All language subtitles for A Soldiers Story 1984_Eng

[BAND PLAYlNG
"POURlN' WHlSKEY BLUES"]

♪ l pour so much whiskey ♪

♪ l'll make you stagger home
ln your sleep ♪

♪ Yes, l said ♪

♪ l pour so much whiskey ♪

♪ l'll make you stagger home
ln your sleep ♪

[CHATTERlNG]

♪ Come early in the morning ♪

♪ You'll be staggering
Up and down the street ♪

♪ lf you don't want no whiskey ♪

♪ How about some dinner?
Good wine ♪

♪ l'm gonna keep on pouring
Till it's quittin' time ♪

♪ l pour so much whiskey ♪

Look, boy, l don't want any trouble.
MAN: Sit down. You better sit down.

♪ Come early in the morning ♪

♪ You'll be staggering
Up and down the street ♪

♪ When l ain't pouring whiskey ♪

♪ Seems like everything
Goes wrong ♪

♪ l get so mean and evil ♪

♪ Me and the devil
We can't get along ♪

♪ l pour so much whiskey ♪

♪ l'll make you stagger home
ln your sleep ♪

♪ Come early in the morning ♪

♪ You'll be staggering
Up and down the street ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

Play it, Luther. Oh, honey, play it.

Play the song now, Luther.

Yes! Yes!

♪ Whoo-hoo ♪

SOLDlER 1 :
Show me, sweet thing.

SOLDlER 2:
See, well, that's what
l was trying to tell you.

Hey, sarge.

[CHUCKLlNG]

He's so drunk.

MAN 1 :
Oh, what a shame, he's drunk.

MAN 2:
He's drunk.

What does he
think he's doing?
That drunken old...

[TRAlN WHlSTLE
BLOWlNG lN DlSTANCE]

♪ lt was about pouring
That whiskey ♪

♪ Made that soldier
Lose his stripes ♪

♪ So keep on drinking, soldiers ♪

♪ Big Mary
She ain't got all night ♪

♪ l pour so much whiskey ♪

♪ l'll make you stagger
l'll make you stagger ♪

♪ l'll make you stagger home
ln your sleep ♪

♪ Come early in the morning ♪

♪ You'll stagger
Up and down the street ♪♪

[CROWD CHEERlNG]

Have a good night.

[WHEEZlNG]

They still hate you.

[LAUGHlNG]

They still hate you.

[♪♪♪]

[GUN COCKS]

[GUNSHOT]

TAYLOR: You can put
your arms down when the
search team finishes with you.

We don't want anybody
from this fort going into
Tynin looking for rednecks.

COBB: May l speak, sir?
Cobb?

Nivens must know nobody
colored killed the sarge.

Well, this is
precautionary, Cobb.

We can't have the Army
engaged in revenge on civilians.

Sir. Are there any suspects, sir?
None.

Oh, come on, now.
Everybody knows
it was the Klan.

Were you
an eyewitness, soldier?

They lynched Jefferson
the week l got here.

Two weeks after that, it was--
Henson.

Unless you saw it,
keep your opinions to yourself.

Yes, sir.

TAYLOR:
And that applies
to everybody else.

ALL:
Yes, sir.

Tynin has been placed off-limits
to all enlisted personnel.

SOLDlER: Oh, come on, captain.
Any man found in the town

will be immediately subject
to court-martial.

Sergeant Waters'
replacement will be assigned
in a couple of weeks.

Until then, Cobb,
you're barracks NCO.

Any questions?

Carry on.

Now, what you think,
huh? Huh?

Taylor and that goddamn colonel,
they know who killed Waters.

Anybody feel like
playing me in
some pitty-pat?

l thought all you could
play was flunky.

Yeah.

Wilkie, whose ass you
gonna kiss now that your
number one ass is dead?

You know what you can
do for me, Henson.
You too, Peterson.

Aw, take it easy.
l'm the one who lost three stripes.

l'm the only man here with kids.
When the man said jump, l jumped.

Come on, don't put your
wife and kids between
you and Waters' ass.

l don't kiss nobody's ass,
Henson. l just wanted
my stripes back.

Never been no place,
never had nothing.

You can't understand a man like me.
l was a top sergeant of this platoon.

Yeah? Well,
now you ain't nothing.
Nothing, Wilkie.

[ALL LAUGHlNG]

MAN:
Recruits, over here.
Let me see your passes.

Let's go. Let's go.

DRlVER:
Hey, wake up. Wake up, boy.

You said Tynin, didn't you?

Yeah, yeah. Ahem. Yeah.

DRlVER:
Come on, boy.

Let's go.

MAN 1 : Hang on.
MAN 2: Here we go again.

l'm from Mississippi.

Captain Davenport?

Corporal Ellis
at your disposal, sir.

l'm to take you
to Colonel Nivens, sir.

Well, let's get rolling, soldier.
Yes, sir.

[♪♪♪]

Yes, sir, Captain Davenport.
Yes, sir.

We're rolling, captain.

[CHlLDREN SHOUTlNG
AND LAUGHlNG]

This is where they
killed Sergeant Waters
last month, sir.

DAVENPORT:
Why did you say "they"
killed him, corporal?

Who's "they"?
The Klan, sir.

They ain't too crazy about us
tan yanks down here.

NlVENS:
l suppose whoever drove
you in from the station

showed you the spot
where the killing took place.

Told you l had all the
troops' personal effects
searched for weapons.

He tell you all that?

ls there a point the colonel
is trying to make, sir?

There's a point.

This thing has been blown
all the hell out of shape.

This is the Army's
business.

Not the NAACP.

Not the Negro press.

Not those paper-shuffling
desk jockeys in Washington.

l was brought up
in the South, Davenport.

Ever hear of
Threadgill County, Alabama?

No, sir.

No matter.

l've been commanding
colored troops all my life,
Davenport.

The worst thing you can do
in this part of the country

is pay attention to death of
a Negro under mysterious
circumstances.

Especially a soldier.

People get itchy. Uneasy.

White folk in the town,
colored at the fort.

Keep turning this thing over,

sooner or later, you're bound
to have an explosion.

Now, l've lived here
in Hunter Parish three years.

l'm fond of the place.

l like the duty.

You get my meaning?

What is it you want, colonel?

l want whatever
you came here to do
completed in three days.

Sir, l request permission
to notify Washington.

Denied.
l'm under direct orders--

l don't give a damn
if Roosevelt sent you.

l'm trying to prevent
my troops from going into
town and killing somebody.

And l don't care what you think.

You can always return
to Washington.

No, sir.

l was assigned this case
and l intend to file a report, sir.

Here are your instructions
and our reports.

Taylor's men
will help you get settled.

Taylor was Waters' CO.

That'll be all, Davenport.

Oh, and, captain?

Remember,

you're the first colored officer
most of these men have seen.

The Army expects you to set
an example for the colored troops

and be a credit to your race.

ls that clear, captain?

Yes, colonel.

ELLlS:
Sir.

Sir, you all right?

You like to go to your quarters?
No, l'll see Captain Taylor.

You don't wanna unpack, sir?
Freshen up? Didn't go too good?

You got a hearing problem?
No, sir. l was born with big ears.

lt runs in my family.
My grandmother had big ears...

[♪♪♪]

l used to drive
a fire truck, captain.

Then the Army took
and let me drive
an ambulance.

l've been driving this jeep
for six months, sir.

