Uh-oh, another little-mentioned '80s drama. Fortunately in my eyes, this one came out the same year as Amadeus, which could easily overshadow something good. And most of the on-screen soldier stories I can think of aren't bad.
In World War II, CPT Richard Davenport (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.) is sent from Washington, DC, to a Louisiana army base to investigate the anonymous fatal shooting of SGT Vernon Waters (Adolph Caesar) a short way from base. Given Waters' race and the setting, the KKK is the first suspect to jump to most minds, but of course, to have the first suspicion be correct would render the movie pretty lame. The local colonel allows only three days to solve the case, and that's not the last obstacle set in Davenport's path by officers who would prefer that he not be there. Those who appear to have nothing against Black people still fear likely reactions to a Black officer investigating and possibly arresting White soldiers....
With Norman Jewison at the helm, it makes sense that I would keep thinking of In the Heat of the Night. For instance, Davenport bears a passing resemblance to Virgil Tibbs sporting the Douglas MacArthur look. But unlike Tibbs, he enjoys more screen time than any White guy. Also, he never faces a personal threat, only an insult on a mirror at worst. As a result, I didn't feel much suspense. Good thing that wasn't my main hope.
The investigations are strictly interviews, mostly with the privates and corporals under Waters. They make a pretty colorful bunch (no racial pun intended). So far they've gained attention only for a hotshot baseball team, but they look forward to whooping Germans in the near future. The actors all do a fine job, even if the biggest name, Denzel Washington, leaves the rest in the dust.
The picture the interviewees paint of Waters is mixed, increasing in negativity as the plot progresses. He wasn't just a typical Drill Sergeant Nasty; he despised any Black man who perpetuated a lowly stereotypical image in front of White onlookers, and that spite could manifest as seemingly unprovoked cruelty. Oh, he could indulge in camaraderie and sometimes suffered from a guilty conscience, but it's easy to tell why he was unpopular with more than the bigots of the vicinity.
Of the White characters, CPT Taylor (Dennis Lipscomb) is the most prominent as well as the most interesting. He commands the Black troops with no sign of thinking less of them for their color. Indeed, he had put in many requests for a full investigation into the murder of Waters before one came. But he stops and stares upon first seeing Davenport, not only because he's unaccustomed to Blacks at his rank but because he knows how others will take it; had he known, he would have withdrawn his requests. Davenport is about as annoyed at Taylor's uncooperative behavior as at everyone else's, but at least we can see where Taylor is coming from, and he is ultimately on Davenport's side.
I don't know how the film compares to A Soldier's Play, on which it's based, except that there are a few extra scenes on screen (presumably including the baseball game). I wouldn't be surprised if many viewers got rubbed the wrong way by Jewison directing a story focused on Blacks' internalized racism, much as many objected to the next year's The Color Purple.
Nevertheless, it comes across pretty effectively. The next ItHotN it isn't, but I put it ahead of The Killing Fields, Places of the Heart, and A Passage to India. Yep, I've seen all the Best Picture nominees for that year, which more people remember for the fun fare.
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