Search - A Soldier's Story on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1984 DVD Release: 08/31/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, Spanish Subtitles: English, Korean, Spanish, Thai SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 1 Genres: Drama, Courtroom Drama, Message Movie, Ensemble Film

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

Howard E. Rollins, Jr. - Capt. Davenport
Adolph Caesar - Master Sgt. Waters
Dennis Lipscomb - Capt. Taylor
Art Evans - Private Wilkie
Patti LaBelle - Big Mary
Denzel Washington - Pfc. Peterson
David Alan Grier - Cpl. Cobb
Wings Hauser - Lt. Byrd