Only turned over twice.

Twice?
Yes, sir.

Good.

[DOG BARKlNG]

SOLDlER 1 : Good afternoon, sir.
SOLDlER 2: Good afternoon, sir.

Sergeant Washington, sir.
Can l help you, captain?

Captain Davenport
to see Captain Taylor.

Um, just a moment, sir.

[KNOCKS]

TAYLOR:
Yes?

WASHlNGTON:
There's a Captain Davenport
to see you, sir.

TAYLOR: Well, send him in.
WASHlNGTON: Yes, sir.

Every member of the lodge
is rooting for you, sir.

[DOOR CLOSES]

Uh, have a seat.
Thank you.

l like your flowers, captain.

[WHlSPERlNG]
Hey, where's he from?

[WHlSPERlNG]
He's from Washington, D.C.

He's here on special assignment.

Washington?

Yes, sir.

You gotta be shitting me.

So they assigned a lawyer
to the military police, eh?

Well, where did you graduate
law school?

Howard University.

Your parents
rich or something?

No, my father's a mailman.

l graduated at the Point.

l didn't see any Negroes
at the Point.

ln fact, l never saw
a Negro until l was,
l think, 12 or 1 3.

Have you seen
my orders, captain?

Yes, as soon as
Colonel Nivens
received them.

Look, l think it only fair
to tell you that had l known
you'd be a Negro

l would've requested
the immediate suspension
of the investigation.

Now, look, may l speak freely?
You haven't stopped yet.

Look, these local people
aren't gonna charge
a white man

in this parish on your say-so.

And Nivens knows that.

He doesn't give
a damn about this killing.
Your being here proves it.

Making a fool out of you.
Can't you--? Will you take
off those sunglasses?

l like these.
They're like MacArthur's.

All right. Now, look.
Let me explain
something to you.

You go near Tynin
in uniform,

sounding white
and charging local people,

you're gonna wind up
just as dead as Waters.

This isn't Washington, Davenport.
l know where l am.

Do you know how many
times l've asked Nivens
to look into this killing?

Every day since it happened.

Do you suspect someone?
Don't play lawyer with me, soldier.

With you on this case,
we are not gonna get anywhere.

Like it or not, captain.
l am all you've got.

Your orders instruct you
to cooperate.

Now, is there anything else?

Ellis.
ELLlS: Yes, sir.

Captain Davenport will need
some assistance with the men.

You'll excuse me, captain?
Oh, l'm glad l met you.

Captain.

[♪♪♪]

[CHATTERlNG]

l sure hope we get
to fight soon, sir.

Next, they'll have us
picking this year's
cotton crop.

Heh, heh. Don't worry,
they don't grow a lot of
cotton in Germany.

Yes, sir.

How long was Captain Taylor's
investigation?

Two days, sir.

Two days?
Who did he question?

Well, mostly guys
who had contact
with sarge that day.

Guys in his platoon,
then anybody who could've
seen him on the road.

Wasn't but a handful.

Did you see him that day?
Nope.

No, sir.

[ALL CHANTlNG]

[♪♪♪]

Did your sergeant drink a lot?
l didn't know him well enough, sir.

All right, soldiers,
let's get back
to those exercises.

Haven't you ever seen
a colored officer before?

No, sir. Have you, sir?

Ten-hut.

This is it, sir.

The captain instructed
everyone in the sergeant's
platoon to be here.

As you were.

[CHATTERlNG]

Sergeant Waters' room
is right there, sir.

Sir, l think l ought to tell you, sir.

Captain Taylor questioned
two white officers from this
fort that night.

How do you know?

l delivered his report
to Colonel Nivens, sir.

And on the way over,
the jeep hit a hole, bam!

And the papers
flew all over the road

and l happened to notice it, sir.
Who are they?

No names, sir.

Just the mentioning
of the questioning.

Seems they were
on the road that night.

Well, don't let any more reports
fly away from you, corporal.

No, sir.

Sir, may l say something,
though?

lt sure is good seeing
one of us wearing
captain's bars, sir.

Call in the first man, corporal.

Yes, sir.

Private Wilkie,
captain wants to see you.

WlLKlE:
Yes, indeedy. On my way.

Private Wilkie
reports as ordered, sir.

Close the door.

Have a seat.
Yes, sir.

l'm Captain Davenport. l'm conduc--
We all know that, sir.

Word went out on the
grapevine you were here
the minute you hit the fort.

l'm conducting an inquiry
into the events surrounding
the death of Waters.

The report l file
will be confidential.

How long did you know
the sergeant?

About a year, sir.

You see, this company, sir,
was basically a baseball team.

Most of the guys had played
in the Negro league.

Naturally,
the Army put us all together.

The Army sent Sergeant Waters here
to manage the team, summer of '42,

right after the invasion
of North Africa.

He'd been in field artillery,
a gunnery sergeant.

He had a FEF and an ETO.

A Croix de Guerre
from the First World War.

What kind of man was he?

[♪♪♪]

He was all spit and polish, sir.

He took my stripes, sir,
but I was in the wrong.

Sergeant Wilkie.

You're a noncommissioned officer
in the army of a country at war.

Penalty for being drunk on duty
is severe in peace time.

So don't bring me,
"Us colored folks can't do
nothing unless they're drunk."

You're supposed to be
an example.

l'm gonna put you in the stockade
for 1 0 days and take those stripes.

Wait, sergeant--
To teach you a lesson.

You're in the Army.

Colored folks running off
at the mouth.

What will they do if the
white man give them a
chance? What do you do?

You wind up drunk on guard duty.
l don't blame the white man.

Why the hell should he put
colored and white together?

You can't guard your own quarters.
Sergeant--

Where's your pride, soldier?
Where's your respect
for this uniform?

Get out of my sight, private.

[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]

[SOLDlERS CHANTlNG]

And how was he
with the other men?

WlLKlE:
Sometimes the Southern
guys caught hell.

Sergeant wasn't too big
on guys from the South.

Me, l'm from Detroit.

Did you know that Joe Louis
got his start in Detroit?

What about the Southern men?

The sarge didn't like them.
Except for C.J.

lt could've been
because C.J. was the best
ballplayer on the team.

He could sing too.

Boy, could he sing.

♪ Well, it's a lowdown ♪

♪ Lowdown dirty shame ♪

♪ Yes, it's a lowdown ♪

♪ Lowdown dirty shame ♪

♪ They say we're fighting Hitler
But they won't let us in the game ♪

♪ Lord ♪

♪ Yes, it's a lowdown dirty shame ♪

♪ Yes, it's a lowdown
Dirty, stinking shame ♪

MARY:
Oh, sing it for Big Mary,
you little sweet thing.

♪ Left home to join this Army ♪

♪ Won't somebody tell me
Who's to blame? ♪

MARY:
l'll tell you something,
C.J., right now.

♪ l'm gonna kill my man ♪

♪ Oh, and then l'm gonna turn around
And kill myself ♪

♪ l'm gonna kill him with a razor
Yes, l am ♪

♪ And them l'm gonna use it
On myself ♪

♪ l'd rather see us
Both dead and buried ♪

♪ Then see him
With someone else ♪

♪ Well ♪

♪ Well, it's a lowdown dirty shame ♪
♪ lt's a lowdown dirty shame ♪

♪ Oh, yes ♪

♪ Yes, it's a lowdown dirty shame ♪
♪ lt's a lowdown dirty shame ♪

Whoo!

