A Soldier's Story

Starring:Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Art Evans, David Alan Grier, David Harris, Dennis Lipscomb, Larry Riley, Robert Townsend, Denzel Washington, William Allen Young, Patti LaBelle, Wings Hauser, Scott Paulin, John Hancock, Trey Wilson, Patricia Brandkamp, Carl Dreher (III), Vaughn Reeves, Robert Tyler, Pat Grabe
Director: Norman Jewison
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Director Norman Jewison's (In the Heat of the Night) 1984 adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores the ramifications of racism and loyalty through the prism of blacks in the military, revealed through a murder mystery set in the 1940s deep South. Howard E. Rollins (Ragtime) plays a military investigator assigned to the murder of a drill instructor (Adolph Caesar) in charge of a black platoon. Under pressure from his superiors to wrap his investigation up quickly, Rollins instead delves deeply into the relationships between the despised drill instructor and his men, uncovering lies and animosity, and confronting the question of what it means to be black in a white man's world. Rollins is a riveting, stoic, and emotional lead, and Denzel Washington makes an early appearance as a soldier with a deep grudge against the drill instructor and a deep mistrust of Rollins' investigator. A powerfully written story that makes the most of its large and impressive ensemble cast, A Soldier's Story is a deeply affecting and worthwhile film. --Robert Lane

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie.......2007-02-13

Just so happens this is one of my all time favorites and I got it at a very reasonable price in a short amount of time.

a terric play ; a better film.......2007-02-10

this is so very timely. it's about blacks striving to get ahead w/in the military- it's still a place where a black american can rise in the ranks. the key here is the plot. it's got a doozy of an o'henry ending. do see it. charles sullivan

did not get it.......2007-02-07

I haven't received my merchandise. It was sent to Miami and I have moved. My new address is:
p.o.b. 73335
providence, RI 02907

phone number:(401) 461-7991

One of my favorites.......2006-06-06

This movie is a must have for your home collection.
What makes it so great? It is filled with many fantastic actors and comedians in the early stages of their career. Adolph Casear is brillant as Sarge. Funny and Wonderful storyline.

Our Nation's Story.......2006-05-21

A Soldier's Story simply has everything working for it, and the result is a frequently overlooked masterpiece that will add depth to any collection of American film. It works as a murder mystery and it works as an astounding inside look into cultural psychology. Certainly the themes of racism - and self-hatred - are universal. But this snapshot of southern race relations in 1944, seen in a military context, is also very specific, and more powerful still because of this specificity.

That these able-bodied men are not in Europe says a great deal, that they are baseball players from the Negro League tells us that even the national pastime was not truly national in 1944. When Captain Davenport, played with spellbinding dignity and power by Howard Rollins, arrives to investigate the murder of a hated drill instructor, he is the first black officer most of the men have ever encountered. Capt. Davenport's seriousness and dedication drive a wedge into the status quo, revealing layers of racism in white and black soldiers alike.

One of this movie's rewards is getting to watch familiar actors just starting their ascent, Denzel Washington, Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle), and David Alan Grier to name a few. Even Philly's own chanteuse, Patti LaBelle, lends some characteristically high notes. But the star of this film is Sergeant Waters, the murdered drill instructor, played with smoldering intensity and conviction by Adolph Caesar. Hard to believe he did not receive an Oscar, after being nominated.

In Sgt. Waters, Caesar creates a man of multi-layered psychological complexity, whose hatred of blacks is more vicious than any white man's ever could be, whose assimilation of white culture is more desperate than any white man's ever is. Sgt. Waters believes himself to be a transformational man, a black who has put the embarrassing shuck-and-jive eye rolling behind him, a man who must kill his own blackness to be free. In doing so, he is responsible for the death of the film's most thoroughly innocent and likable character, C.J. Memphis, played admirably by Larry Riley.

By baiting Memphis, Sgt. Waters severs not only his ties to his true self, but to his humanity, in an attempt to further his crackpot philosophy. At this point he is more than doomed, he is damned. A Soldier's Story is not only a masterpiece of craftsmanship, it is a deeply truthful and humanistic story. Engrossing, but more than mere entertainment - art.

