The Music of War

A black American soldier and a white British secretary share their passion for the piano through the end of World War II and into the rest of their lives. Henry is a short and nervous black soldier who takes a piano lesson with shy and lonely Camille in her small flat in London. She instantly sees what a piano prodigy he is and asks him to teach her jazz improvisation. He agrees but only if she lets him cook for her. She learns as much musically, as a good musician could ever learn from a true musical genius. They lose their virginity together. She comes out of her shell and lands a better job. He's beaten severely by white soldiers on the way to his army cooking job. His newly found courage thwarts her effort to keep him out of the heavy fighting. She goes to America with a rich friend from Boston, to bypass the bureaucracy of both countries, they both know will be bigoted toward mixed couples. He goes to war. He finds more courage and finds he's as good at killing as he is at cooking or playing. She becomes the social secretary for a wealthy woman before she becomes indispensable to the father and son who are making huge profits off the war. He kills for a French farm family and has feelings for the farm girl. She plays piano for events and tries to bolster their black friend who lost his legs. He's taken prisoner and his Stalag commandant takes full advantage of his cooking and playing skills. His piano playing puts him in a brothel, where more killing helps two Polish sisters escape. She has his child in Boston and plans a life for their new family in New York City, where her new career can support the family, while he becomes the jazz innovator he was always meant to be. He deceptively delays his return home after his escape, to heal himself along with the two women, but the healing leads to intimacy. The war ends in Europe and that's the day his arrival surprises her. He tells her about the other women and she tells him she forgives him, but only time will tell the truth of that. She reaches a higher level working for the rich family that's working the military for contracts. His playing reaches a higher level, but he ends up using and getting high to reach those new musical highs. He asks for her help with his addiction, but she has a hard decision to make when he's beyond any help she can give or get. Somehow, they go on, as the music between them, is always on.