A Soldier's Story

Sgt. Waters, as played by Adolph Caeser, is almost everyone. We all deal with competition and rejection. Hatred of ourselves is another, deep unsolved problem that needs to be treated with kindness and compassion. Peterson, as played by Denzel Washington, is a younger version of Waters. And people like CJ Memphis is a threat to their self-confidence, as CJ is happy with himself and compassionate, and caring(aware)of others. Howard Rollins as the investigating officer was very sensitive and confident in his undercovering the "truth" of what happened to Sgt. Waters. Actually, all actors were excellent in their roles. Jewison's direction was sensitive and tough as the situation arose.Caesar's performance should have garnered him an Academy Award win. Washington should have received a Golden Globe nomination. The same with Larry Riley(CJ Memphis). Art Evans was great as Wilkey. As my title says, everyone IS A SOLDIER'S STORY. Color is immaterial.

Great film (except for a minute or two of boilerplate at the end). No director creates better ensemble acting and convincing crowd scenes like Norman Jewison. Early bravura performance by Denzel Washington.

Great story and superb acting. Definitely a classic.

A Soldier’s Story is based upon a play. It takes place in Louisiana during World War II. An African American Sergeant Waters (Adolph Caesar) is murdered and Captain Davenport (Howard Rollins Jr) comes to Fort Neal to investigate. It’s a mystery as to whether he was murdered by racists or by his fellow black soldiers who disliked him.The movie turns out to be an exploration into the differences between African Americans and their culture. Davenport’s investigation for instance reveals the world of black self-hatred. African Americans are brought up within a racist society that leads many to hate themselves and accept white standards. Sergeant Water was one such person. He hated blacks from the country believing that they were a disgrace to the race and made African Americans look bad in the eyes of white men.It also features a very young Denzel Washington in one of his first big feature roles.It’s a powerful movie

Great story line & definitely great actors!! Howard Rollins, Jr. was awesome in his role as the strong, confident, take-no-mess, straight-shooting Captain Davenport, loved his facial expressions, body movements & manner of speaking that really sold his character. Adolph Caesar was also awesome in his role as Sergeant Waters, the raspy-talking, mean-spirited, self-loathing person who loved demeaning his own Black soldiers, especially CJ who was a great blues singer & great baseball player. Waters hated him because he considered him an embarrassment to the Black race for shucking, jiving, grinning & guitar-picking. Of course Denzel was awesome! This was my 1st time seeing Denzel & unlike many women, I didn't immediately make note that he was good-looking & fine, and he was. The 1st thing I made note of was that he was such a good actor, I noticed his body movements, facial expressions & the way he spoke his lines. He had many great scenes but I can't list them all so I'll just list "3" that I really loved. I loved 1) how he made that tight face & how he snatched his arm back all rough & hard from Sergeant Waters when he told him to get his hands off him, 2) when he was pissed-off at Sergeant Waters for false allegations against CG regarding a shooting, I noticed when he was getting dressed how he pulled his shoe strings very hard & tied his boots very roughly to show just how pissed-off he was when he was getting ready to leave the barracks so he could go defend CJ against those false allegations, 3) how he pushed Sergeant Waters down as he was trying to get up while he was drunk then said, "that's the kind of help I'm gonna give ya boy" & he said it in a manner that showed his disgust & hatred for Waters. That Denzel was just awesome in every scene! Robert Townsend did a really good job as Captain Davenport's asst. & driver. David Allan Grier was good in this movie, he is a hilarious comedienne, I have loved him since his time on "In Living Color," especially when he & Tommy Davidson did the duo of "Funky Finger Productions." As hilarious as David is, he did a good job showing his dramatic side in his role as soldier Cobb. Of course I loved Patti LaBelle in her role as the lounge singer, Big Mary, she was awesome as always. I knew when I first saw this movie I had to have it for my collection!!

I loved this story when it first came out. My son is now in his mid 20's. I thought he would love it, so I ordered it, and he did love it. He loved it just as much as I did when I first waw it.Great movie!

This is a great movie about racial divide during world war two.it was also filmed in my daddy's hometown,you can actually see the house we lived in.

A good movie that keeps you wondering how its going to end . Great cast and many that are recognizable from other movies Of course you have Denzel looking a very young 30 at the time of this movies release. Others like the Sergeant who played "Misters" father in the movie the color purple. Interesting story enough so that I had to purchase it.

This is a review of the standard Region 2 DVD from Sony Pictures.This film, dating from 1984, was made (at Fort Smith, Arkansas) on a tiny budget, as Columbia was unsure of the commercial potential: 3 other studios had already rejected it. Then Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton enthusiastically provided the Arkansas Army National Guard to create a uniformed crowd scene, as there was insufficient budget for extras. However, it proved a considerable success, and was nominated for 3 OSCARs, including Best Picture.The film is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Charles Fuller. Interestingly, despite the big screen treatment, and the setting of a large US Army Base and it’s surrounding area, there is a sense of constriction to the action. In some films, appearing too ‘stagey’ can be a hinderance, but in this case, it works rather well. It provides a feeling of claustrophobia and confinement which highlights the impact of the original crime and of the ensuing investigation. This is, after all, Louisiana in 1944, a world of racial segregation and the Klan, and the protagonists are largely African-American soldiers in a US army where black officers are unheard of, and black troops form a labouring underclass.A highly decorated black Master Sergeant is murdered, and the initial investigation is somewhat sketchy, in large part because the possible alternative explanations are all potentially incendiary. The Judge Advocate’s department in Washington, against the wishes of the camp CO, sends their own investigator to dig deeper. And he is a determined, well-educated black lawyer, Captain Richard Davenport, played with great conviction and control, by the late Howard E Rollins Jnr.Davenport’s presence is highly controversial. White suspects are deeply resistant to his having authority to question and even command them. Black soldiers are surprised and delighted by his presence, but need convincing too, that he is willing to question them thoroughly, and take action against them if he deems it necessary.The film is a fascinating study of racism and of discrimination in all their forms, and from all quarters, some totally unexpected. It really challenges us to think about the subject in a different way. This is a thoughtful and sober story, enhanced by an excellent ensemble cast who bring gravitas and sincerity to their performances.

The final shot says it all - but I won't spoil it. The racial tensions on the Army base are palpable and there was a hint of 'In the Heat of the Night' in the plotting but as an investigative thriller set in an enclosed environment it works well. The film's theatrical roots are evident at times but this does not stop the piece being opened out sufficiently for the demands of cinema and the performances were excellent throughout. Of its time but still very relevant - unfortunately - today.

I thought because it was released on bluray they would have spent time cleaning the picture up. Picture quality is very grainy, if your not interested in the extras on the disc you might as well just pay less and go for the dvd release.

Denzel doing what he does best. Arrived on time and in good condition.

Beautiful film and great performance especially from the late great Howard E Rollins Jr. the dvd arrived on time and in described condition