Sir! No Sir! - The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam

Average customer rating:

A documentary that should be seen by everyone in the military
so moving
A story retreived from the dustbin of history
War resisters speak out
Send a soldier this film

Sir! No Sir! - The Suppressed Story of the GI Movement to End the War in Vietnam
Starring: Louis Font , Michael Wong (IX) , Joe Bangert , Dave Blalock , and Howard Levy (II)
Director: David Zeiger
Manufacturer: Docurama
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Ground Truth
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ASIN: B000IB0DE4
Release Date: 2006-12-19

Amazon.com

Pundits often make parallels between America's involvement in Iraq and the nightmare that was Vietnam; director-writer-producer David Zeiger's Sir! No Sir! does it too. But while the comparisons are generally apt (both conflicts are known as "quagmires," became hugely unpopular with the public, and inflicted serious political damage on the presidents who presided over them), this documentary makes a vital distinction: namely, that some of the most vocal and active opponents of the Vietnam War were the very soldiers who fought in it. These are haunted men who went to Southeast Asia because it was their duty, perhaps even because they saw it as the right thing to do, only to become sorely disillusioned when they witnessed the horrible injuries, the villages bombed for little or no reason, the civilians tortured and killed, and various other horrors that took place "in country." Some, like the so-called Nine for Peace, formed GI protest groups while still on active duty in Vietnam; some went AWOL (there were reportedly 500,000 incidents of desertion); a great many, including soldiers who refused to be deployed to 'Nam at all, were court-martialed and imprisoned in military stockades like San Francisco's Presidio, while still others returned home, joined movements like Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and published virulent underground newspapers. All of this is delivered via personal anecdotes, photos, and occasional file footage. The material is undoubtedly compelling, but Sir! No Sir! pretty much makes its point in the first half hour, rendering the final hour somewhat tedious. And that's not even including the nearly two hours of accompanying bonus material. Most of the latter consists of extended interviews based on what we've already seen in the main program; there's also a look at the Winter Soldier inquiry (the subject of a separate documentary), as well as a joint appearance by "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, Vietnam's most infamous celebrity protester, and Cindy Sheehan, who became an anti-war activist after her son was killed in Iraq in 2004. --Sam Graham

Description

Easily the most timely and resonant film about the soldiers on the front lines of antiwar resistance, the award-winning breakout theatrical hit SIR! NO SIR! Tells an almost entirely forgotten story of the military men and women who helped force the U.S. government to end the Vietnam War. Contrary to the popular image of long-haired hippies spitting on returning soldiers, SIR! NO SIR! vividly demonstrates that GIs were the heart and soul of the anti-war movement. Poignantly narrated by a diverse cast of veteran GI resisters who recall the ferocious days of peace marches and stiff jail sentences, SIR! NO SIR! pulls no punches in its raw depiction of the power of people, especially those in uniform. Directed by David Zeiger, SIR! NO SIR! is "powerful stuff, offering us not only a new look at the past, but to the unavoidably relevant insights into the present" (New York Daily News).

Customer Reviews:

A documentary that should be seen by everyone in the military.......2007-06-19

Sir! No Sir! is one of the best documentaries produced about the Vietnam War. In light of the emerging soldier's resistance to the Iraq War, this documentary shows us where anti-war energy should be focused. See this documentry, than read The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.

so moving.......2007-06-11

i don't have additional factual information to add to the excellent reviews already posted. i'll just say i viewed this last night and found it so moving and inspiring i can't stop thinking about the subjects of this film, what they endured and their incredible service to humankind. the personal risk they undertook is almost unimaginable. note that several commented they were not even aware there was a GI antiwar movement to support their actions.

i do want to add that besides the fascinating subject matter this documentary is extremely well done. the pacing keeps you riveted and the production overall is excellent. highest recommendation.

A story retreived from the dustbin of history.......2007-05-03

This documentary is a necessary corrective to the widely held perception that the Vietnam anti-war movement was anti-soldier. In fact, a key component of the anti-war movement was the soldiers. As early as 1965, highly decorated "lifers", who joined the armed services convinced they were doing their duty to their country, began speaking out against the war, refusing orders, and faced court-martials to stop the war in Vietnam. As one former Green Beret said, "I was doing my job right, but I wasn't doing right." By 1969 war resistance among GIs, which had started as individual acts of defiance spread among draftees "in country" and among vets returning home, and emerged as a crucial component of the anti-war movement. So much so that even the US military had to concede that the majority of US troops were anti-war.