♪ You ain't nothing
ln this man's Army ♪

♪ Till Big Mary knows your name ♪
♪ Knows your name ♪♪

[AUDlENCE APPLAUDlNG
AND WHlSTLlNG]

All right.

Drink up. Drink up, y'all.

Drink up. Mary can't
make no money when the
U.S. Army stops sipping.

So drink up now
because l need a new car.

[ALL LAUGHlNG]

SOLDlER:
Yeah.

l'm gonna ask that boy
something. Come on, Wilkie.

Hey, boy.

You ever heard
of Blind Willie Reynolds?

From Son House?

l knew it.

l bet you're from
Mississippi too,
ain't you?

Yes, sir.

l used to hear him
at the Bandana Club
outside Camp J.J. Reilly.

Folks used to come
from everywhere, Wilkie.

Folks would be
dancing, sweating.

Reminded me of a place
l used to go in France.

Ah, the whiskey, the women.

Place called the Café Napoléon.

Where did you learn to play, son?
My daddy taught me, sarge.

WATERS:
You play pretty good, boy.

[CHUCKLES]

Wilkie, wasn't that good?

Yeah, that was good,
sarge.

Take it easy, son.

[WATERS CHUCKLES]

WlLKlE: I mostly agreed
with the sergeant, sir.
He was a good man.

Good to his men.

Talked about his wife
and his kid all the time.

As a matter of fact,
he wrote home to his wife every day.

l just don't see why anybody
would wanna kill the sarge.

[OVER SPEAKERS]
♪ --the apple tree
With anyone else but me ♪

♪ Anyone else but me ♪

WATERS:
See this?

My wife let a neighbor take this
just a couple of weeks ago.

Army's not for my son.

See, when this war is over,
things are gonna change.

l want him to be
ready for it.

l'll send him to some big
white college. Let him rub
elbows with the whites.

Learn white man's language,
how he does things.

White don't rub off.

Well, what are we gonna do?
Stay behind in everything?

Hell, you can see it
in the Army. White man's
running rings around us.

Lot of us ain't had
the chance them
white boys had, sarge.

Oh, that ain't no excuse.

My daddy shoveled coal
from a wagon all his life.

Couldn't read or write,
but he saw that we did.

Now, not having is no excuse
for not getting.

You can't get pee
from a tree, sarge.

[MEN LAUGHlNG]

You're just like the rest of them,
Wilkie.

lgnorant, scared.

Stop thinking like a nigger.
OFFlCER: Take it easy.

All l said--
ls the equipment ready?

No.
Then see that it gets ready.

♪ Not till you see me ♪

♪ Not until you see me
Marchin' home, home, home ♪

♪ Home sweet home ♪

♪ Don't go walkin' down
Lovers' Lane ♪

♪ With anyone else but me ♪

Here's to the war, gents.
To the war.

To the war.
To the war.

♪ No, no, no, don't you go
Walkin' down Lovers' Lane ♪♪

Two people, sir.

Mr. Warm and Mr. Cold.
But deep down, a real nice guy.

You could borrow a 1 0 from him
if you needed it.

Did you see him
the night he was killed?

l saw him in town at the club earlier.
But l left around 1 0:00.

He was juicing pretty heavy.

ls it true
that when they found him

his stripes and insignia
were still on the uniform?

Yes.
Something's wrong, ain't it, sir?

Those Klan boys,

they can't stand to see us
in these uniforms.

They usually take
the stripes and stuff off
before they lynch us.

[♪♪♪]

That'll be all, private.
Yes, sir.

Can you do anything
about allotment checks?

My wife didn't get hers
last month.

Did you see
the finance officer?

WlLKlE:
Yes, l did, sir.

Well, l'll speak
to Captain Taylor about it.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
Yes, indeed.

Would you like me
to send the next man in?

Yes.

PETERSON:
Private First Class Melvin Peterson,
reporting as ordered, sir.

Sit down, private.

Where are you from,
Peterson?

Hollywood, California.

By way of Alabama, sir.

You see, l enlisted in '42.
l thought we'd get a chance
to fight, sir.

Did you know the sergeant well?

No. He was with the company
when l got assigned,

and PFCs and sergeants,
we don't mix too well, sir.

You played ball for him.
Oh, yes, sir. l played shortstop.

And did you like the sergeant?
No, sir.

Well, it goes back to the team.
Stoneass felt that--

Stoneass?

l'm the only one who called
him that. Sergeant Waters.

Didn't mean
no offense, sir.

By the time l got here,

the team had won
nine or 1 0 games in a row.

There was even
a rumor we'd get to play
the Yankees in exhibition.

Anyway, we were...

We were playing
the 35th Ordinance
this particular day.

lt was a real big game too.

The YWCA sent a whole
busload of women to see us.

Yes, a real big day, sir.

[CROWD BOOlNG]

[CHEERlNG]

[♪♪♪]

MAN:
Whoo!

l can't believe that.

Yeah.

Let it fly again. Let's go, Pete.

Come on, batter. Hit the ball.

That's a hell of a ballplayer.

Come on, hit it.
Throw another one up here.

Come on, C.J., next county.

[CROWD CHEERlNG]

Hell of a ballplayer.
Did you see--?

[HARMONlCA PLAYlNG]

All right, C.J.
Right on, C.J.

Come on, boy.

PLAYER:
Did you see that ball?

Did you see it? Did you see it go?

We played fairly well.
l had two hits. Smalls
had a couple and C.J...

C.J. was incredible.

And we beat them something
like nine-, 1 0-nothing.

Like we always did after,
we went over to the
mess hall to celebrate.

MAN 1 : Fellas.
MAN 2: lt's a big ball, give it back.

C.J. Who was that fine
river hip thing you was
talking to before the game?

The woman had tits
like two helmets.

You see the size of them knockers?
No, he didn't.

Smalls couldn't even see
a ball go in his glove.

How the hell he gonna see C.J.?
l saw C.J., man.

Will you all let C.J. tell me
about this woman?

She looked mighty good
to me, C.J.

All she asked me for
was my autograph.

She looked like she was
asking for more than that.

Moved in close.

Breathing heavy.

Waving them tits
all in your face.

[ALL LAUGHlNG]

He's right on that, C.J.

lf l'd given that gal
what she asked me for,

she'd give me something
l didn't want.

Around home,

there's a fella folks used to call
Little Jimmy One-Leg

on account of his thing
was so big.

A couple of years ago,
a young, pretty thing

laid clap on Jimmy so bad

he lost the one good leg he had.

Now folks just call him Little.

[ALL LAUGHlNG]

You know, that pretty young thing
talking to me ain't look too clean.

Yeah, them dirty ones will give you
the clap every time, right, Henson?

l hear tell they're on the verge
of getting all of us together.

The colored, the white,
say they want one army.

PETERSON:
You can forget that, C.J.

White folks ain't never
gonna integrate no army.

l don't know. lf they do,
l'm gonna be ready for them.

♪ Get me a bright-red zoot suit ♪

MAN 1 : Yeah.
MAN 2: Yeah.

♪ And a pile
Of patent-leather shoes ♪

♪ At home, sitting at home
Waiting for the day we get the news ♪

♪ Lord, Lord ♪

MAN 3:
Go on, boy.

