A Soldier’s Story is a 1984 American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison, adapted by Charles Fuller from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Soldier’s Play.

The story, set in a segregated U.S. Army regiment during WWII, follows an African-American JAG Captain investigating the murder of an African-American drill sergeant in Louisiana.

The film features Howard Rollins and Adolph Caesar, with notable performances by Art Evans, David Alan Grier, Larry Riley, David Harris, Robert Townsend, Patti LaBelle, and a young Denzel Washington.

Premiering at the 1984 Toronto International Film Festival, the film was critically and commercially successful, receiving three Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Adolph Caesar. It was ranked among the top 10 films of 1984 by the National Board of Review and won the Golden Prize at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival.

Main Cast:Howard E. Rollins Jr. as CPT. Richard DavenportAdolph Caesar as MSG. Vernon WatersArt Evans as PVT. James WilkieDavid Alan Grier as CPL. Bernard CobbDenzel Washington as PFC. Melvin PetersonLarry Riley as PVT. C.J. MemphisRobert Townsend as CPL. EllisPatti LaBelle as Big Mary