Sergeant, The

Master Sergeant Albert Callan (Rod Steiger) is one tough G.I. During World War II; he killed an enemy soldier with his bare hands. Now in postwar France; he wrests control of his army post away from an ineffective superior. But another Sergeant Callan lives behind the snarl and the stare: a man overwhelmed by his repressed attraction to a handsome young private (John Phillip Law). In this insightful exploration of homosexuality made in an era of widespread intolerance; Steiger (The Pawnbroker; In the Heat of the Night) gives a stunning performance — one both volcanic and nuanced — that illuminates Callan’s tragic; tormenting battle with his true nature.