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The Glass Shield (1995)

Director: Charles Burnett

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From Time Out Film Guide

Burnett's first film since the provocative To Sleep with Anger in 1990 is a Lumet-style policier inspired by an everyday tale of LAPD-sponsored murder, racism and corruption. Boatman is the first black cop to serve in Anderson's precinct. He's proud to pull on his uniform, and readily bends the truth to put away a bad guy, but he can't just stand by and watch when he realises his colleagues are framing an innocent man, and they'll kill to keep it quiet. It's a familiar story, but Burnett draws strong character work from the cast (Petty is outstanding as a rookie who latches on to Boatman as a fellow outsider). Ultimately, however, the movie feels sketchy, as if Burnett chopped the flesh off his screenplay and left us only the bare bones.

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Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Charles Burnett

Producer: Tom Byrnes, Carolyn Schroeder

Cast: Michael Boatman, Lori Petty, Bernie Casey, Ice Cube, Michael Ironside, Elliott Gould, Richard Anderson, Don Harvey full cast

Duration: 108 mins


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