♪ Lord, Lord, Lord
Lordy-Lord, yeah ♪

♪ Look out, Adolf Hitler ♪

♪ You and Tojo
Gonna be singin' the blues ♪

[lMlTATES GUNFlRE]

MAN 4:
All right.

♪ Got a little problem ♪

♪ lt's about 5 foot 2 ♪

♪ And they call him sarge ♪

♪ And he's after you ♪

♪ Gotta watch what you're saying ♪

♪ Gotta watch what you do ♪

♪ Because that lowdown
Dirty Waters ♪

♪ He's gonna roll all over you ♪

♪ Lord, Lord ♪

♪ Lord, Lord, Lord
Lordy-Lord, yeah ♪♪

Knock it off. We don't need
no more of that guitar-picking,

sitting-around-the-shack music
today, C.J.

l want all you out of those
baseball uniforms and into
work clothes.

You'll report to me at 1 600.

We got a work detail, painting
the lobby of the Officers' Club.

Why can't those officers
paint their own club?

COBB:
Hell, no, Smalls.

Let the Great Colored
Cleanup Company do it.

Our motto is,
"Anything you
don't wanna do,

the colored troops
will do for you."

♪ Anything you don't wanna do
The colored troops will do for you ♪

ALL:
♪ Anything you don't wanna do
The colored troops will do for you ♪

♪ Anything you don't wanna do
The colored troops will do for you ♪♪

That's enough.

Let me tell all you
fancy-assed, ball-playing
Negroes something.

The reasons for any orders
given by a superior officer

is none of y'all's business.

You obey them.

This country is at war.

And you niggers are soldiers,
nothing else.

And something else.

From now on, when l
tell you to do something,
l want it done.

ls that clear?
Yes, sir.

Now get out of those
baseball uniforms.

l could smell you suckers
before l hit the door.

Hey, what kind of
colored man are you?

l'm a soldier, Peterson.

And the kind of colored
man that don't like lazy,
shiftless Negroes.

Well, sir, you ain't got to
come in here calling us names.

The Nazis call you schwarze.

You gonna complain to Hitler
he hurt your feelings?

Don't look like to me
we could do too much
to them Nazis

with paintbrushes, sarge.

[MEN CHUCKLlNG]

You trying to mock me, C.J.?

No, sir, sarge.
Good.

Because whatever
an ignorant Geechee
like you has to say

ain't worth
paying attention to, is it?

ls it?

l reckon not, sarge.

You're a creep, Waters.

Sarge's just joking, Pete.
He don't mean no harm.

No, he does. l mean, we take
enough from them white boys.

Yes, you do.
lf it wasn't for Southern niggers

white folks wouldn't think
we was all fools.

Well, where are you from,
England?

WATERS:
Wilkie.

Looks like we got us
a wiseass Alabama boy here.

Yes, sir.

Now, don't you get smart, nigger.
Get your fucking hands off me.

You wanna hit
old Sergeant Waters, boy?

Come on.

Please.

Come on, nigger.

WlLKlE:
Ten-hut.

At ease.

What's going on here, sergeant?
WATERS: Nothing, sir.

l was going over
some batting techniques, sir.

ls there something you wanted?
Something l can do?

No, no, nothing.

l just wanted to congratulate
you men on the game
you won today.

Now, the way l figure it,
only seven more

and we'll be the first
colored team in Army history
to play the Yankees.

[MEN CHEERlNG]

The entire regiment
is counting on you.

Sergeant?
Sir.

As far as l'm concerned,
these men can have
the rest of the day off.

l beg your pardon, sir.

Excuse me, sir. These men
don't need time off.

They need work. Our fellas
in Africa aren't getting time off.

Besides, we have orders to report
for a paint detail at 1 600.

Who issued that order?
Major Harris.

l'll speak to the major.
Sir?

l don't think it's a good idea to
have a colored NCO mixed up
with your officers, sir.

l said l'd speak to him,
sergeant.

Yes, sir.

Memphis, about that catch
you made in center field today...

How in the hell
did you get up that high?

[MEN CHUCKLE]

They say l got bird in my blood, sir.
l hope it's American eagle.

No, sir. Crow.

See, a man told my daddy
the day l was born.

He said, "The boy got
the shadow of crow
in his chest--"

That's fine, Memphis.

Men, you played
a great game today.

Sergeant?
WATERS: A-ten-hut.

TAYLOR:
Carry on.

[MEN LAUGHlNG]

Shadow of a crow.

C.J.:
What do you say?
Yeah, that's the...

[WATERS LAUGHlNG]

How long a story
were you gonna tell
the man there, C.J.?

Peterson. l ain't forgot you, boy.

lt's time to teach you a lesson.

Wilkie.
WlLKlE: Sir?

WATERS:
Go outside and make sure
everything is set up.

You want all the NCOs?

l'm going outside
and wait for you, Geechee.

And when you come out,

l'm gonna whup
your black Southern ass.

Let the whole company
watch too.

You need to learn respect
for these stripes.

The rest of you,

get those goddamn uniforms off
like l said.

You ain't gonna fight him,
are you?

Don't do it. He'll fight dirty.
You can't whup the sarge.

Well, you wanna fight
in my place, Cobb?

Shoot.

Pete. Pete, l got some
farmer's dust.

Just a pinch will make you
strong as a bull.

Would you get the hell
out of here with that crap?

You can't speak up.
You let him treat you
like a dog.

Calling names
ain't nothing, Pete.

l know who l is.
Sarge ain't so bad.
He's been good to me.

C.J., the man despises you.
You're wrong, Pete.

Plus, l feel sorry
for him myself.

Any man ain't sure
where he belong gotta be
in a whole lot of pain.

Look, don't you all even care
about nothing?

Don't none of us like it, Pete.

But this is the Army
and sarge got all the stripes.

l'll go get the captain.
You ain't got to go out
and get your head beaten in.

Well, somebody's
got to fight him.

Waters,
what's going on?

WATERS:
l had a problem with one of the guys.

Yeah?
Ha-ha-ha. Don't worry about it.

Come on now, boy.

Let's take your
whupping like a man.

MAN 1 : Kick his ass, Pete.
Watch him, Pete.

Yeah, come on out here
and kick old sarge's ass.

Come on, Geechee.

You don't want the sarge
to grow old waiting for you now.

[CROWD CHATTERlNG]

MAN 2:
Fight.

Fight him. Fight him.
Grab him.

MAN 3: Get him.
MAN 4: Come on.

MAN 5:
Come on. Come on.

C.J.:
Watch him, Pete.

He got him. That got him.

Come on.
Get up. Get up, sarge.

You throw
a pretty mean punch, boy.

But old sarge is here
to kick your ass.

[PETERSON GRUNTlNG]

MAN 6: Come on.
C.J.: Come on, Pete.

MAN 7:
Move over there.

MAN 8: There you go.
MAN 9: Come on.

MAN 1 0:
Who the hell is fighting over there?

MAN 1 1 : Come on.
MAN 1 2: There you go.

MAN 1 3: Get up, Pete.
MAN 14: Get up, get up.

MAN 1 5: Get him, sarge.
WASHlNGTON: Vernon. Vernon.

That's enough.

PETERSON:
Yeah, he beat me
pretty bad that day, sir.

DAVENPORT:
Did anybody report
the fight to an officer?

No, sir, l never reported it.
l know l should have,

but he left me alone after that
so l just played ball.

l appreciate your honesty,
Peterson.

