Powerful film detailing the segregation in the armed forces which existed prior to 1948.
The gripping film takes place in Louisiana where a black sergeant has been shot to death. A black army official has been sent in from Washington to investigate the murder.
Well directed by Norman Jewison who seemed to focus on murder mysteries as he did so well in the 1967 Oscar winning film "In the Heat of the Night."
It first appears obvious that the Ku Klux Klan has done the sergeant. (Adolph Caesar in a brilliant Oscar nominated performance for best supporting actor.) Later on the attention drifts to two white soldiers, one of whom, had beaten the sergeant up moments before the shots rang out.
Howard E. Rollins, Jr. is effective as the investigator who pulls no punches in his investigation.
Flashbacks work beautifully in this film as it is recounted how Caesar was ashamed of "dumb" blacks whom he felt was holding up the progress of the rest of the black people in the army. He provokes one to hit him and thereby he can have him jailed for striking an officer. The sergeant has done this previously in other parts of the country.
One black soldier stands up to him and that person is played by Denzel Washington in his first movie. What an impressive performance for Washington!
This film was nominated for best picture of 1984 and lost to "Amadeus." That choice of the latter could easily be criticized with this film dealing with segregation, perseverance and doing what was right.
The gripping film takes place in Louisiana where a black sergeant has been shot to death. A black army official has been sent in from Washington to investigate the murder.
Well directed by Norman Jewison who seemed to focus on murder mysteries as he did so well in the 1967 Oscar winning film "In the Heat of the Night."
It first appears obvious that the Ku Klux Klan has done the sergeant. (Adolph Caesar in a brilliant Oscar nominated performance for best supporting actor.) Later on the attention drifts to two white soldiers, one of whom, had beaten the sergeant up moments before the shots rang out.
Howard E. Rollins, Jr. is effective as the investigator who pulls no punches in his investigation.
Flashbacks work beautifully in this film as it is recounted how Caesar was ashamed of "dumb" blacks whom he felt was holding up the progress of the rest of the black people in the army. He provokes one to hit him and thereby he can have him jailed for striking an officer. The sergeant has done this previously in other parts of the country.
One black soldier stands up to him and that person is played by Denzel Washington in his first movie. What an impressive performance for Washington!
This film was nominated for best picture of 1984 and lost to "Amadeus." That choice of the latter could easily be criticized with this film dealing with segregation, perseverance and doing what was right.