Sir, No, Sir is a very well done documentary that weaves together interviews, news footage, and commentary about the "forgotten" anti-war movement--the GI coffee house movement, the underground GI press, and the "alternative" USO-style shows that featured an anti-war message that was tailored to the soldiers' expereince. It closes with some parting shots on how the GI anti-war movement was "erased" from popular memory through films like Hamburger Hill and Rambo--which situate the anti-war movement as being anti-soldier.

The extras on the DVD are also quite interesting. Of particular interest is the interview with the infamous "Dave Rabbitt." Years ago, I received a copy of a recording of a "pirate" radio station in Vietnam and had often wondered about its authenticity. This film confirmed that briefly an unofficial radio station (Radio First Termer-FM69), which was "for the troops" but against the war, operated in the Phan Rang area of Vietnam. It broadcast "hard acid-rock music" for the "first-termers and non-reenlistees" in Vietnam. An interesting story in and of itself, and just one part of the forgotten anti-war movement.

War resisters speak out.......2007-04-15

A most-important film about the GIs who resisted the war on Viet Nam while inside the military and in the country itself. Fragging of COs was not unusual, leaving Nixon to pull out ground troups and send major air strikes to this torn country .. A must see for all people who think they recall or have read about the resistance against this war.

Send a soldier this film.......2007-03-01

I doubt that there is any better act of global citizenship that you can take at this very moment than to purchase this film, watch it, lend it to friends, host a viewing of it in your neighborhood, school, or workplace, and then send it to an active duty soldier you know who is serving in the United States military, or even in Iraq or Afganistan.

"A single spark can start a prarie fire..." And this film gives off more than a single spark.

History's Mysteries - The True Story of Braveheart (History Channel)

Average customer rating:

A FINE COMPANION PIECE TO "BRAVEHEART!"
Best William Wallace documentary ever screened

History's Mysteries - The True Story of Braveheart (History Channel)
Starring: William Wallace
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Braveheart
Rob Roy
In Search of History - The Aztec Empire (History Channel)
History's Mysteries - The Inquisition (History Channel)
In Search of History - The Knights Templar (History Channel)

ASIN: B000AABKZ4
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

The film "Braveheart" brought the name of Scottish hero William Wallace to the world's attention. Now, we disclose the true story of the man who rallied his people in the Scottish Wars of Independence from England. After his capture in 1305 and execution, King Edward I tried to destroy his reputation, but created a martyr instead.

Customer Reviews:

A FINE COMPANION PIECE TO "BRAVEHEART!".......2006-05-06

This is a fine program about the true story behind Mel Gibson's criticallly-acclaimed epic "Braveheart." Here, you learn about the true legend of William Wallace, and of the liberties that screenwriter Randall Wallace took with the historical facts while crafting the screenplay. If you're a fan of "Braveheart," or just enjoy historical documentaries, then this is one to own, as it is one of the best out there.
Grade: A

Best William Wallace documentary ever screened.......2002-12-12

This is best of all the post-Braveheart documentaries on the life of William Wallace. It combines strong attention to the historical details, with an excellent grasp of the passion that drove Wallace in his own time, and influenced events in Scotland and elsewhere ever since. There is a good balance between narration and talking heads. If you enjoyed Braveheart, and want a straightforward and entertaining way to find out more about the life and legacy of Wallace, then this is for you.

American Short Story Collection: Soldier's Home

Average customer rating:

Best Hemingway on Film

American Short Story Collection: Soldier's Home
Starring: Tom Kubiak , Lisa Essary , Mark La Mura , Nancy Marchand , and Mark Hall
Director: Robert Young (III)
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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American Short Story Collection: I'm a Fool
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The American Short Story Collection: The Revolt of Mother

ASIN: B000AXWGS6
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Description

Written By: Teleplay Robert Geller, based on the Ernest Hemingway classic

Starring: Richard Backus, Nancy Marchand

Directed By: Robert Young Harold Krebs ( Richard Backus) went off to fight World War I. Then he came home and found himself wishing it had never ended. To Ernest Hemingway (Pulitzer Prize Winner), the hardest part of the war was coming home. This is the essence of "Soldier's Home" a story with many similarities to the recent experience of our veterans.