Thank you, sir.

Did you see Sergeant Waters
the night he was killed?

No, sir. Smalls and l
had guard duty.

Thank you. That'll be all for now.
Yes, sir.

Did the team ever get
to play the Yankees?

No, sir. We lost the last game
to a sanitation company.

[♪♪♪]

[DOG BARKlNG]

[VEHlCLE APPROACHlNG]

[ENGlNE STOPS]

[♪♪♪]

[CAR DOOR OPENS]

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

What brings you out
to my neighborhood,
captain?

Slumming?

l wanted you to see
the request

l've sent to Colonel Nivens
to have your investigation
terminated.

Now, my reasons
have nothing to do
with you personally.

My request won't hurt
your career in any way.

lt's just that there are
other things to consider
in this case.

Only the color
of my skin.

Now, hold it, Davenport.

l want the people
that killed Waters
prosecuted.

So do l.
Then give this up.

White people down here,
they won't see their duty
or justice.

They'll see you.
And you can't possibly
get at the truth.

Why? Because two
white officers are
involved in this?

And you can't get them
charged, court-martialed
or anything else.

Why wasn't there
any mention of them
in my report?

You think l'm gonna let you
get away with this?

l was ordered not
to include it.

By who?
Colonel Nivens.

Now, look,

they took two .45-caliber
slugs out of Waters,
Army issue.

Now, if my men thought
a white officer had killed him,

there would have been
a slaughter.

Who are the officers?

Lieutenant Byrd in Ordnance
and a Captain Wilcox,

uh, 1 2th Hospital Group.

Private Seymour saw them
on the road.

When l checked the
officers' billet, l found
them both asleep.

They admitted
they'd had an argument
with the sergeant, heh,

but said they'd left him
on the road.

So you never believed
the Klan was involved.

No. No.

Now can you see
why this thing needs
somebody else?

Tell me what they told you.

Look, hotshot,

they're not gonna let you
charge those two men.

Tell me what they told you.

[♪♪♪]

WATERS:
Left, hup, three, four.

Left, hup, three, four.

Left, two, three, four.

[ENGlNE STOPS]

You wanna move your ass
off the goddamn road,
sergeant?

Well, l'll be damned.

lf it ain't the white boys.

Did you hear what he said?

Shit.
Let it go.

Let it go my ass.
Come here, sergeant.

White boys,
all starched and stiff.

Want everybody to learn
that symphony shit.

That's what you said
in France,

and, you know,
l listened to it.

Am l right, now, hm?
Am l?

You'd better straighten up
and salute an officer

or l'll take your
fucking stripes, boy.

That's better.

[YELLS]

[♪♪♪]

[LAUGHlNG]

Heh-heh-heh.
Well, look at the nigger.

You come to attention right now,
and that is an order.

l ain't doing nothing
white folks say do. No more.

No, leave him alone,
the man is drunk.

l want the nigger to
do like l tell him. Do it.

No.
l'll teach him, goddamn it.

l always mind y'all.

[SOBBlNG]
Look what it's done to me.

l hate myself.

Don't blame me.
God's the one who
made you black, not me.

My daddy said,

"Don't talk like this,

talk like that.

Don't say,

[GRUNTS]

Say..."

[GRUNTS]

l even killed for you.

[GRUNTlNG]

[♪♪♪]

Stop!

You wanna kill him? The man is sick.
Let him go. You're gonna kill him.

Come on.

[COUGHlNG]

White men are killing for you,
nigger.

Good men dying for you.

So anyway, they said
they left Waters about 231 0.

And everyone in the barracks
confirms that they were in by 2330

and that neither man left
till the following morning.

That's nothing but white officers
lying to protect two of their own.

You know that.

l'm arresting both of them,
captain. Consider yourself
under arrest,

pending my charges against you.
What charges?

lt was your duty to go over
Nivens' head if you had to.

Oh, you're gonna arrest
the colonel too, Davenport?

Because he's part
of their alibi.

He was there in
the officers' billet
when they came in.

Played poker till 3:30
in the morning, yeah.

Yeah, the colonel,
Major Hines and
four other white officers.

They're all lying.

You just go out
and prove it.

[ENGlNE STARTS]

[VEHlCLE PULLlNG AWAY]

DAVENPORT:
Sir, l intend to arrest Lieutenant
Byrd and Captain Wilcox.

You will do nothing of the kind.
Colonel.

l believe these men had something
to do with Sergeant Waters' death.

No, l can't allow that.

You have no authority
to arrest white officers.

Then give me the authority, sir.

WOMAN:
Colonel.

Your breakfast
is ready.

Thank you, honey.

Can l have someone
fetch you coffee, captain?

No, thank you, ma'am.

l hope they're making
your stay at Fort Neal
real comfortable, captain.

They're taking good care of me.
lt's very thoughtful of you to ask.

Good morning.

NlVENS:
No, l can't give you
that authority.

l told you.
They were in by 1 1 :30.

l was there.

Now, you've read
our affidavits on this thing.

Colonel, what will the Army say
when they find out white officers

beat up the victim not long
before he was shot to death?

Their CO refuses to report
they had anything to do with it

and he signs an affidavit
supporting their alibi.

These two are our best suspects.
How can you not have them arrested

or at least questioned
by the investigating officer?

Something like this
is bound to get out.

l didn't say
you couldn't question them.

But l want
a white officer present.

And l want everything
that's said reported to me.

ls that clear?
Of course, sir.

You're dismissed, captain.
Yes, sir.

[ORGAN PLAYlNG "WHAT
A FRlEND WE HAVE lN JESUS"]

ALL:
♪ What a privilege to carry ♪

♪ Everything to God in prayer ♪

♪ Oh, what peace we often forfeit ♪

♪ Oh, what needless pains
We bear ♪

♪ All because we do not carry ♪

♪ Everything to God in prayer ♪

♪ Amen ♪♪

Go with God.

[ORGAN RESUMES PLAYlNG]

[CHATTERlNG]

Hey, Virge,
same old sermon, huh?

l didn't know you were
a religious man, Henson.

l'm not.

l just play this organ.

lf l play on Sundays,
l get out of a few work details
during the week.

That's all.

l wanna talk about Sergeant Waters.
Yeah?

There ain't much to talk about,
except for l didn't like the man myself

on account of
what he did to C.J.

What did he do?

l don't mean you no offense,

but l ain't exactly crazy
about talking to no officer.

Colored or white.

Oh, you're gonna talk, Henson.

You'll talk or l'll put your ass
in the stockade so long

you'll forget how to.

[CLEARS THROAT]

He was always on--

Always on C.J.'s back
about something.

Every little thing. Least ways,
that's how it seemed to me.

Then the shooting went down.
What shooting?

Well, the shooting over at
Williams' Golden Palace.

Happened just last year
right at the end of
the baseball season.

A whole lot of shots had gone off
right near the barracks.

l had gone over and gotten a little
juiced at the Enlisted Men's Club.

[GUNSHOTS]

C.J.:
Somebody's shooting.

They're shooting over there.

Everybody up. Wake them up, Wilkie.
Move it.

Come on, Un-ass them bunks.
Come on, you Geechees.

Off your asses, on your feet.
Everybody up.

Let's go.
SOLDlER: What's going on, man?

Company, a-ten-hut.

There's been a shooting.

