A Soldier's Story (1984)

Directed by

Norman Jewison

Genre

drama film, mystery film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 41m

Rated

PG

Rating

6.8 of 10 from 207 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Black JAG captain investigates the murder of a Black drill sergeant at a segregated Army base in 1940s Louisiana. The inquiry reveals the deep racial tensions and resentments within the unit. Flashbacks show the events leading up to the sergeant's death.

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What happens

A Soldier's Story is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play. It is a murder mystery set in a segregated regiment of the U.S Army commanded by White officers and training in the Jim Crow South. In a time and place where a Black commissioned officer is bitterly resented by nearly everyone, a Black JAG captain investigates the murder of a Black drill sergeant in Louisiana following American entry into World War II. As the investigation proceeds, the events leading up to the sergeant's murder are shown in flashbacks. The cast is led by Howard Rollins and Adolph Caesar. Other actors include Art Evans, David Alan Grier, Larry Riley, David Harris, Robert Townsend, and Patti LaBelle. Denzel Washington, still at the beginning of his career, appears in a supporting role. Several actors reprise their roles from the stage version. The film premiered at the 1984 Toronto International Film Festival and was both a critical and commercial success. It received three Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Adolph Caesar. The film was ranked by the National Board of Review as one of the 10 best films of 1984, and it won the Golden Prize at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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