With race relations still always the subject of news stories,
I thought about the movie, A Soldier’s
Story, filmed over thirty years ago. Like Fences, also featuring Denzel Washington, A Soldier’s Story originally was a play and even on film makes viewing
feel like one is watching a play. Being
only 101 minutes in length with the average film today going well over two
hours, I’d say that this is refreshing.
A Soldier’s Story is
a murder mystery. It concerns the
killing of a black sergeant, Sergeant Waters (Adolph Caesar), at a Louisiana army
base during 1944. Though a series of
flashbacks we learn how the killing occurred.
At first everyone suspects white soldiers committed the deed – the murder
occurring in the Deep South. But subsequent
investigation by a black officer and lawyer, Captain Davenport (Howard E.
Rollins Jr.), eventually demonstrates that the murderer was one of the sergeant’s
own men.
Waters is a tyrant when it comes to leading his platoon. He is deeply ashamed of the humiliation he as
a black soldier faces, and wants to prove to his white officers that a black
soldier has the discipline to fight in the war in Europe. Any soldier who does not live up to his
exacting standards he demotes or tries to force out of his unit. In one particular case, Waters’ tactics get a
soldier, C.J. Memphis (Larry Riley), sent to the brig. Unable to withstand the
confinement or the unjust accusations that Waters brings, C.J. eventually
commits suicide.
This leads to the final confrontation between Waters and
Private Peterson (Denzel Washington).
Peterson appears to be the only one in the platoon who can stand up to
Waters’ bullying. At one point he even
takes Waters on in a bare-fisted fight only to come out on the losing end due
to the dirty fight tactics that Waters uses.
Yet Waters secretly admires Peterson for his willingness to fight back
and even wants to promote him. Peterson,
on the other hand, hates everything about his sergeant.
After C.J.’s suicide, Waters begins coming to the conclusion
that no matter what he does, the white officers he serves will never respect
him. This leads to him drinking more and
becoming even more sullen. One evening,
drunk and returning to town, Waters berates a couple of white patrol
officers. The patrol officers in turn
beat Waters up. Peterson, while out
walking with another black soldier, discovers Waters lying by the side of the
road. Waters tells Peterson that no
matter what a black soldier does, the white man will still hate him. Peterson has no sympathy for his sergeant and
instead shoots him. Peterson, in his own
way, is like Waters due to his willingness to harshly judge the character of another
black man.
There is almost too much understatement in A Soldier’s Story with the exception of
the acting of Adolph Caesar. Caesar is
almost the entire show. Yet the movie is
also a thoughtful film demonstrating not only the strained relations between
black and white individuals, but also showing the tension that exists between
blacks and other blacks. Knowing the
conditions black have faced through American history, such tension is understandable.
Director Norman Jewison has shown a willingness to take on
films with race as a theme throughout his long movie career. Most notably, this includes directing In the Heat of the Night released in
1967. To his credit, Jewison never seems
concerned about having a low budget. In
fact, he makes up for budgetary constraints by letting the dialogue tell the
story and filming in locations such as bars and army barracks rather than
providing dramatic scenery.
In a time where honest discussion concerning almost any
issue is out of the question, it would be good if there were more films like A Soldier’s Story. Such films will probably not come out of Hollywood,
however, where storytelling resolves around special effects and every
blockbuster appears to be a sequel.
August 28, 2017
© Robert S. Miller 2017
