Click to read the article
The Glass Shield (1995)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 11
Rotten:5
Average Rating: 5.9/10
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: With THE GLASS SHIELD, acclaimed director Charles Burnett (KILLER OF SHEEP, TO SLEEP WITH ANGER) tackles the problematic issue of racism within the police force. J.J. Johnson (Michael Boatman) has... With THE GLASS SHIELD, acclaimed director Charles Burnett (KILLER OF SHEEP, TO SLEEP WITH ANGER) tackles the problematic issue of racism within the police force. J.J. Johnson (Michael Boatman) has wanted to be a cop ever since he was a kid. And now that he's just been promoted to the position of deputy in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, he's going to learn what being a police officer is really all about. As the first black deputy in Edgemar's all-white Sheriff's station, he must learn to adapt if his new assignment is going to work out. Befriending the station's only other minority, the Jewish, female Deborah Fields (Lori Petty), J.J. soon realizes it's impossible to "get along" or be one of the "good guys" when police brutality, political corruption and rampant racism reign supreme. After discovering that a man he has helped to indict (played with ferocious intensity by Ice Cube) is, in fact, the victim of a monumental cover up, J.J. risks his future by butting heads with the powers that be. Shelved after conflict erupted between Burnett and the film's distributor, Miramax, THE GLASS SHIELD remains a provocative, tense thriller that addresses its sensitive subject matter with grace and intelligence. [More]
Starring: Michael Boatman, Lori Petty, Ice Cube, Elliott Gould
Starring: Michael Boatman, Lori Petty, Ice Cube, Elliott Gould, Richard Anderson, Don Harvey, Michael Ironside, Michael Gregory, Bernie Casey, Sy Richardson, Biff Yeager, M. Emmet Walsh
Director: Charles Burnett
Director: Charles Burnett
Screenwriter: Charles Burnett
Producer: Carolyn Schroeder, Chet Walker, Thomas Byrnes
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Feb 12, 2002
Reviews for The Glass Shield
Despite tempering by the studio, it's still a decent film, and the association of a black man and a Jewish woman (as two outcasts) is a welcome addition to a genre that has stressed the disparity between genders and races.
Burnett uses a socially discomforting scenario that has only vague implications of deeper malice to initiate a brave portrayal of a Caucasian-centric sort of martial law.
The film's ambition makes Burnett's occasional overstatement easy to forgive.
Credit writer/director Burnett for having the courage of his convictions, even if the outcome is a film that a lot of people will see as clichéd and stereotyped.
an entirely honorable — if inevitably doomed — attempt to reconcile Burnett’s political and social concerns with the requisites of mass entertainment.
Generic racial drama, hindered by a clubfooted direction and lumbering performances.
Related Forums for The Glass Shield
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
79% 79% |
Gran Torino |
30% 30% |
12 Rounds |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
|
The Code |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
22% 22% |
Push |
12% 12% |
The Unborn |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Glass Shield at Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.



Top Critic