One of ours bucked the line
at Williams' pay phone

and three soldiers are dead.

Two colored, one white MP.

The man who bucked
the line, he killed the MP

and the white boys
started shooting everybody.

That's how our two got shot.

And this lowdown nigger we're
looking for got chased down here.

Was almost caught
till somebody
in these barracks

started shooting at
the men chasing him.

So we got us a vicious, lowdown
murdering piece of black trash

in here somewhere.

And a few people
who helped him.

lf any of you are in this,

l want you to step forward.

All you baseball niggers
are innocent, huh?

Wilkie.
Sir.

Make the search.
Open those footlockers. Come on.

All right, Peterson,
what are you waiting for,
an invitation?

Open them up. Spread them out.
l wanna see what's happening inside.

Memphis, you in this?

No, sir, sarge.

WlLKlE:
You heard what the sergeant said.

How many of you
were out tonight?

l was over at Williams'
around about 7. l got me
a pack of Lucky Strikes.

But l didn't try to call home, though.
WlLKlE: Got something.

Still warm.

C.J., is this yours?

You know it ain't mine,
sarge.

Probably not.

Probably just crawled in
through a window,

passed everybody's bunk,
Peterson, Cobb,

and just snuggled up
under yours, huh?

Must be voodoo,
right, boy? Or some
of that farmer's dust.

That ain't mine, sarge.
l hate guns. Makes me
feel bad just to see a gun.

Liar. Place this man
under arrest.

Look, sir, C.J. couldn't
hurt a fly, sarge.
You know that.

l found a gun, soldier.
You know it ain't him.

Who is it then? You?
l saw somebody sneak in here.

You were drunk
when you left the club.
Throw his ass in the shower.

Well, l was here all night.
C.J. ain't go nowhere.

He was asleep
before l got to bed.

Oh, you think
he's innocent, huh?

C.J. Memphis,

playing cotton picker,
singing the blues,

bowing and scraping,
smiling in white folks' faces.

This man undermined us.
You and me. Everybody.

That "yes, sir, boss"
is hiding something.

Are we like that today, in 1 944?
He shot that white boy.

[C.J. GRUNTS]

What are you going to
do now, boy?

Hit a noncommissioned officer.

Well, C.J. just lost his head--
Shut up.

Get him out of here.

HENSON:
Sarge, l know
l saw somebody.

Smalls, l saw somebody,
l did.

Oh, C.J. was sleeping
when l came in.

Well, it's Waters.
Can't y'all see that?

You know,
l seen them before.

Yeah, we had them
in Alabama.

White man give him
a little-ass job as a servant,

and when the boss
ain't looking,

that old copycat nigger
act like he the new boss.

Shouting,
ordering people around.

You see, arresting C.J.,
that'll get Waters another stripe.

Yeah.
Next, it'll be you or you.

You see, he can't look good
unless he's standing on you.

Cobb told him C.J.
was here all evening.

Waters didn't even listen,
did he?

Turning somebody in.

"Yeah, look what l done,
captain, boss."

Only reason they let him in
is they know he'll do
what they tell him to.

See, l've seen
this kind of fool before, boy.

Yeah, somebody's gonna
kill him one of these days.

l heard they killed a sergeant
at Fort Robinson.

A recruit did it.
HENSON: Forget it, Pete.

Our luck, sarge will
come through the war,
won't even get a scratch.

Yeah, maybe,

but l'm going over
to them stockades.

Tell them MPs what l know.

C.J. was in here all evening.

l'm gonna go with you.

Y'all wait up. l'm coming too.

[DOOR SLAMS]

Was Wilkie the only person
out of his bunk?

l guess.
Wilkie came in with the sarge.

But it's hard to say.

lt's been a while and like l said,
l was a little juiced that night.

Ellis.
Yes? Yes, sir?

Find out what's holding up
my investigation of
Wilcox and Byrd.

Yes, sir.

The night Sergeant Waters
was killed, where were you?

l was in the barracks.

l played checkers with Cobb
till 9:30 and then l went to bed.

ls there gonna be
anything else, sir?

Dismissed, private.

[WHlRRlNG]

Let her go.

Let me know when it's full board.
Here we go. Let's go, baby.

MAN 1 : Pick it up.
MAN 2: Keep your rifles up.

[SOLDlERS GRUNT]

That's it.

[BLOWlNG WHlSTLE]

That's it, move out! Move out!
Move your ass!

[SOLDlERS YELLlNG]

That's it, move out!
Move out!

[MAN 2 SHOUTlNG
lNDlSTlNCTLY]

Goddamn it, get going!
That's it, that's it, move it out!

[YELLS THEN GRUNTS]

MAN 2:
Shake it out! Hit that wall!
Get your feet up!

Hurry it up! Hurry it up!

Move out! Move out! That's it!

[MAN 3 SPEAKS lNDlSTlNCTLY]

MAN 3: Watch it!
MAN 2: Shake your ass! That's it!

Move it out!

[GUNSHOTS]

MAN 4:
Move it! Let's go!

[BLOWlNG WHlSTLE]

Ellis!

[SOLDlERS YELLlNG]

Ellis!

[SOLDlER YELLlNG]

[GASPS]

MAN 5:
Hold it!

MAN 6:
Stop shooting!
Stop shooting!

[WHlRRlNG STOPS]

Which one of you idiots
is Cobb?

That's me, sir.

You all right, captain?

l wanna talk to you.

What'd he want
old Cobb for?

l don't know.

What'd he ask you,
Pete?

He just asked a couple
of questions about
the baseball game,

some about the sarge.

Didn't amount to too much.

Yeah, we was
homeys, me and C.J.,
both from Mississippi.

C.J., from Carmella.

Me, l'm from up
around Jutlerville,
what they call Snake County.

How did you feel
when your best friend
was arrested?

l hated Waters for it, sir.
Hated?

C.J. ain't killed nobody.

He hit Waters, didn't he?
Yeah, but the sergeant made him, sir.

He called that boy things
he ain't never heard before.

C.J. was from the farm,
a country boy.

That jail cell started doing
crazy things to C.J., sir.

lt started closing in on him.

[KEYS JlNGLlNG]

[LOCK CLlCKS]

Are you all right?

lt's hard to breathe
in these little spaces, Cobb.

What they doing to you
in here, C.J.?

Man wasn't made
for this here.

Nothing was.

Don't think l'll ever see
an animal in a cage again

and not feel sorry for it.

Rather be on a chain gang.

Oh, come on, homey.

Don't think l'm getting
out of here, Cobb.

Feel like l'm going crazy.

Can't walk in here.

Can't see the sun.

l tried to sing,
but nothing won't come out.

Yesterday, l broke a guitar string.

[WHlSPERS]
And l lost my dust.

Got no protection, Cobb.

[lN NORMAL VOlCE]
Nothing to keep the dogs
from tearing at my bones.

C.J., stop talking crazy.

You know who come up here
last night?

[WHlSPERS]
Sergeant Waters.

They talking about
giving you five years.

They call what you did
mutiny, boy.

That gun ain't mine.

We know that, C.J.

We changed the charge
on you this morning.

You're in here for striking
a superior officer, boy.

And everybody seen it too.

Why are you doing this to me,
sarge?

Oh, don't feel too bad, C.J.

lt has to be this way.

You see,

the first war didn't change
nothing for the Negro.

But this one,
gonna change everything.

Them Nazis ain't all crazy.

