black soldiers were fighting for their country, for the freedom of others in europe, and they nearly get killed-- not by Nazis, but by white soldiers, for dancing with white women. This film shows the hypocricy of american culture.
"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
Stan Lee, 1962
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Actually, in most cases, there were separate nights for white and black soldiers so incidents like that shown in the film would be avoided. But still, racial clashes managed to occur.
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And too bad "simple downright segregation era cultural habits" included things like the brutal beating of a Black man for daring to dance with a White woman in front of a whole room of people. "It's just the way people were back then" never seems to be considerate enough to those who suffered from their bigotry.
I don't speak for the original poster of this discussion but to me the hypocrisy is there: being regarded as a second-class citizen and being told you will not be used for combat, all while going overseas for "the land of the free and the home of the brave."
In the book Fighting for America by Christopher Paul Moore, numerous letters are cited from Black GIs asking "What is the Negro Fighting For?" That question asked is a response to the hypocrisy they felt. I think any film depicting America at war in the midst of segregation would reflect "the hypocrisy of american culture."
However, you are very correct in pointing out that most African-Americans in the military at the time were in non-combat duties. No doubt, many never even saw any German or Japanese enemies in battle. Which is why, as the OP said, the White men in their own army were a more conscious threat to them than the people we were actually at war with.
If you're interested, I reccommend guaging this film against another film of the same subject (Yanks in WWII Britain) and social issues of race: The Affair (1995), also by a British director, Paul Seed, whom I would consider just as much a responsible writer/director as John Schlesinger.
As a Black-American when I saw it on HBO in 1980 it was a eye-opener. I read other stories about it as well. There is a book a read called When Jim Crow Met John Bull that was published in the mid 80's. I enjoyed it because it shows the deapths of racism heaped by racist Southern solders and the US Army. I also saw The Affair a good flick on HBO as well.
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Unfortunately it still is.
Siri
Don't Make Me Have to Release the Flying Monkeys!
It may interest you to know that there were many well-documented incidents of fighting between black & white American troops, in which British civilians joined in. Usually, when mixed American troops were posted to a British town, certain pubs were declared out-of-bounds to black troops, and others were forbidden to white troops. Often, however, (especially Southern) white soldiers, fuelled by drink, would 'break bounds', and take over those pubs designated 'black only', and would object to black servicemen being served by white (British) barmen/women, and especially to black soldiers consorting with white British girls. This often resulkted in mass brawl, but because Britain has never been a segregated country, the locals (predominantly white) would join in the affray, fighting against the white American troops, and alongside the black troops. Follow this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/12035018/Revealed-How-Britons-welcomed-black-soldiers-during-WWII-and-fought-alongside-them-against-racist-GIs.html...
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...
It may interest you to know that there were many well-documented incidents of fighting between black & white American troops, in which British civilians joined in. Usually, when mixed American troops were posted to a British town, certain pubs were declared out-of-bounds to black troops, and others were forbidden to white troops. Often, however, (especially Southern) white soldiers, fuelled by drink, would 'break bounds', and take over those pubs designated 'black only', and would object to black servicemen being served by white (British) barmen/women, and especially to black soldiers consorting with white British girls. This often resulkted in mass brawl, but because Britain has never been a segregated country, the locals (predominantly white) would join in the affray, fighting against the white American troops, and alongside the black troops. Follow this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/12035018/Revealed-How-Britons-welcomed-black-soldiers-during-WWII-and-fought-alongside-them-against-racist-GIs.html...
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...
IMHO the portrayal of racial tensions among the American soldiers ... and the total shock over it by the Jean and the other English women ... was this film's most significant statement.
I can imagine that such segregation and racial tension is quite shocking to people younger than myself (1961)and that is a great legacy for this film to claim.
Another film that deals with a similar theme is Saints & Soldiers: The Void (2014). I thought this was a pretty decent film and feel it's IMDB score is unreasonably low.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270114/?ref_=nv_sr_3