The principal thrust of the movie is to resolve racial tensions and barriers. The film does this well. However, it is historically laughable to present Jesse Owens in a military capacity. Surely, he was a hero in sports, and social advancement in the USA, but he was never in the military. Blacks were also not generally allowed near the front in World War II, mainly to protect them from capture by the Nazis who would execute them on sight. The film does get around this obstacle, however, presenting a logical excuse for a black soldier to be at the front. But the social message, valuable as it is, could have been made without claiming the black character was the Olympic hero, Jesse Owens, which simply did not happen.
Review of Saints and Soldiers: The Void