Harold finds he doesn't fit in anymore. He's outgrown his old life and now needs peace and quiet to work things out for himself. Yet he's pressured by his loving but misunderstanding mother (Nancy Marchand, The Sopranos) to rejoin a community in which he feels alien. An intense and personal character study from the giant of American Literature, Harold discovers going home is never easy-and maybe isn't even possible.

DVD Features: Author Bio, Actor Bio, Printable Study Guide, About the American Short Story Collection, Audio Interview - Robert Geller, Henry Fonda Intro

Seen on PBS

Customer Reviews:

Best Hemingway on Film.......2005-10-01

While there is a movie of almost every novel Hemingway published in his lifetime, this gem is heads above any other film version of his fiction.

Soldier's Home is a short story based on a World War I veteran's homecoming to his small Oklahoma town, but most recognize the town as as Hemingway's Oak Park, and some of the familial tension as based on his own. The Nick Adams stories of the same period were more identifiably autobiographical; the transposition to Oklahoma with a differently named veteran may have been to erect a second veil of privacy.

But all of this matters little except as orientation. The economy of Hemingway's fictional method included, as a major technique, the witholding of explanatory background and baggage. The problem with most Hemingway films is that they attempt to put back in what he cut. This one does not. It leaves the story straight as Kentucky whiskey, bitter as pickle brine -- effects Hollywood would never likely produce given its commercial demands (public television made this film). The effect is quite startling -- not only the costumes and speech, but the whole invisible aura of the time transmitted as clean as if they had color film and sound back then.

To say much more would spoil the story, except that it effectively explains how the lost generation got lost.

Average customer rating:

famous Mexican dude

Biography - Pancho Villa: Outlaw Hero
Starring: Pancho Villa
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Emiliano Zapata: Un Heroe Mexicano
Pancho Villa: El Angel y el Fierro
Pancho Villa
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself
Let's Go With Pancho Villa

ASIN: B000BF0CL6
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Product Description

He led the first raid of a foreign force onto U.S. soil since the war of 1812. Outlaw, soldier, general and politician, he led a life that ended in violence but left him a legend. Pancho Villa is one of the most compelling figures of the century. A notorious outlaw, he rose to the rank of general during the Mexican Revolution and later was governor of Chihuahua. This comprehensive BIOGRAPHY. uses extensive archival material, interviews with leading historians and location footage to trace the life and legend of Pancho Villa. Get a first person view of his famous raid on Columbus, New Mexico from survivor Jessie Thompson, and examine the retaliatory strike by American general "Black Jack" Pershing, which pushed Pancho back 500 miles. Extremely rare film footage shows the famous rebel in action, and an interview with his granddaughter provides an intimate view of him. BIOGRAPHY. heads south of the border for this definitive portrait that examines the fact and folklore of a man who gained fame and infamy in Mexico and America.

System Requirements:

Running Time 50 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

famous Mexican dude.......2006-06-03

This documentary covers a Mexican figure that led a raid on U.S. soil. I don't recall reading about this in American history class. I guess tensions between the two nations cannot be summed up by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
This documentary had diverse interviewees: men and women; white Americans, Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals; English speakers and Spanish speakers. There were so many photographs and footage from Villa's time that this work did not depend upon cheesy reenactments.
The work states that Pancho Villa is rapped in myths. He was one part anti-classist equalizer and another part murderous polygamist. Still, it was hard to distill the myth from the facts in this work. He may have "robbed the rich to give to the poor," but his class consciousness did not seem influenced by Marxism. Though Mexican leftists like Rivera and Kahlo may have been book-oriented, Villa was not.
This documentary was made at least five years before Antonio Banderas' film on Villa was released. This work says nothing about Villa collaborating with America's Hollywood. Did the film lie or does the documentary purposely exclude facts that Americans would have found interesting? This work discusses American war tactics that American battle enthusiasts may love to hear.
There is one photo of Villa and Emiliano Zapata. However, the narrator just states that the latter was a southern version of the former. Seeing the two men together reminded me of seeing Malcolm X with Dr. King or Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. This was an important pair that was not discussed enough.
Unlike other Biographies, I knew nothing on this subject. I have to admit it bored me at times. However, if I knew more about Mexican history, maybe it would have been more appealing.

