The sad reality in America is that the contributions by women, and especially women of color, have largely gone ignored, been dismissed, or outright forgotten. It’s safe to say most people didn’t know about three black female scientists who helped put a man on the moon until 2016’s Hidden Figures. Now, eight years later, we are finally learning the story of the Women’s Army Corps unit 6888th, the only all-Black, all-female battalion in the Army during World War II.
Due to a truck shortage, the mail had gotten backed up by three years. The 6888 had the arduous task of sorting through 17 million pieces of mail with only six months to complete it. Their mission – to deliver hope. What was no doubt initially intended to be a demeaning task, ended up being a vital and necessary piece of winning the war.
The film, written and directed by Tyler Perry, is a noticeable improvement over his usual fare, but it still struggles under his writing style. He still has a tendency to lean into his characters openly stating their intentions and feelings rather than showing them – a trait that made him uniquely successful on stage but has failed to translate to screen. Also, despite his film being based on real people (a few of which are still alive), Perry fails to write them as anything other than thinly veiled versions of themselves.
Perry is luckily saved by the undeniable presence and force of Kerry Washington. Washington leads this film as the commanding officer Charity Adams, the first African American woman to be an officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. This is a meaty role for Washington, and she sinks her teeth into it, delivering a performance that is as engaging and fierce as Officer Adams was in real life. Washington, now a veteran actress of both film and television, gives a performance that will undoubtedly wake audiences (and hopefully studios) up to her level of skill. Donning a thick Southern accent and the right amount of sternness for her unit and bile for the white officers who overlook or demean her, Washington is the performance to see in this earnest, albeit uneven, historical biopic.
Most of what doesn’t work here is the limited amount of time we are given with each person. The film begins its focus on Lena Derriecott (Ebony Obsidian) and her relationship with white soldier Abram David (Gregg Sulkin). The two wish to marry even though it would be a controversial marriage at that time, but before they can, Abram is called to fight in the war and dies shortly thereafter. This is what moves Lena to join the Army herself. From there, we are introduced to a whole host of other characters along the way like the outspoken Johnnie May played by Shanice Shantay, the white-passing Dolores Washington played by Sarah Jeffery, the ever-proper church girl Elaine White played by Pepi Sonuga, and several others.
Along with trying to fit in a story about a new romance between Lena and another soldier, Private Hugh Bell (Jay Reeves), the narrative becomes a little too big for the story it’s telling. The journey of sorting through the mail, dealing with the challenges faced by Adams, the training of the corps, and the love story in between, while most of it captivating, leaves a lot to be desired. One almost wonders if this would’ve been better served as a limited series instead.
Still, there is magic to be found in this film. The success of the women’s mission is significant, and in the end, the pride you feel for their accomplishment is inspiring. It took way too long for the story of these incredible women who completed a monumental task that brought communication and morale back to the soldiers and families who needed it, to be told. Perhaps, it would’ve been better served in a different format or with someone else attached to it, but regardless, the story is here, and we honor the women who served righteously in a time when their accomplishments were likely diminished. Now they get to be elevated, as they always should have.
The Six Triple Eight is currently available to stream on Netflix.
The sad reality in America is that the contributions by women, and especially women of color, have largely gone ignored, been dismissed, or outright forgotten. It’s safe to say most people didn’t know about three black female scientists who helped put a man on the moon until 2016’s Hidden Figures. Now, eight years later, we are finally learning the story of the Women’s Army Corps unit 6888th, the only all-Black, all-female battalion in the Army during World War II.
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Phoenix is a father of two, the co-host and editor of the Curtain to Curtain Podcast, co-founder of the International Film Society Critics Association. He’s also a member of the Pandora International Critics, Independent Critics of America, Online Film and Television Association, and Film Independent. With the goal of eventually becoming a filmmaker himself. He’s also obsessed with musical theater.
