Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

A Soldier's Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 25, 2020

Norman Jewison's "A Soldier's Story" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials; archival audio commentary recorded by the director; archival featurette; and more. Also included with the release is a 36-page illustrated booklet featuring writings on the film and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The outsider

Remove the murder case from the story and you will quickly discover that all of the key characters in Norman Jewison’s A Soldier’s Story actually have entirely rational views on the environment in which they are placed and the people that are part of it. What discredits their views is the prejudice that is attached to them, which ultimately, and quite predictably, compromises every single one of them, but in different ways.

A military base in Louisiana, 1944. After visiting a popular bar in a nearby town, the seriously inebriated Sergeant Waters (Adolph Caesar) gets a couple of bullets in his head. At the base, the mostly black privates immediately conclude that Waters was victim of a hate crime, which everyone agrees is a legit theory because the Klan is still very active in the area. To prevent a bloody retaliation with unpredictable consequences, the white officers then conclude that an expedited investigation is needed to deliver a guilty party as quickly as possible. A few days later, an external investigator is dispatched from Washington D.C.

Much to everyone’s surprise, however, the investigator, Captain Davenport (Howard E. Rollins Jr.), turns out to be black. Even more importantly, he immediately goes to work to find out who is responsible for Waters’ murder, which isn’t the outcome the top brass expects. The main concern is that having a high-profile legal case possibly involving a white killer, who may very well be a Klan member, would essentially guarantee a violent public confrontation, and if such an event occurs all bets are off. But Davenport vows to finish the job he was sent to do and while facing resistance from multiple sides begins digging for the truth.

The murder case is just a pretext for an interesting study on race relationships in a particular period, though in reality there are not that many period-specific factors in it that make it appear dated. The main reason why is the fact that every single character operates with a wide range of presumptions about the ‘other side’, which is still a very popular practice today. Also, there are specific emotionally-charged expectations which for a long period of time leave the impression that the truth can and will be interpreted in different ways, which sadly isn’t an archaic practice either.

Arguably the most curious aspect of the study is the manner in which it successfully alters the viewer’s point of view as Davenport begins questioning the black privates that knew Waters best. The tensions that emerge from Davenport’s findings quickly prove that the ‘other side’ isn’t necessarily defined by its color, which rearranges the clash of ideas that initially seem to point to a very predictable resolution. (For what it’s worth, the resolution is a predictable one, but for different reasons). It is why the killer’s frustration makes perfect sense, and why the drama his hideous act initiates is entirely preventable as well.

Rollins Jr. is convincing as the outsider that is willing to challenge the status quo at the base and get to the truth. In a number of difficult situations where a lot could have gone wrong, he exudes the right type of confidence and adds much needed credibility. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is pretty underwhelming. For example, Caesar, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance, is completely miscast as the prejudiced and abusive sergeant. His posturing is so badly overdone that it routinely makes his character look like an odd caricature. (The challenge before the fistfight and his convincing ‘win’ are simply awful). Art Evans’ emotional ups and downs routinely look mistimed as well. Denzel Washington’s anger is entirely justified but his emotional outbursts before his peers look unconvincing. Wings Hauser does not look even remotely authentic as the racist agitator.

Jewison worked with acclaimed Australian cinematographer Russell Boyd, but the quality of the visuals in this film is impossible to compare to that of genre classics like Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli. The original soundtrack was produced by jazz legend Herbie Hancock.

A Soldier's Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Soldier's Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from an old 2K master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. (In case you are wondering, it is the same master that Image Entertainment licensed to produce this Region-A release of the film in 2012). It is a decent master with proper organic qualities, but its age definitely shows. For example, a lot of the darker footage reveals minor density fluctuations and less and than optimal shadow definition that are very typical on older masters (see screencaptures #4 and 17). But even during daylight footage, where light sometimes produces unusual temporary contrasts, trained eyes should spot grain fluctuations impacting overall depth that are not introduced by the original cinematography (see screencapture #18). On the other hand, highlights are managed very nicely and this helps and strengthens the overall color balance. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Grain can be a tad loose at times, but there are no distracting anomalies to report. (If a new 4K master is created for this film, the improved density levels which the tighter grain will produce should be one of the major improvements). Image stability is excellent. There are no damage marks, cuts, stains, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

A Soldier's Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track sounded great on my system. The audio was very clear without any signs of aging in the upper register, sharp, and stable. There are a few areas where roundness evolves a bit, but it is quite easy tell that this is an inherited limitation. On the other hand, the music from the club sounded outstanding, despite the crowd noise (see the segment around the 24.00.00 mark). There are no pops or audio dropouts to report.

A Soldier's Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for A Soldier's Story. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• March to Freedom - this archival program features clips from archival interviews with African-American soldiers as well as screenwriter Charles Fuller and focuses on the integration of the U.S. military. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• The DP/30 Interview with Norman Jewison - in this long archival interview, Norman Jewison discusses the evolution of his career as well as some of his key collaborations with legendary Hollywood stars. The interview was conducted by film historian David Poland. In English, not subtitled. (69 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Norman Jewison in 1999.

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional materials for A Soldier's Story.

• Booklet - a 36-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by Molefi Kete Asante, an archival interview with Norman Jewison, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

A Soldier's Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

All of the drama in Norman Jewison's A Soldier's Story is completely preventable as soon as one rejects the notion that the 'other side' is defined by its color. Was such a rejection possible in the early '40s? I doubt it, because both sides operated with preset expectations that made it virtually impossible for them to treat each other fairly. They were trapped in a perpetual cycle of suspicion, which was the catalyst for all kinds of different racial problems. I think that A Soldier's Story is an interesting film with a relevant lesson -- and perhaps even more than one -- but I also find a number of its characterizations seriously flawed. Howard E. Rollins Jr., for instance, looks great and if anyone deserved an Oscar nomination it is him, and yet it often feels like he is acting in a much more serious film than the rest of the actors before the camera. The gap in quality is quite striking. This release of A Soldier's Story is sourced from an old but good 2K master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. RECOMMENDED.