A Soldier's Story (1984)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Charles Fuller (play)
Charles Fuller (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 February 1985 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | War

Tagline:

Alone, far from home, and far from justice, he has three days to learn the truth about a murder...and the truth is a story you won't forget.

Plot:

An African American officer investigates a murder in a racially charged situation in World War II.

Plot Keywords:

African American | Captain | Racial Prejudice | Racism | Southern

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Howard E. Rollins Jr.	...	Captain Davenport
Adolph Caesar	...	Sergeant Waters
Art Evans	...	Private Wilkie
David Alan Grier	...	Corporal Cobb
David Harris	...	Private Smalls
Dennis Lipscomb	...	Captain Taylor
Larry Riley	...	C.J. Memphis
Robert Townsend	...	Corporal Ellis
Denzel Washington	...	Private First Class Peterson
William Allen Young	...	Private Henson
Patti LaBelle	...	Big Mary
Wings Hauser	...	Lieutenant Byrd
Scott Paulin	...	Captain Wilcox
John Hancock	...	Sergeant Washington
Trey Wilson	...	Colonel Nivens

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Clarendon, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

David Alan Grier, who plays Cpl. Cobb in the film, replaced Larry Riley in the role of C.J. Memphis in the original production of "A Soldier's Play."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The film is reversed during a play at second base, evidenced by the mirror-image numbers on the uniforms of the players.

Quotes:

Drill Sergeant: [a group of soldiers are doing calisthenics when Captain Davenport drives by in a jeep. Everyone stops and stares in astonishment] Alright, soldiers, let's get back to those exercises! Haven't you seen a colored officer before?
GI: No, sir! Have you?

Movie Connections:

Edited into March to Freedom (1999) (V)

A must-see mystery drama inside a WWII black army base

An old movie I never saw but had heard about. It has held up very well over the two decades since it came out (1984). The DVD comments by the director are interesting: low budget, core cast came from Broadway stage version, filmed at Ft. Chafee, Arkansas, Governor Bill Clinton visited the lot, local buildings and people were heavily used. Denzel Washington is fine in an early role; Adolph Caesar (well named for his role!)is fascinating; Howard Rollins is a force. Hard to put a finger on a weak link. Much of the music and barracks scenes are improvised giving the word "ensemble" real meaning. Definitely worth a first or second look. The spontaneous celebration of the long-awaited announcement that the unit is finally going to be shipped to Europe to fight is a special and real moment--validating the men's commitments to the U.S., with all its flaws, and the army itself, which would gradually emerge as a leading force for racial integration in the country.