If you appreciate Blaxploitation, you'll love this film. Yes, as one reviewer points out, it has its logic gaps, but what Hollywood films don't? You'll miss the fun and interest of this film if your primary criterion is historical accuracy. For me, the goofy elements, like putting an elderly deaf man into a combat situation (where he is killed within minutes) is part of the fun of these kinds of low-budget films. And the over-the-top dramatic soundtrack may seem a little ridiculous now. So while there is funny stuff like that to laugh at as some have pointed out, there is some really admirable stuff here too.
This film will remind you of Blaxploitation in its black cast, low-budget action plot, and commentary on white racism, but check it out--this is 1970. Before Shaft! Before Blaxploitation really even takes off! There is so much of interest here such as the cast--Billy Dee, Prior and Rosie as young men, the fact that this was an Aron Spelling project. This film puts the "early" Spelling to the left of Norman Lear. This is a view at how far left and anti-racist television was back in those days--I consider myself familiar with American TV history and when I found out Carter's Army was a made for TV movie, it knocked my socks off. I defy anyone to identify American TV programming that is more straight-ahead anti-racist. Yes, including Roots (which was also years later). This film is historically accurate on an important matter--the US military in WWII was segregated and the black units were given the worst assignments.
There is a sustained critique of white supremacist thinking thought-out this film. One of my favorite moments is when the white cracker Capt. is worried about one of the black soldier's intentions toward a white woman (who is their local spy contact). The black Lt. says, "There are 8 men's lives at stake and you're worried about the honor of one white woman," or something close to that. If you know something about racial politics, you know this scene offers a rare statement about the way white male patriarchal sexism works glove in hand with white antiblack racism, one of the sad political patterns of oppression in American history. Eventually the white cracker learns his lesson and after fighting alongside the "Black Brigade" he comes to respect the bravery and valor of these black soldiers. At the end, we find that nothing is likely to change in the condition or status of this black unit, but we are supposed to be happy that one white racist has seen the error of his ways. Oh, and check out the sequence where Rosie Grier mocks the white officer and is shot suddenly by a sniper and killed. Watch closely and see what you think this section is saying.
So there are problems and contradictions in this film but the acting is really pretty good (you'll see Richard Prior steal at least one scene as he freaks out in the face of danger and maybe you'll wonder if he is on drugs at the time), Boyd and Hooks are very fine, and the anti-racist goals are laudable. This is a surprising little gem.
This film will remind you of Blaxploitation in its black cast, low-budget action plot, and commentary on white racism, but check it out--this is 1970. Before Shaft! Before Blaxploitation really even takes off! There is so much of interest here such as the cast--Billy Dee, Prior and Rosie as young men, the fact that this was an Aron Spelling project. This film puts the "early" Spelling to the left of Norman Lear. This is a view at how far left and anti-racist television was back in those days--I consider myself familiar with American TV history and when I found out Carter's Army was a made for TV movie, it knocked my socks off. I defy anyone to identify American TV programming that is more straight-ahead anti-racist. Yes, including Roots (which was also years later). This film is historically accurate on an important matter--the US military in WWII was segregated and the black units were given the worst assignments.
There is a sustained critique of white supremacist thinking thought-out this film. One of my favorite moments is when the white cracker Capt. is worried about one of the black soldier's intentions toward a white woman (who is their local spy contact). The black Lt. says, "There are 8 men's lives at stake and you're worried about the honor of one white woman," or something close to that. If you know something about racial politics, you know this scene offers a rare statement about the way white male patriarchal sexism works glove in hand with white antiblack racism, one of the sad political patterns of oppression in American history. Eventually the white cracker learns his lesson and after fighting alongside the "Black Brigade" he comes to respect the bravery and valor of these black soldiers. At the end, we find that nothing is likely to change in the condition or status of this black unit, but we are supposed to be happy that one white racist has seen the error of his ways. Oh, and check out the sequence where Rosie Grier mocks the white officer and is shot suddenly by a sniper and killed. Watch closely and see what you think this section is saying.
So there are problems and contradictions in this film but the acting is really pretty good (you'll see Richard Prior steal at least one scene as he freaks out in the face of danger and maybe you'll wonder if he is on drugs at the time), Boyd and Hooks are very fine, and the anti-racist goals are laudable. This is a surprising little gem.