The Glass Shield

Michael Boatman ('Spin City') plays J. J. Johnson, an ambitious young black policeman who gets singled out for an honor: he is posted to the Sheriffs' Department at Edgemar Station. As the only black lawman there, he is a definite outsider, as is Deborah Fields (Lori Petty, "Point Break"), the only female cop with the department. J. J. Is at first content not to make waves, and to support his fellow officers, but he comes to learn just how crooked and racist they all are.

The main story thread deals with an innocent young black man, Teddy Woods (Ice Cube), who is hassled and turned into a convenient suspect when a mans' wife is murdered.

This is a good story inspired by a real-life case and an un-produced screenplay by Ned Welsh. We do see how these men in these positions of authority have been abusing that authority for a long time, and we are properly frustrated at seeing how hard it is to take them down. It benefits from having a lead character who is not so squeaky-clean, making his big mistake by initially taking the side of his fellow officers. The antagonists are all thoroughly disreputable types guaranteed to get some viewers' blood boiling.

Boatman does a solid job anchoring the tale with his sincere performance, and has good chemistry with Petty. But this thing has an *amazing* supporting cast full of familiar faces, including, but not limited to, Richard "Oscar Goldman" Anderson, Don Harvey ("Die Hard 2"), Elliott Gould ("The Long Goodbye"), Bernie Casey ("I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"), Wanda De Jesus ("Blood Work"), Victoria Dillard ("Ali"), Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers"), Sy Richardson ("Straight to Hell"), and M. Emmet Walsh ("Blood Simple"). Casey is a standout as a savvy defense attorney.

Scripted and directed by Charles Burnett, whose other pictures include "Killer of Sheep" and "To Sleep with Anger", this made for a compelling tale indeed.

Seven out of 10.

This was a great low budget police film about corruption in the LA sheriffs office. The film revolves around a young black cop, who stumbles onto a corruption case invovling police brutality towards minorities. The film also highlights just how easy it is to get blackmailed by people who are supposed to be on your side. THE GLASS SHIELD while lacking the stigma of bigger films like LETHAL WEAPON, tells a human tale about a cop and his female partner, however, I feel Lori Petty's role could have been bigger. There was another part of this film that touched on something briefly, sexism on the law enforcement circuit. The trailers for thisa movie suggest it was edited heavily and that the character played by Ms. Petty played a significantly larger role in that version. The logical direction for this film would to have been having the black cop and the woman police officer piercing the layer of corruption together in lA. A great film that tells a stroy from a african american point of view. The film also highlights the conflict within the african american/black community towards police and police brutality and how it is hard for even them to sometimes accept black police officers. An interesting film with a interesting and powerful premise. Don't expect a 600 rd. shoot out with "yuck yuck" laughter and Riggs and Murtaugh in this one...expect substance.

There's a strong resemblance to the much praised L.A. CONFIDENTIAL in this vivid story of crime and corruption on the police force, based partially on a true story involving these events.

Basically, it's the tale of a black police rookie who tries to fit in by covering corrupt practices and tries to uncover the truth behind the false prosecution of a black man (ICE CUBE). The black rookie (MICHEAL BOATMAN) suffers slurs inherent with being the first black man on the force and other social injustices within the department.

All the performances are first rate, beginning with Boatman, who does a fine job, MICHAEL ANDERSON, BERNIE CASEY (especially good as Ice Cube's lawyer), and ELLIOT GOULD--all first rate. LORI PETTY is also convincing as the only woman rookie who helps Boatman in his investigation. MICHAEL IRONSIDE is chilling as one of Anderson's most corrupt officers.

Given terse direction by Charles Burnett in well paced, brisk, documentary style, it maintains a grip on the attention throughout as it unravels a tale of police corruption and the hard decisions that have to be made.

John J Johnson (Michael Boatman) is a rookie in the Los Angeles police department that is also the only black cop in his office, but he won't let the racial prejudices stop his plans. After clashing with deputy Deborah Fields (Lori Petty), they gradually become friends and do their best for exposing corruption in the police department. It begins when deputy Bono stops Teddy Woods (Ice Cube) at a gas station, finds a warrant for Woods' arrest in his car and even a gun that Woods reveals he stole it, and Woods is also a prime accused for a murder, but Johnson and Fields will do everything for uncovering the truth even against their chief Gene Baker (Michael Ironside). There is a lot more than this but it's best if you just see it for yourselves.

While it may look like a made for TV vehicle and the plot is a bit too complicated for explaining it full, it's still worth a look. While Michael Boatman has never been an household name Lori Petty, Michael Ironside and Ice Cube give very decent performances. There are various twists and turns as well that are well inserted in the plot, and also some nice 1990s music as well. The themes are very actual even for 2022 as it talks about prejudices on the job derivating from the skin colour.

Overall, not an outstanding movie but one that falls in the time passer category. If you don't have high expectations, it can make your day.

The Glass Shield (1994) is a movie that I recently watched on Prime. The storyline follows a black police officer on the force who is trying his best to fit in to the culture of the department. He witnesses an arrest that he knows is wrong; but to fit in, he bites his tongue and lets it go to trial. Once faced with the task of testifying, he will need to decide what's more important - the truth or his job.

This movie is written and directed by Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep) and stars Michael Boatman (Hamburger Hill), Lori Petty (Tank Girl), Ice Cube (Boyz n the Hood), Michael Ironside (Total Recall) and Erich Anderson (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter).

The storyline is well written, and the circumstances are a challenge to this very day and the cast is pretty good in name...but Ice Cube is the only performance that is well executed. Lori Petty delivers a strong supporting character also, but the villains were a bit cliche, even if their characteristics are a challenge within our society. Michael Boatman's mannerisms, facial expressions and overall delivery of the main character left a lot to be desired. The dialogue is very well written, as is the court drama, and the ending is worthwhile.

Overall, this is a movie with a solid premise but inconsistent execution. I would score this a 6/10 but strongly recommend it.