The 761st Tank Battalion Was Tough Enough to Make Malcolm X Proud…
America's "250 Years…250 Movies"
In honour of our country's 250th birthday, I'm reviewing 250 of their amazing flicks! Keep on the lookout, patriots!
The 761st Tank Battalion was the first entirely African-American army unit in the United States. Commanded by (who else?) than General George S. Patton, they were trailblazers (in more ways than one, no less!) for the black community. So several years ago, Morgan Freeman and the people at the History Channel decided to bring their story to life.
This film follows the 761st Tank Battalion itself and their journey in serving their country during World War II, as well, as the hardships and accomplishments they received along their adventure. Along the way, actor Morgan Freeman narrates the story, and meets up with some black veterans to help underscore the story’s legacy.
Is it any good? History buffs will certainly appreciate that it’s dedicated to a lesser-known facet of the war, especially given the discrimination that the soldiers despite their hard work and considerable determination. (World War II was only a few decades shy of the Civil Rights Movement, after all.) With not many people in the war to look up to- at least people “like them”- yet without “big shoes to fill,” so to speak, they were able to make their mark on history, against all odds. The accompanying commentary brought out by the black veterans that Freeman meets, is a great addition. As for Morgan Freeman’s speech, well…it’s easy to see “why” he’s Hollywood’s “go-to” guy for narration- he has a phenomenal voice. It’s enough to make you wonder about the other contributions that the black community made to the war effort. And with more WWII veterans dying out- they’re all over 100 now- films like this will help solidify their legacy by the time they’re all gone.
In short, this was a riveting war documentary on a minority army unit. War enthusiasts would especially enjoy this film. 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
Jennifer Rose is an author with autism, novelist, and film critic based in New Jersey. She is the author of Manimal Crackers (GenZ Publishing, 2026) and It's Not a Perfect World, But I'll Take It (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016), fifty unsugarcoated life lessons on growing up on the spectrum. A graduate of St. Elizabeth University currently studying Library Science at William Paterson University, she writes blog posts and reviews movies at jenniferroseauthor.com, including all 250 in honor of the country's 250th birthday, and is building Autonomy, an online literary magazine and hub where writers on the autism spectrum can share their art, writing, and musings with the world.
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