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Atlas' Presentation of "A Soldier's Story"

A Soldier’s Story is an American mystery drama film set in the Jim Crow South of Louisiana, against the backdrop of World War II. A decorated Black soldier and war veteran, Master Sergeant Vernon Waters, is murdered outside of the Army base. Captain Richard Davenport, a Black officer, is assigned to investigate the murder and unravel the mystery of who killed Sergeant Waters. Here is the film trailer:

 

"Do you know the damage one ignorant Negro can do?" A candid and frightening look into the mind of Sergeant Waters.
"Oh lord!" C.J. Memphis celebrates with his fellow soldiers.

Film Significance:


This film is a symphony of struggle; the struggle of Captain Davenport to overcome the racial disparity he encounters from his White superiors as well as his fellow officers that resent his involvement in the murder investigation of Sergeant Waters. Davenport also struggles with the conflicting testimonies of the kind of man Waters really was in his search for the truth. And finally, Davenport struggles with his own personal feelings as he delves deeper into the shadows of this mystery and the revelations that lie within them. A Soldier’s Story shines a light on the struggles and burdens of being a Black soldier during the era of segregation, and begs the question of which force is stronger, the code of soldiers, the creed of a people or the will of men.


Discussion Questions:


1.       Why do you think Sergeant Waters was disturbed so much by what happened to C.J. Memphis, considering how much he hated him and other Black men like him?


2.       Why do you think Waters’ chain of command was so reluctant to investigate his murder?

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