'the day of the geechee is gone, boy'

i recently rented "a soldier's story" since i haven't seen it since high school.

as soon as it came via netflix, i popped it into the television and watched it with a fairly critical eye. i couldn't help but imagine how charles fuller's script must have looked in its original form as a stage production. i loved how military rank paralleled the social hierarchy between the characters. and the cusp of change presenting both racial shifts and great opportunities was an amazing theme that pretty much resonates today.

but then, i watched it again. and now i feel like i've disrespected one of the most poignant stories about african americans told within the past several decades.

first, adolph caesar. oh...my. sgt. waters is definitely a great character. his sneer bordered on perfection and his assholishness was so visceral. sgt. waters has also introduced me to my new favorite verb: yassuh-bossin'. yes, it's spelled I-N-apostrophe. i took the meaning out of context, but it seems to mean some sort of grovelling to caucasians.

let's use it in a sentence! sgt. waters addresses cj memphis after having framed him, leading to cj's imprisonment (asshole!):

see, the black race can't afford you no more. there used to be a time, we'd see someone like you singin', clownin', yassuh-bossin'... and we wouldn't do anything. folks liked that.

and now unfortunately, i can't hear that term without doubling over with laughter.

also, pfc. peterson played by denzel washington. you have to love his defiance. he admittedly referred to sgt. waters as "stoneass" and was challenged by waters to a bare-knuckle brawl after questioning the sergeant's allegiance to his people:

i'm going outside to wait for you, geechee. and when you come out ... i'm gonna whup your black southern ass.

adolph caesar fighting the much taller, younger denzel? once again, i couldn't contain my chuckling.

goodness, looking at this script, i thought of the worst thing yet: the "a soldier's story" drinking game. a shot of rum every time waters says "geechee."

time for me to take a harder look at the struggle, i guess. as i do that, take a look at this piece of the racial harmony i so wish we could achieve.