Whole lot of people
just can't seem to fit in to
where things seem to be going.

Like you, C.J.

See, the black race
can't afford you no more.

Oh, there used to be a time
we'd see somebody like you

singing, clowning,
"yes, sir, boss"ing,

and we wouldn't do anything.

Folks liked that.

You were good.

Homey kind of nigger.

When they needed somebody
to mistreat, call a name or two,

they paraded you.

Reminded them
of the good old days.

[♪♪♪]

Not no more.

The day of the Geechee
is gone, boy.

And you're going with it.

We can't let nobody
go on believing
we're all fools like you.

l waited a long time
for you, boy.

But l got you.

l put two Geechees in jail
in Camp Campbell, Kentucky.

Three in Fort Huachuca.

Now l've got you.

One less fool for the race
to be ashamed of.

What happened to him?

C.J. killed himself, sir.

The day after l saw him,
the MPs found him
hanging from the bars.

We lost our last game.

We just threw it.

We did it for C.J.

Captain Taylor was mad
because we ain't get to
play the Yankees.

Peterson was right
on that one. We needed
to protest that man.

And the sergeant,
what did he do?

Well, they broke up
the team

and they assigned us to this here
smoke-generating company.

And the sarge,
he just started acting funny.

He stayed drunk
all the time.

What time did you get in
the night he was killed?

Between 2120 and 9:30.

Me and Henson listened
to The Jack Benny show,

played checkers.
Who was the last man in that night?

Peterson and Smalls.
They had guard duty, sir.

[ENGlNE STARTS]

ls that it, captain?
Thank you, corporal.

Yes, sir.

BYRD:
Eight ball, corner pocket.

Whose idea was this, Charlie?
Nivens.

And you have to clear
the area, Jim. We're here
to question these two.

He's got no business in here.
Take it up with the colonel.

Now, this is
Captain Davenport.

You both understand,
you're to give the captain
your full cooperation.

You're a lawyer, huh?

l'm not here to answer
your questions, lieutenant.

Sit down.

Yes, sir.

When did you last see Waters?
Same night somebody killed him.

Course, l should've
done it myself by the way
he spoke to Wilcox and me.

How did he speak
to you, captain?

Well, he was drunk.
He said a few things
he shouldn't have.

l told the lieutenant not to make
the situation any worse than it was.

So we just left him there,
on the side of the road,
on his knees.

Alive.

Exactly what did he say?

He said he wasn't gonna obey
the white man's orders anymore.

And he starts blaming
Wilcox and me for him being black.

l mean, imagine that, huh?
Hell, l didn't even know the man.

WlLCOX:
Yeah and he said
he killed somebody too.

And some pretty
insulting things about us.

l mean, uh, white officers.

Did he say who?
Mention a name?

BYRD:
Look, the goddamn nigger
was disrespectful.

No way a colored soldier
speak to a white officer like that.

What are we doing,
wasting time on this, huh?

You answer him
like he wants you to, Byrd,

or l'll stick it to your ass
every chance l get.

You got that?

Yes, sir.

Captain, let me handle this.

Then handle it.

You said he was disrespectful.
ls that why you killed him?

l killed no one.
Sit down.

You hit him?
Knocked him down.

Shot him.
He was alive.

You beat him up, shot him.

Get out of my face before l kill you.
Like Waters?

No!
TAYLOR: Soldier.

He's trying to put it on me.
Sit down.

Answer his questions, lieutenant.

You were both coming off bivouac?
Speak up.

You had weapons.
But we didn't fire.

When did you turn them in?
Right away.

Nivens took our .45s
to the MPs.

He wanted it quiet.

Didn't want colored boys
to know anybody white
was involved.

But those weapons
cleared ballistics.

BYRD: Besides, we've been
short on .45 caliber ammo for,
what, six months?

lt's for MPs
and special-duty people only.

Look, nobody on that exercise
was issued any.

What?

l said, sir, nobody on the bivouac
was issued any .45 ammo.

l don't believe you.

Why wasn't l told?

The weapons had cleared,
the colonel felt if he involved you,

you'd go to Washington,
which you did anyway.

Sir, l just wanna say
we were not involved
with the sergeant's death.

Now, l'm a doctor.

We left that man on
the side of the road. Alive.

TAYLOR:
You're under arrest.
The charge is murder.

BYRD:
Captain--

TAYLOR:
You think l believe that crap?

Let them go.

What?

WlLCOX: Are we being charged?
DAVENPORT: Not by me.

What are you doing?
You've got a motive,
you've got a witness.

l mean, what more
do you want?

This is still my investigation,
Charlie.

We've both been had, captain.
Colonel knew this all along.

Been marching around in circles.
They are guilty and you know it.

Now, l'll back you up.
Charge them.

l do what the facts tell me, not you.
You don't know what a fact is.

l'm the lawyer.
They teach law at West Point?

You don't have to
be a lawyer to deal
with those two assholes.

And if they didn't
kill Waters, who did?

l don't know yet.

[♪♪♪]

[ALL SHOUTlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY]

What do you know
about C.J. Memphis?

A great ballplayer.

Committed suicide.

lt was a tragedy.

l think Waters tricked the kid
into attacking him.

No, l can't believe that,
Davenport.

This man managed
the finest baseball team

in the entire
United States Army.

Besides, colored people
aren't that devious.

Hell, we hadn't lost a game
for two years.

And the finest--

l mean, the finest player
that Waters ever had
was C.J. Memphis.

lf you'd have seen him,
you'd know what l mean.

[VEHlCLE APPROACHlNG]

ELLlS:
Captain. Captain Davenport.

We found Wilkie,
but we haven't located
Peterson and Smalls yet.

DAVENPORT: Where's Wilkie?
Waiting for you, sir.

Good.
Wait.

Didn't you question
Wilkie and Peterson already?

l asked you a question.
This is my investigation.

Ellis, let's go.
Well, that's the problem.

You arrogant
son of a bitch.

DAVENPORT:
You nervous, Wilkie?

No, l just couldn't figure out
why you called me back, sir.
Heh, heh.

You said the sarge
busted you, right?

Uh, yeah, he got me busted, sir.
He reported me to the captain.

How'd you feel?
Well, l...

DAVENPORT:
You and the sarge
were good friends.

Uh, yeah...
He was a nice guy.

Didn't you tell me that?
Yeah, l...

Would a nice guy
get a friend busted?

Well...
No, speak up.

You lied when you said
he was a nice guy?

No. What l said was he was--

Was Waters a nice guy or not?
No. No, he wasn't a nice guy.

You don't turn somebody in.
Give him extra duty.

But three stripes, it took me
1 0 years to get them stripes, sir.

That's right.

That made you mad, didn't it?
Yes, mad. Things l did for him.

That's right.
You were his boy,
weren't you?

You took care of the team.

You ran his errands.
Well...

You policed his quarters.
You listened to his stories.

Put the gun under C.J.'s bunk.
Yes. No--

Sit down!

lt was you Henson saw.
You lied about Waters,
you're lying now.

The only person
out of barracks. Who else
could've found C.J.'s bunk?

lt was you, Wilkie. You.

lt was the sarge.
He ordered me to do it.

He said l'd get my stripes back.
He wanted to teach C.J. a lesson.

Put him in jail, scare him.

The boy hit him, he had C.J.
where he wanted him.

And then C.J., he hung himself.

