Soldier's Story with Howard E. Rollins Jr.: DVD Cover
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Soldier's Story Director: Norman Jewison Cast: Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Dennis Lipscomb, Art Evans

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  • DVD Release Date: 08/31/1999
  • Original Release: 1984
  • Rating: Rated PG
  • Sales Rank: 7,740

Viewer Rating: (1 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Scenes
  • Customer Reviews
  • Cast & Crew
  • Full Product Details

Scenes

Features

Interactive menus; Production notes; Languages: English 2-channel [Dolby Surround], Spanish; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; "March to Freedom" documentary narrated by Paul Winfield; Director Norman Jewison's commentary; Original theatrical trailer; Bonus theatrical trailer; Scene selections; Full screen and widescreen formats

Full Product Details

Scene Index

Side #1 -- WIDESCREEN
0. Scene Selections
1. Start [3:51]
2. Dead drunk [:51]
3. Precautions [2:04]
4. Captain Davenport [3:06]
5. Colonel Nivens [4:15]
6. Captain Taylor [5:53]
7. Private Wilkie [1:33]
8. Spit & polish [1:42]
9. C. J. Memphis [3:10]
10. Mr. Warm & Mr. Cold [2:48]
11. Private Peterson [1:26]
12. A real big day [2:24]
13. The Mess Hall [9:45]
14. The lesson [3:53]
15. Off the record [2:55]
16. Byrd & Wilcox [3:58]
17. No authority [3:48]
18. Private Henson [1:25]
19. The shooting [6:18]
20. Corporal Cobb [2:37]
21. The stockade [5:54]
22. Officers Club [5:37]
23. Requestioning Wilkie [1:42]
24. Crazy kind of hate [5:19]
25. Awol [2:06]
26. Private Smalls [1:36]
27. Killing Sgt. Waters [5:42]
28. Off to war [4:57]
Side #2 -- FULL SCREEN
0. Scene Selections
1. Start [3:51]
2. Dead drunk [:51]
3. Precautions [2:04]
4. Captain Davenport [3:06]
5. Colonel Nivens [4:15]
6. Captain Taylor [5:53]
7. Private Wilkie [1:33]
8. Spit & polish [1:42]
9. C. J. Memphis [3:10]
10. Mr. Warm & Mr. Cold [2:48]
11. Private Peterson [1:26]
12. A real big day [2:24]
13. The Mess Hall [9:45]
14. The lesson [3:53]
15. Off the record [2:55]
16. Byrd & Wilcox [3:58]
17. No authority [3:48]
18. Private Henson [1:25]
19. The shooting [6:18]
20. Corporal Cobb [2:37]
21. The stockade [5:54]
22. Officers Club [5:37]
23. Requestioning Wilkie [1:42]
24. Crazy kind of hate [5:19]
25. Awol [2:06]
26. Private Smalls [1:36]
27. Killing Sgt. Waters [5:42]
28. Off to war [4:57]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

Inspired by the Herman Melville novel Billy Budd, writer Charles Fuller created the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play, which he then adapted into this film drama in 1984, for socially conscious, liberal director Norman Jewison. In the racially-divided 1940s, Fort Neal, Louisiana, is a military base where black soldiers are sent not to fight in WWII but to play baseball against other armed forces teams. The murder of a black sergeant, Waters (Adolph Caesar) brings an investigator, Captain Davenport (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.) to the base. Davenport, the first black officer that most of the men have ever met, suspects that a pair of white men were responsible for Waters' death, but his probe reveals that nearly everyone, regardless of skin color, had ample reason to kill the loathsome but pitiable Waters. The cast of A Soldier's Story features early supporting performances from several African-American actors who would go on to greater prominence, including Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, and Robert Townsend. The film was nominated for three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Caesar) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

  • Viewer Rating:
  • Ratings: 1Reviews: 1

Soldier's Storyby Anonymous

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August 04, 2003: ''A Soldier's Story'' is one of the most exciting and original movies ever made. Telling the story of the murder of the black fascist Sgt. Waters (Adolph Caesar) and Cpt. Davenport (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.), who is sent to a Army base in the deep south to report his findings on who actually killed him. This movie is a combination mystery, musical, drama, and comedy. Also, the talent in this movie is near flawless, with performances by the late Howard E. Rollins, Jr., David Allen Grier, Robert Townsend, Art Evans, Denzel Washington, Pattie LaBelle and more. Norman Jewison directs a movie which is continuously believeable and Rollins leads it with phenomenal strength and he leads the movie to a wonderful ending. ''A Soldier's Story'' introduces a side of black culture that no one had ever seen onscreen at this time. I remember seeing it in the early 90's (being that I was a toddler when it came out in '84), and a decade later, it is even better.