Rookie cop J.J., the first black police officer in the service, is a loyal albeit rather naive colleague who cooperates with a scam. He gradually discovers a cover-up that confronts him with a lot of moral dilemmas. The single female cop in the service is his only ally. They soon discover the scale of the moral decay and dark practices, while the other cops stop at nothing and protect each other.
The Glass Shield, which focuses more on human interactions and moods than on violent action, is seen as Burnett’s (Killer of Sheep and To Sleep with Anger) “most stylised and politically outspoken film”. This police drama, based on various existing scandals, emerged at the time of O.J. Simpson’s arrest and soon after the fierce protests against the violent arrest of Rodney King. The film is still relevant and urgent in 2017, and has been described by The Guardian as “a shamefully neglected 1994 squad-room drama”.
Film details
- Countries of production
- France, USA
- Year
- 1994
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2017
- Length
- 104'
- Medium/Format
- File
