A Soldier's Story
“Alone, far from home, and far from justice, he has three days to learn the truth about a murder... and the truth is a story you won't forget.”
Synopsis
In a rural town in Louisiana, a black Master Sergeant is found shot to death just outside the local Army Base. Military lawyer, Captain Davenport—also a black man—is sent from Washington to conduct an investigation. Facing an uncooperative chain of command and fearful black troops, Davenport must battle with deceit and prejudice in order to find out exactly who really did kill the Master Sergeant.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Preview Clip: A Soldier's Story (1984, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington)
Type: Clip • Published 2019-11-30
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Howard Rollins
Captain Davenport
Adolph Caesar
Sergeant Waters
Art Evans
Private Wilkie
Robert Townsend
Corporal Ellis
Denzel Washington
Private First Class Peterson
David Alan Grier
Corporal Cobb
David Harris
Private Smalls
Dennis Lipscomb
Captain Taylor
Patti LaBelle
Big Mary
Wings Hauser
Lieutenant Byrd
Larry Riley
C.J. Memphis
William Allen Young
Private Henson
Scott Paulin
Captain Wilcox
John Hancock
Sergeant Washington
Robert Tyler
Private Seymour
Trey Wilson
Colonel Nivens
Patricia Brandkamp
Ida Nivens
Carl Dreher
Bus driver
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 14, 1984
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 21, 2001
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$6M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$21.8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3.64x
+$15.8M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Norman Jewison
- Screenplay & Story
- Charles Fuller
- Original Score
- Herbie Hancock
- Original Title
- A Soldier's Story
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Production Budget
- $6M
- Worldwide Gross
- $21.8M
- Production Studios
- Caldix, Columbia Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Norman Jewison
Charles Fuller
Herbie Hancock
Russell Boyd
Mark Warner, Caroline Biggerstaff
Norman Jewison, Chiz Schultz, Ronald L. Schwary, Patrick J. Palmer
Department Leadership Roster
Norman Jewison
Director
Herbie Hancock
Original Music Composer
Charles Fuller
Screenplay
Norman Jewison
Producer
Walter Scott Herndon
Production Design
Ronald L. Schwary
Producer
Mark Warner
Editor
Patrick J. Palmer
Producer
Caroline Biggerstaff
Editor
Russell Boyd
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for A Soldier's Story.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring A Soldier's Story.
My Movies
Master List In Progress
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
B Gardens
Full library from Vio, Sonarr, and Radarr - 9,053 items
Abstrusest 2
ALLL MOVIESSS
Movies
Similar Titles to A Soldier's Story
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.4
7.8
6.6
8.1
7.1
7.1
7.9
7.7
7.2
8.4
7.4
7.0
6.5
7.5
7.4
More Like A Soldier's Story
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About A Soldier's Story
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is A Soldier's Story about?
In a rural town in Louisiana, a black Master Sergeant is found shot to death just outside the local Army Base. Military lawyer, Captain Davenport—also a black man—is sent from Washington to conduct an investigation. Facing an uncooperative chain of command and fearful black troops, Davenport must battle with deceit and prejudice in order to find out exactly who really did kill the Master Sergeant.
Who directed A Soldier's Story?
A Soldier's Story was directed by Norman Jewison.
Who stars in A Soldier's Story?
The principal cast of A Soldier's Story includes Howard Rollins, Adolph Caesar, Art Evans, Robert Townsend, Denzel Washington.
When was A Soldier's Story released and how long is it?
A Soldier's Story was released in 1984 with a total runtime of 1h 41m.
What was the box office and production budget of A Soldier's Story?
A Soldier's Story had a reported production budget of $6M and grossed $21.8M at the worldwide box office (3.64 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for A Soldier's Story?
The original motion picture soundtrack for A Soldier's Story was composed by Herbie Hancock.
What is the age rating and content advisory for A Soldier's Story?
A Soldier's Story holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).