Conspiração Policial

What year was this made again? 1994. Oh, I thought it was made 2020. That just goes to show how long there have been issues between Black folks and the police. Not that I needed "Glass Shield" to inform me of that. The '92 Rodney King verdict was enough to wake me up.

"Glass Shield" is an upsetting movie. It taps the nerve center. Conspiracies and corruption always elicit a strong reaction--mix racial injustice in there and you have a real deadly brew.

John Johnson (Michael Boatman) was a wide-eyed rookie sheriff just added to the Edgemar station in L.A. County. He was the only Black sheriff, but he wasn't going to let that upset his plans to become a cop.

His loyalties were tested when an officer Bono (Don Harvey) detained Teddy Woods (Ice Cube) at a gas station. Johnson backed up Bono and backed him up again later on in court. Teddy Woods was arrested and later charged with murder which would be the central part of the overall plot.

"Glass Shield" at its core is about police corruption and the "thin blue line." It's not far-fetched corruption that a sound-minded person could never fathom; it is corruption right in the wheelhouse of what has been seen from our various law enforcement agencies: mysterious inmate suicides, improper arrests, tainted evidence, racial bias, and more. "Glass Shield" is a rousing movie that will stoke the emotions, it's unfortunate that it is still so relevant.

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.

I just saw _The Glass Shield_ for the first time since it was released theatrically. I'm very glad to say it hasn't gone stale with time. Despite the violent overtones, the film is a subtle and compelling parable on race, power, and sex in the US. It won't satisfy anyone with the attention span of a fruit-fly or a fetish for blood and guts, but it gets under your skin (so to speak) if you pay it the slightest bit of attention.

As a side note — this is one of the very few feature films chosen by the Whitney Museum of American Art for its biennial surveys of contemporary art (there was another film that year as well, _The Hours and Times_, also excellent).

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.

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.