The movie begins with a brief background of Robert Shaw. This movie is based on the letters that this twenty three year old Boston abolitionist wrote to his parents during the war against the states. As this paragraph is being displayed, there are trumpets in the background signifying that the movie will have a serious tone. .
As the drums begin to roll, the title, Glory, appears in large, simple uppercase letters. These white letters begin as white and the fade to red. Glory is defined as great honor or distinction. Red, being a color of violence and the militaristic sounds of the drums makes the watcher aware that the movie will be about a war, that there will be bloodshed and there is a great accomplishment of an individual or individuals will be portrayed in the movie. .
The first scene of the movie begins at early morning; the sun is just beginning to rise to show a hazy overcast day. The camera spans from the outline of three tents to show they vastness of this small army. There are cannons lined up on the outskirts of a large group of tents. These tents are simple, white and A-shaped and there are hundreds of them dispersed throughout the field. .
The first sign of life at this camp is seen when the camera takes a closer look into the camp. The men are in uniform and going about everyday activities. Some are cooking, standing around talking, and others are playing baseball. There is a sense that these men are comrades, all of them appear to be on the same level of importance. Far from the relaxed atmosphere, the scene cuts to line up along a path in the woods as soldiers on their horses ride through. Even though the figures in this scene are hard to identify, and are not focused on well, one gets a sense that the men on the horses are of greater stature than those lined up along the edge of the path. This is evident in the men's position on the horses, placing them above the others.