This was a profoundly powerful film telling the story of the 54th Civil War Regiment, the first platoon of black soldiers to fight in the Civil War. As they volunteer to be the leading regiment in the battle on the Fort which ends the film, they all realize that being the lead regiment means most of them will most likely die. The night before they go into battle, Morgan Freeman leads the regiment in prayer and singing to God, praying for their souls if they go down in the fight. The scene is so powerful because there is such an overwhelming feeling of doom for these soldiers who already endured so much hardship, and finally they get what they want, to be in a real battle and be heroes. The camera pans over to many of the faces, and you can see the worry and fear in their eyes. Freeman finally gets Denzel Washington's character up to say something, and for the first time this man who was always made of a tough exterior, breaks down admitting that the regiment is the only family he's got. It's an emotional moment of final preparation for the battle that will make them heroes but also bring most of them to their deaths.