The better murder mysteries offer unique settings, character depth and meaning beyond their particular crime cases. That is certainly true of Norman Jewison’s movie A Soldier’s Story (1984), adapted by Charles Fuller from his own Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Its story of a murder on a Southern military base in the 1940s not only is a sharp and engrossing investigative mystery, but it also conveys the prevailing social conventions at that time and place with an unerring and uncritical eye, leaving viewers to react to the various shades of inequality and racism themselves.
The movie benefits greatly from a wonderful collage of actors, most of whom appeared in the original play. Some of the faces are very familiar, such as Howard E. Rollins, Jr., then at the top of his fame, and Denzel Washington, still a few years from superstardom. Adolph Caesar was Oscar-nominated for his role as the ferocious sergeant whose inner demons lead to his demise, while Art Evans, David Alan Grier, Robert Townsend, Larry Riley, Patti LaBelle and Wings Hauser all contribute solidly.
As dark as this subject matter is, however, director Jewison keeps the tone bright rather than subdued, allowing the characters to really live. The film celebrates life, showing that even the most oppressed and maligned people can find and embrace simple joys from time to time.
This exuberant drama, with its sterling performances, jaunty music score and incisive script, was a Best Picture nominee for 1984, but it’s probably one of the least remembered and appreciated Best Picture nominees of the last thirty years.
That’s a shame because A Soldier’s Story is good in so many ways. Jewison has an artistic habit of exploring racial conflict (In the Heat of the Night; The Hurricane; The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming; Fiddler on the Roof) in many forms, but he’s always hopeful about the future. That hopefulness keeps A Soldier’s Story bright and buoyant, intertwining an important theme with superb entertainment values. My rating: ✪ ✪ ✪ ½. (9:2).