The Glass Shield (The Johnny Johnson Trial) (1994)

62% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(1,116 ratings)

In this crime drama, an honest lawman has to decide where his loyalties lie in a corrupt system. All his life, J.J. (Michael Boatman) has dreamed of being a cop, and after graduating from the Police Academy, he gets his wish, becoming the first African-American policeman based out of Los Angeles'… More In this crime drama, an honest lawman has to decide where his loyalties lie in a corrupt system. All his life, J.J. (Michael Boatman) has dreamed of being a cop, and after graduating from the Police Academy, he gets his wish, becoming the first African-American policeman based out of Los Angeles' Edgemar station. However, J.J. discovers that his race makes him an outsider among his fellow officers. His presence is not welcomed by his superior, Massey (Richard Anderson), and the only colleague who is truly hospitable to him is Deborah (Lori Petty), the only female cop at Edgemar and the target of as much abuse as J.J. Hoping to somehow fit in, J.J. digs into his work and tries to be "just one of the guys," ignoring the racism and corruption around him. However, one night J.J.'s fellow officer Bono (Don Harvey) pulls over Teddy Woods (Ice Cube), an arrogant and uncommunicative young black man, and in the midst of an illegal search of his car, he finds a gun; even though he knows that Bono acted improperly, J.J. put his loyalty behind the force and lies to support Bono's story. The gun's serial number matches that of a weapon used to murder the wife of Mr. Greenspan (Elliott Gould), a prominent Jewish businessman, and Woods is charged with the killing. However, J.J. discovers that the number of the gun had been altered, and he has to decide what to do when he realizes that Teddy could be sentenced to death without having committed a serious crime. The Glass Shield also features Bernie Casey, Sy Richardson, and M. Emmet Walsh. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Charles Burnett
Written By: Charles Burnett
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Dec 31, 1994 Wide
On DVD: Feb 5, 2002
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Ambition is something to respect in an artist, but Charles Burnett's police-corruption drama The Glass Shield is such a maladroit piece of filmmaking that its weighty themes and sclerotic tangle of a plot end up making it a trial to sit through.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
A powerful moral drama that tries to deal with the racism at the root of many problems in contempo American society.
Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times
It's a rigorous, angry piece of work, but it misses out on the psychological depths that have made Burnett's previous films among the glories of recent American independent moviemaking.
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
An implausible, wearisome clunker trying to ring true but making only dull thuds.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Burnett's screenplay has a tendency to be a little too preachy, especially during the unsatisfying final scene. There's a fine line between getting the message across through subtlety and becoming didactic...
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
It has both ideas and a point of view. But the ideas are far from new, and the point of view is blatantly knee-jerk.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Despite studio interference, 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 the genre.
, Time Out
The movie feels sketchy, as if Burnett chopped the flesh off his screenplay and left us only the bare bones.
Tony Whitt, Now Playing Magazine
It's movies like this that spark conversations about... issues. Even when they're this heavy-handed.
Michael Szymanski, Wordmag.com
Not Cube's best...
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Not every lesson is comprised of what you want to hear.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
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.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
The film's ambition makes Burnett's occasional overstatement easy to forgive.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
It moves along at a healthy clip and for all its one-sidedness develops a sense of urgency and excitement even though we know how things are going to turn out.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
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.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
an entirely honorable - if inevitably doomed - attempt to reconcile Burnett's political and social concerns with the requisites of mass entertainment.
Greg Muskewitz, eFilmCritic.com
Generic racial drama, hindered by a clubfooted direction and lumbering performances.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
A surprisingly compelling look at racism amongst police officers.
Gil Jawetz, DVDTalk.com
There was no reason to expect that Burnett, usually an interesting filmmaker, would make a film that had one critic name him "the black Ed Wood."
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Definitely not the work of a genius

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

A pretty good Police Drama about how once again the white man has done the black man wrong. Still Story line worth 4 stars
danny d

the worst ending in movie history
Deb S

This is a gritty police story of crime and corruption in the police force based partially on a true story revolving around a young black cop J.J. Johnson (MICHEAL BOATMAN), the first black officer who is sent to an all-white Los Angeles station for his first assignment. The black… More
This is a gritty police story of crime and corruption in the police force based partially on a true story revolving around a young black cop J.J. Johnson (MICHEAL BOATMAN), the first black officer who is sent to an all-white Los Angeles station for his first assignment. The black rookie encounters not-so-subtle racism and at first tries to fit in by covering up certain corrupt practices within his department but then he is drawn into a plot to falsify evidence against a supposed murderer (ICE CUBE). He is teamed up with Lori Petty, the only female deputy who helps J.J in his investigation. As a much deeper conspiracy is uncovered, J.J and Petty tries to uncover the truth behind the false prosecution of Ice Cube and finds themselves trapped between the wheels of the conspirators and the legal system, both of which they are sworn to serve. Great cast of actors including Richard Anderson, M. Emmet Walsh, Bernie Casey (is good as Ice Cube's lawyer) and Elliott Gould and Michael Ironside who is chilling as one of the corrupt officers!