The Glass Shield

Charles Burnett may be one of the best directors you've never heard of. His first film, Killer of Sheep, was inducted into the National Film Registry. To Sleep With Anger, starring Danny Glover, his closest brush with mainstream success, was hailed as a masterpiece. The Glass Shield (distributed by Miramax, which tampered with the ending to make it more upbeat) is a police drama about an idealistic LAPD rookie cop, the first African-American in his department, who reluctantly takes part in a cover-up concerning the racially-motivated arrest of a suspect for a murder he did not commit. Burnett and his fine ensemble do this story justice. (D. Liebenson)[DVD Review--Aug. 23, 2005--Fox, 92 min., PG-13, $19.98--Making its second appearance on DVD, 1995's The Glass Shield: Collector's Series boasts a nice transfer and Dolby Digital surround sound. DVD extras include audio commentary by writer/director Charles Burnett and composer Stephen James Taylor, a “Film Scoring with Stephen James Taylor” featurette (14 min.), a conversation with Burnett (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a solid thriller.]