MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA [R]
review by Robert Newton
With Miracle At St. Anna, Spike Lee has made his “Saving Private Ryan,” a sweeping tale of war, revenge and loyalty, and it is a rather stunning piece of work, even if it is a bit overreaching.
Set in the waning days of World War II, this James McBride-penned story of an all-black regiment known as Buffalo Soldiers stuck in the middle of Nazi-lousy Italy blends genres nicely, even if the story is framed a bit awkwardly. Joseph Gordon Levitt (”The Lookout”) plays a cub reporter in 1983 trying to figure out why Hector (Laz Alonso), a black New York postal worker, went berserk and shot a customer in cold blood (and with a Luger), and why he has the head of a 400-year-old Italian statue in a bag in his closet. It is a mystery that Lee unravels in a gradual and non-linear fashion, and he is aided in his effort by a trademark solid cast, even if appearances by some of his regulars like John Turturro and John Leguizamo seem obligatory.
The soldiering trio of Derek Luke (”Glory Road”), Michael Ealy (Showtime’s “Sleeper Cell”) and Omar Benson Miller (”Things We Lost In The Fire”) stand out, with Miller’s scenes with an orphaned Italian boy who bonds with the simple “Chocolate Giant” especially affecting (even if they recall more than coincidentally Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful”). Valentina Cervi (”Artemisia”), as the village girl that Ealy’s character falls for, has a young Monica Belluci thing going on (and their love scene will surely make a slew of year-end Top 10 lists).
Matthew Libatique (”Inside Man”) shoots the picture so gorgeously, from the impeccably choreographed battle scenes to the quaint Tuscan vistas. Composer and fellow Lee staple Terrence Blanchard’s score, rivaling any John Williams accompaniment, is suitably grand, as well (and the end credit swell — a powerful gospel number — will bring tears).
As a filmmaker, Lee has matured greatly over the last two decades, even if his choice of projects has been occasionally influenced by the stories that other directors have not told. “The Miracle At St. Anna” seems like a slightly hot-headed retort to Clint Eastwood’s very white “Flags Of Our Fathers” and “The Sands Of Iwo Jima,” though his reasons for making it should not change the fact that it is a film that despite its flaws, does what a film should — connects with the audience that it also entertains.•••
Robert Newton is the editor of Worcester Movies.
