagner in South Carolina. It is notable for marking a period of increased popular interest in the Civil War (on that coincided with the release of Wing Commander I!) and for cementing Denzel Washington, who earned an Academy Award for his performance, as a movie star.
What's the Wing Commander connection? For once, this one isn't about the Wing Commander movie! We're watching Glory because Denzel Washington's character, the fictional Private Silas Trip, was the basis for Downtown in Wing Commander II. Downtown is the Concordia pilot that we learn was rescued from slavery by Hobbes and who later dies tragically. Downtown is such a strange part of the Hobbes story, one that's oddly never referenced beyond the game… could going back to his inspiration give us a clue as to why that is? We'll find out! Here's his original character description which was reprinted in the Wing Commander I & II Ultimate Strategy Guide:
DOWNTOWN
LIEUTENANT ROSS BALDWIN
Purpose in story: Presents new outlook on human-Kilrathi relationships (son figure and special emotional dependency on Hobbes), emotional impact (his death).
Downtown is a young black man, roughly mid twenties. His family, when fleeing from their home planet during a Kilrathi invasion, was captured and sent as slave labour to the Kilrathi planet of Ghorah Khar. Years later, when Hobbes was working undercover on that planet for the Confederation, he helped the young boy escape. The relationship between Downtown and Hobbes is unique… Hobbes is all the family that Downtown has. In personality, Downtown is fiery and impulsive, and very vocal in defending Hobbes against anyone who badmouths him. He has an emotional dependency on Hobbes, viewing him as a father figure.
Conversation: Standard American
Think Denzel Washington in “Glory”
We will also take the opportunity that comes with such a different movie to talk about Wing Commander's connections to the Civil War. Wing Commander Academy, for instance, tells us that one of Colonel Blair's ancestors was a Civil War general! Wing Commander novelist Dr. William Forstchen is also a closely tied to the Civil War; his doctorate was a study of another African American unit, Indiana's 28th United States Colored Troops. Dr Forstchen would go on to write a series of sci-fi novels called The Lost Regiment, developed contemporaneously with his Wing Commander work, which follows Civil War soldiers transported to an alien conflict.
Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?
Glory is currently on PlutoTV in the United States and is available for rental or sale digitally at all storefronts. A copy is also available for download on the Internet Archive. If you're interested in tracking down a physical copy, a UHD version was released in 2014 and remains in print today (with the most recent edition published earlier this year). If you are unable to track down a copy please ping a member of the WCCIC staff on the Discord in advance of the watch.
How do we watch the movie together?
It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!