He died
like he was spiting the sarge.

He didn't figure on that.
What did he have against Memphis?

He despised him,
but he would hide it,
everybody liked that boy.

Underneath, it was
a crazy hate, captain.

Crazy hate. You won't believe it.
Sometimes you could--

You could just feel it.

♪ Well, now my daddy's
Gone to glory ♪

♪ l work real hard, l drink corn liquor
That's the truth ♪

[LAUGHS]

♪ Whoo ♪

He's the kind of boy
that seems innocent, Wilkie.

Got everybody on the post
thinking he's a strong, black buck.

White boys envy his strength.

His speed.

Power in his swing.

♪ Mm-hm ♪

Then this colored champion
lets those same white boys
call him Shine or Sambo

♪ Whoa, Lord ♪

and he just smiles.

♪ l dream about the time
When l was a little boy ♪

Can't talk.

Can barely read or write
his own name

and don't care.

He'll tell you
they like him

or that colored folks
ain't supposed to have
but so much sense.

♪ Yes, he would ♪♪

You know the damage
one ignorant Negro can do?

We were in France
in the first war,

we'd won decorations,

but the white boys had told
all them French gals
that we had tails.

And they found
this ignorant colored soldier.

Paid him to tie a tail to his ass

and run around half-naked
making monkey sounds.

They put him on a big round table
in the Café Napoléon.

Put a reed in his hand,

a crown on his head,

blanket on his shoulders,
and made him eat bananas
in front of them Frenchies.

Oh, how the white boys
danced that night,

passed out leaflets
with that boy's picture on it.

Called him Moonshine,
king of the monkeys.

When we slit his throat,

you know that fool asked us
what he had done wrong?

[C.J. HUMMlNG]

My daddy told me,
we got to turn our backs
on his kind, Wilkie.

Close our ranks to
the chitlins, collard greens,

corn-bread style.

We are men, soldiers.
And l don't intend for our race

to be cheated out of its place
of honor and respect in this war

because of fools like C.J.

You watch everything he does.

Everything.

[C.J. CHUCKLES]

C.J.:
Give me a drink.

And l watched him.

But Waters couldn't wait.

He wouldn't talk about nothing else.
C.J. this, C.J. all the time.

Why didn't he
pick on Peterson?
They had the fight.

He liked Peterson.

Pete fought back.
Sarge admired that.

He was planning to promote Pete.
You imagine that?

He thought Peterson
would make a fine soldier.

What did Peterson do
when C.J. died?

Everybody blamed sarge.

Pete put together that protest
that lost our last game.

Afterwards, he kept to himself
or with Smalls.

l didn't mean to do
what l did.

Ellis!
lt wasn't my fault.

Ellis!
ELLlS: Yes, sir.

l did what he told me.
What is going on?

ELLlS:
We're shipping out.

They're gonna give us Negroes
a chance to fight.

Hitler ain't got a chance.
After what Joe Louis
did to Max Schmeling...

[MEN CHEERlNG
AND WHlSTLlNG]

HENSON:
Twenty-four-hour standby alert.

lt's the invasion of Europe, boys.

Look out, Hitler,
the niggers is coming
to get your ass

through the fog.

[ALL LAUGHlNG]

We gonna goose
the goose step there.

SOLDlERS:
Heil Hitler!

We gonna turn them Nazis around.
Yeah!

We're gonna teach
them a thing or two
about them schwarze.

[BUGLE PLAYlNG]

Ellis.
Yes, sir.

Private Wilkie is under arrest.
Take him to the stockade.

Sir?

You heard me.

[♪♪♪]

[THUNDER RUMBLlNG]

[TRAlN CHUGGlNG]

[TRAlN WHlSTLE BLOWlNG]

[THUNDER CRASHES]

[♪♪♪]

Private Smalls,
as you requested, sir.

Leave us alone, sergeant.
SERGEANT: Yes, sir.

Why'd you go AWOL, soldier?

Private Anthony Smalls, sir.

Answer my question.

l didn't go A-W-O-L, sir.

See, l got drunk in Tynin
and l was just...

Weren't you and Peterson
supposed to be on detail?

Where was Peterson?

Speak up.

l don't know, sir.
You just walked off your detail

and Peterson did nothing?
No, sir.

See, he warned me, sir.
Said, "Listen, Smalls.
Listen up, you..."

Are you trying to make a fool
out of me, Smalls, huh?

No, sir.

You two went over the hill
together, didn't you?

Answer me!

Yes.
Yes. You went over the hill

because Peterson knew l'd find out
the two of you killed Waters.

Didn't you?

[WHlMPERlNG
AND MUMBLlNG]

What? l can't hear you.

You killed Waters,
didn't you?

l want an answer.

Did you kill Waters?

[SOBBlNG]
lt was Peterson, sir.

lt wasn't me.

[SMALLS
SPEAKlNG lNDlSTlNCTLY]

Smalls, look who's
drunk on his ass, boy.

Oh, leave him be, Pete.

No, no.

No, l'm gonna enjoy this.

Big, bad Sergeant Waters
down on his knee.

No, sir, Smalls.

No, l'm gonna love this.

[WHlSPERlNG]
Hey, sarge.

Need some help?

Hi, Pete.

[lN NORMAL VOlCE]
Oh, yeah. Here, come on
now, here we go.

[BOTH GRUNT]

That's the help l'll give you. Shut up!
SMALLS: Peter--

PETERSON:
Smalls, some people...

lf this was a German,
would you kill it?

Huh?

lf it was Hitler
or that fucking Tojo,
would you kill him?

There's a trick to it, Peterson.

lt's the only way you can win.

See, C.J.,

he could never make it.

He was a clown. Ha-ha-ha.

A clown in blackface.
A nigger.

See, you got to be like them.

But the rules are fixed and--

Shh.

Listen.

Hear it?

lt's C.J.

♪ Lowdown
Lowdown dirty shame ♪♪

l made him do it.

But it doesn't make
any difference.

[LAUGHlNG]

They still hate you.

[GUN COCKS]

Peterson.
PETERSON: lt's justice, Smalls.

lt's for C.J.

Everybody.
They still hate you.

[♪♪♪]

[THUNDER CRASHES]

And you call that justice?

No, sir.

Then why the fuck
didn't you do something?

l was just...

Just scared of him, sir.

He said everybody would think

white people did it.

Oh, God, l'm sorry.

l'm sorry, l was just
so scared about it.

Caught this one
on old bridge road, sir.

That'll be all,
thank you.

You told it, didn't you?

l didn't kill much.

Some things
need getting rid of.

A man like Waters
never did nobody
no good anyway, captain.

Who gave you the right
to judge?

To decide who is fit
to be a Negro

and who is not? Who?

Sergeant.

[KEYS JlNGLlNG]

[DOOR OPENS]

SERGEANT:
Sir?

Get these goddamn men
out of here.

Yes, sir.

[♪♪♪]

l hear they caught Peterson.

l guess that's it.

Got your man.

Yeah, l got him.

l was wrong.

So was l.

Say, Charlie, look,
l could do with a lift.

Hop in.

l guess l'll have to
get used to Negroes with
bars on their shoulders.

You know, being in charge.

Oh, you'll get used to it, captain.

You can bet your ass on that.

You'll get used to it.

[TAYLOR SHOUTS
lNDlSTlNCTLY]

Hut!

[♪♪♪]