MovieChat Forums > A Soldier's Story (1984) Discussion > questions (huge spoilers ahead!)

questions (huge spoilers ahead!)

posted 19 years ago by johnny3868
11 replies | jump to latest

I saw "A Soldier's Story" again last night (in fact, I'm the one who penned the review at the bottom of the main page) I have some questions to put to all of you:

1. Who IS responsible for the shooting deaths that lead to C.J.'s incarceration? Did Sgt Watters pull the trigger? Was it Wilkie? Or was there even a shooting at all? Maybe it was all just a massive bluff to trap C.J. into striking the Sergeant and ending up in jail. Any thoughts?

2. If Waters and Wilkie were both sergeants in the Army, how could Waters have the power to strip Wilkie of his stripes? Aren't they of equal rank?

3. During the confession scene, Captain Davenport asks Water's killer what right he had to "judge...to decide who is fit to be a Negro and who isn't." Did anybody else feel that perhaps that question should better have been posed to the deceased Sergeant instead of his killer. If I were directing that scene, I probably would have had Davenport - who by this time is going through some torment of his own as he realizes the terrible depths of loathing that Waters had for his own people, ending up in a terrible tragedy that took several lives - turn away in disbelief upon hearing the confession and look off in the distance, asking the question almost to himself, but directed at Waters.

"Well it's a low down dirty shame."

[–] dcarrierfam 19 years ago

I may can throw some light on question #2.

Sgt. Waters is a Sergeant First Class, or Master Sergeant,depending on how many "rockers" he had under the 3 chevrons.
Sgt. Wilkie is a Sergeant,only 3 chevrons.

Waters is in charge of the platoon, and Wilkie is in charge of the squad.

Wilkie actually reports to Waters, who reports to the Major.Therefore,Waters would have would have authority to take away Wilkies' stripes if he chose to.

Hope this helps!
Jeff

[–] Cooke_Fann 19 years ago

I had the exact same questionable reaction at the end When he asked asked Waters Killer Who gave him the right to judge ,Who is fit to be black I would have rather liked it if Davenport just didn't say anything to him and Just teared up as if he did not want to catch his Man this time.

I also think that no one got shot at the time they arrested C.J. that it was just drummed up charges Waters made up Becuase there probably would have been an even bigger investigation .

[–] slokes 19 years ago

1. It seems like a con on Sgt. Waters' part, because Wilkie has a pistol ready to hide under C.J.'s bunk, and it's unlikely they would think to do that in the aftermath of a real shooting (that killed three men!) Also, in the sequence we see on screen, the shots ring out in the distance, and the men in the barracks are only beginning to react when Waters and Wilkie storm in less than 10 seconds later, with Waters telling the full story, adding that the culprit was seen running into the barrack. True, it's a flashback, and hence there may be some skewing of perspective going on (something done well in "A Soldier's Story"), but it just seems too pat, and the killings of the three, and the real identity of their "killer," is not brought up again.

2. Like the other poster said, Waters is a Master Sgt., and Wilkie reported to him. I don't think Waters had the power to take Wilkie's stripes away, but he could report him to an officer that could.

3. That and Davenport getting lost on the obstacle course are the only weak scenes in the movie. The killer wasn't motivated by racial issues, but by Waters' overbearing mistreatment of the soldiers under his command. It may be that in the play, Davenport delivers the line to himself and to the audience with Waters in mind, where I agree the sentiment makes more sense. Here, it comes off misdirected.

[–] SeldonRL 19 years ago

#1. I think someone got shot, but Water's had a chance to frame CJ and he took it.

#2. Water's had senority. He had been in the army since WW2, and the players had just been recruited during the war.

[–] AntBMSU 18 years ago

1. Nobody got shot. The whole sequence was made up to frame CJ.
2. Waters was a Master Sgt, and Wilkie was just a buck sgt. Both were in the army a long time, Waters since WWI, and Wilkie for ten+ years ("It took me ten years to get those stripes") Wilkie also said to Davenport during his interrogation that Waters reported him to the Captain, and he took the stripes.

Evil will always triumph, becasue Good is Dumb

-Dark Helmet

[–] pmai-1 18 years ago

Just a shot in the dark

3-Peterson shot Waters less out of revenge for CJ and more out of a dislike for Water's as a "Negro." In effect, Peterson is guilty of the same sort of psychology that distroyed Waters. Waters wanted to be white. He was ashamed of being black and saw CJ as tainting him. As CJ himself said of Waters, "It must be hard, not knowing who you are."

When Peterson shot Waters, he said something to the effect of "some things need getting rid of." This is the same idea behind Waters' destroying CJ-some things need to get rid of. Peterson is an angry character, always fighting and biting. He deliberately escaped segregation by enlisting in California. He hates the way Waters treats other blacks. Waters is not being a "good Negro." Thus, he needs to be got rid of.

So...thats why Davenport exclaims, "who gave you the right to determine who is fit to be a Negro?"

[–] twistedude 18 years ago

what pmai-l said...

"Gotta watch what you sayin, gotta watch what you do
cause that low down dirty Waters gonna RULE over you...."

[–] Bernnard_Black 18 years ago

1: I think Waters killed the MP. No way it was a bluff; the minute he took CJ to the stockade with a murder charge, someone would have said "what murder"? Plus, Peteron, Smalls and Cobb all went to the MP's with their story; if it was a bluff, Waters would have been instantly found out an in HUGE trouble because someone would have been asking who had been killed.

2: Waters is a Master Sergeant; 3 up, 3 down, or E8. Wilkie is just a Sergeant, or E5. In war time, Waters would have the power to get Wilkie busted at the company level...that is to say, it only takes Capt. Taylor's authority. For an E6, it takes the battalion commander, and for an E7 and above, it takes the regimental commander. The thing is, most officers will back up the NCO's suggestions, so all Waters has to do is recommend that Wilkie be busted and Taylor would rubber-stamp it. Pretty standard stuff, really.

[–] twistedude 18 years ago

I figured it went like that (without knowing all the ins and outs). There is another black sargeant, three up and three down (correct me if I'm wrong)...very small part. Two (nioe) lines. Real heavy guy. Does he have the same authority as Waters ("White don't rub o0f"--remember?)?

One of the barracks guys---probably Cobb--says "Well, it was Waters! Had to be."
(about the dead MP).

"Thus began our longest journey together." To Kill a Mockingbird

[–] AntBMSU 18 years ago

There was no murder charge. CJ tp taken to the stockade for assault on a NCO. Watch the movie again.

Evil will always triumph, because Good is Dumb

-Dark Helmet

[–] durgent 18 years ago

There was no murder charge. CJ tp taken to the stockade for assault on a NCO. Watch the movie again.

There was a murder and Waters was looking to set up CJ with a murder charge at first. If you look at it again, when Waters goes to the stockade to taunt CJ he says "I didn't kill anybody, that gun ain't mine" to which Waters replied "We know that CJ, that's why we changed the charge on you this morning". Either way he was going to get CJ. Being that the murder charge would've been harder to prove, they decided to drop the charges, and charged him with striking Waters which was witnessed by everyone in the barracks including the MPs and Wilkie.