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"A Soldier's Story" might be a murder mystery drama, but it's also a poignant exploration of racism in the Jim Crow South of the 1940s. As the former, it's a bit formulaic, but as the latter, it's a thought provoking film centered around an incredible, Oscar-nominated performance from Adolph Caesar.
"A Soldier's Story" (1984): ★★★1/2 (out of five)
My New Year's resolution for 2026? To watch every Denzel Washington movie ever. Inspired by an X (Twitter) post by The New York Times senior staff writer Brooklyn White-Grier, I've set out to watch one of Denzel's 52 movies every week of 2026. I'm going in chronological order, so last week, I started my Denzel Watchathon with his first movie, 1981's "Carbon Copy." This week, I'm reviewing "A Soldier's Story," a 1984 murder mystery set in the Jim Crow South of World War II.
However, it is available on YouTube to stream for free if you do a cursory search; not that I'm advocating you do such a thing. Regardless of how you watch it, though, once you're done, read on for my review of this "1984 classic, "A Soldier's Story."
Malcolm has been with the Streaming team at Tom's Guide since 2023, reviewing dozens of movies each year so you don't have to watch the bad ones.
You can easily see 'A Soldier's Story' influencing other great films
For those of you who continued on without watching "A Soldier's Story", here's a brief synopsis. Set in 1944, this mystery drama centers around the death of Master Sergeant Vernon Waters (Adolph Caesar). After he was found shot dead outside Fort Neal, Louisiana, Captain Richard Davenport (Howard E. Rollins) from the Judge Advocate General's Corps is sent down to investigate the cause of the sergeant's death.
Here are the other Denzel Washington movies I've covered so far in our Denzel Watchathon:
- "Carbon Copy" (1981)
There's just one issue: Capt. Davenport is Black. In fact, for most of the men at Fort Neal, including the Black soldiers, he's the first Black commissioned officer they've seen. While that's a great achievement, it's also a roadblock for the captain, as he finds even the lone white ally he has on base, Captain Taylor (Dennis Lipscomb), wants him off the case because he thinks the white people of Louisiana won't let a Black man arrest a white suspect.
If watching "Carbon Copy" was at times a chore, I was rewarded for my patience with this Norman Jewison film adapted from Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Soldier's Play." The former tries to explore racism by giving a white man a Black son, and it largely falls flat. In contrast, this film's examination of racism, both towards and within the Black community, is poignant and artfully done.
In fact, it was so artfully done that I couldn't help but compare it to last year's "Sinners," which also explores Black life in the Jim Crow South, albeit in a much different story. And while the murder mystery at this movie's core is a bit formulaic, I couldn't help but compare it to another military legal drama, "A Few Good Men."
Now, if you've seen "Sinners," you'll know that it's a bit different than this movie. For starters, it has vampires. But both movies take care to explore the racial dynamics of the South before integration, and both succeed greatly in their efforts. In fact, I'd argue both films would be lesser without this aspect of their purpose, though both would still be plenty good.
They both also have killer music. In the case of "A Soldier's Story," we get multiple blues performances from the legendary Patti LaBelle as Big Mary and from Larry Riley as Pvt. C.J. Memphis, a young Black soldier who is integral to the events of this movie. The score is also composed by Herbie Hancock, a man who needs no introduction to jazz fans.
This is a unique Denzel performance, and it's one worth watching
The exploration of race, particularly how some Black people view others, will, of course, stand out as you watch this movie. But the other thing that might stand out to you is, this Denzel movie doesn't have a ton of Denzel.
Don't get me wrong, by the end of the movie, his character is integral to the story. It's not a bit part. But for much of the movie, he's just another member of the film's ensemble cast, often not even on screen.
Now, this might partially be down to this being just his second feature film. But — and I didn't know this until after I watched the movie — he's also reprising the same role he performed in the play from which this movie was adapted. So even with his star on the rise, it made sense for him to take a smaller, but important role. In fact, he's one of a few people to reprise their roles from the original Off-Broadway run of the play, including Caesar.
Again, just because it's a smaller role doesn't mean it's a minor one. And it certainly doesn't mean that Denzel turns off his signature charisma and charm. But he's distinctly playing a character rather than being just another version of Denzel Washington. It's a performance you won't really get to see again, as in his next film, he's already garnering awards buzz for his performance. It's a time capsule performance that I didn't know I needed, but that I'm glad I got to watch.
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