Miracle at St. Anna
Review - Bobby Belt for The Mungles on Movies
I've never been a huge fan of Spike Lee. I don't understand his fascination with long tracking shots or his use of seemingly random monologues on race.
I washed away all preconceived notions about his work when walking in the theater to watch Miracle at St. Anna. I still came away with an empty feeling.
Miracle at St. Anna is a flashback story of four soldiers and a little boy who spend a couple of days in a small town in Italy during WWII. The soldiers are a part of the all black 92nd Infantry Division. They picked up the young Italian boy after one of the soldiers strikes up a close connection with him after a bombing they had both survived.
The movie is filled with disturbing, violent images, perhaps none more so than the opening attack scene of the 92nd division. Spike Lee seems to take visual bites of Saving Private Ryan's beach scene and splice it into his film, yet on a much smaller scale.
For the entire movie, Mr. Lee wants to tell us something. This work is some of his gutsiest and you can feel he's trying to tell something close to his heart. But Mr. Lee's message becomes incoherent. Instead of giving it to us straight, the film stutters in an attempt to reach us. It seems to be speaking about something very important, and then it sidetracks from time to time into what very well may be deemed quirky. Quirky is a word that should never be associated with a film about War. It just doesn't fit. The film, with a chance to redeem itself, fails in the final 30 minutes of it's long two and a half hours. Only confusing us more.
I don't want to make it sound all bad. I did enjoy quite a few things about the movie. The score is fantastic, if a bit of a retread of 25th Hour's score (Which was also amazing). And there are some powerful moments but it's just sad that they got drowned out in incoherence and overly sentimental moments.
There weren't any major stand outs in terms of acting but I didn't have a problem with anyone. I did like what Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino did here, though. He was probably the best from an acting stand point.
Miracle at St. Anna is rated R for strong war violence, language and some sexual content. Really a movie more suited for adults.
Overall, I'd give Miracle at St. Anna 2.5 out of 5. I wish I knew what you wanted to say Mr. Lee. It just didn't come out right. |