Average customer rating:

Story of a Three Day Pass
Starring: Harry Baird , Nicole Berger , Pierre Doris , and Christian Marin
Director: Melvin Van Peebles
Manufacturer: Xenon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Don't Play Us Cheap
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Watermelon Man
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Purlie Victorious

ASIN: B000BT997A
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Description

An exploration of contrasting European and American attitudes towards race, Taking place in the 60's, Turner is an African-American soldier stationed in Europe. His Captain gives him a promotion and a three-day to take the weekend off because he thinks he's an exceptional black man. Over the course of the three days, Turner meets a beautiful white Parisian woman and a love affair ensues. Racial misunderstanding and real prejudice complicate the weekend and its aftermath.

Vietnam Soldier's Story: Invisible Enemy

Average customer rating:

Vietnam Soldier's Story: Invisible Enemy

Manufacturer: ABC News\The Learning Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Description

From The Learning Channel's "Service With Honor" series. AF001D

Average customer rating:

Supremely dissapointed
Don't Waste Your Money
Opportunistic Marketing
good
good

The True Story of Private Ryan
Director: Stephen Day , and Joe Ward
Manufacturer: Eaton Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000IC9V
Release Date: 1999-02-19

Customer Reviews:

Supremely dissapointed.......2003-06-13

This is a terrible waste of time and money. Don't give these opportunistic people one dime for this shameful piece of work.

Don't Waste Your Money.......2000-05-27

This would have to be one of the worst DVD out. I knew it had nothing to do with "Saving Private Ryan", but a more boring documentary I don't think they could have made. To make matters worse the mongrels who made this didn't even have the courtesy of allowing Mr. Ryan tell his story in his own voice, instead they got some toff half pretending to put on a regional accent dub old Mr. Ryan's dialogue. Do yourself a favour, save your money and DON'T buy this! forget the star rating, I'm giving this NO STARS.

Opportunistic Marketing.......1999-12-18

This is a fine example of opportunistic marketing. I knew before purchasing this that it wasn't the Spielberg movie. I also knew that the Spielberg movie was based on the story of the Niland brothers'. I expected "The True Story of Private Ryan" to be the true story of the real "Private Ryan", i.e. Private Niland. Instead, what I receive is a 50 minute recounting of WW II by an English tank crew member (whose name just happens to be Jim Ryan) that has nothing to do with the Niland brothers. What is more, this documentary is like a cat chow commercial in that it continually re-runs WWII footage and stills throughout. Also, the sound of Ryan's voice is obviously over-dubbed and doesn't match his moving lips, much like a Japanese Karate flick.

To sum up, this was a tasteless marketing ploy to make money by misleading those interested in knowing more about the Niland brothers. Unless you're interested in a particular Englishman's experience of WWII, this is one to avoid. I want my money back.

good.......1999-06-20

very goo

good.......1999-06-18

it is goo

NFL: Team Highlights - Soldier on C: The Story of the 2002 Chicago Bears

Average customer rating:

Interesting but not enough

NFL: Team Highlights - Soldier on C: The Story of the 2002 Chicago Bears
Starring: Jim Birdsall
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

22:00 Mins
Recaps the 2002 season and previews 2003 season.
Catch great action, plays and excitement from 2002
The story of the season unfolds before your eyes
Includes the amazing storytelling of NFL Films.

ASIN: B0000AGWDM
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Product Description

NFL Team Highlights: Chicago Bears recaps the 2002 season that was, with an eye toward the upcoming 2003 season. Catch the great action, plays and excitement from 2002. Watch the story of the season unfold before your eyes, as told through the amazing storytelling ability that only NFL Films can deliver. Reference ID:TC01-DVD-0947

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but not enough.......2006-02-20

I was expecting a more detailed look at the team which disappointed many Chicago fans. All I got was a brief summary of the season that glossed over alot of the issues the team was having. A 4-12 team has more problems than just "alot of injures"

Average customer rating:

A Soldier's Story
Starring: Mr. Capone-E
Manufacturer: Thump Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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