Set primarily in World War II, Miracle at St. Anna follows the story of four Buffalo Soldiers from the US Army’s Negro 92nd Division as they find themselves separated from the rest of their division behind enemy lines, taking refuge within the small village of St. Anna di Stazzema. The film begins with Hector Negron, a veteran black man who earned a purple heart. One day he snaps and, while working, takes a German luger to the head of a white male. Upon investigation, police officers find an ancient statue head worth thousands of dollars, a statue that has apparently been missing for years. While being questioned by a young reporter, the only response Hector gives is “I know who the sleeping man is.” Shifting to the past, the story of the four black soldiers ensues, following the path of the statue head and it’s original carrier, Sam Train.
Following this film is at times difficult. Spike Lee has packed a lot into a two and a half hour time period. At times the film seems long. A lot of it is slow paced, but when the action picks up it hits with a bang, sometimes a very bloody bang. Questions are raised, ideas are portrayed, and sometimes elements of the story don’t feel resolved.
The story follows multiple plot lines, that of the black soldiers, a couple groups of Italians, and the Germans. Moving through each plot line on occasion begs the question of why we are seeing so many perspectives. This leads to scenarios much similar to films such as Crash and Babel where the characters all seem to have some sort of connection and part to play. But even at the end of the film, with all these plots, we are still left with unanswered questions.
The acting, however, is superb. If anything, the characters feel real. These are characters that in some way we can connect to. The soundtrack is simple, yet effective. The writing is intriguing.
Written by James McBride, based on his original book and author of The Color of Water, this film portrays the side of US soldiers from the perspective of the blacks during a time of segregation when blacks weren’t as appreciated for their war effort. Unlike most war films, Miracle at St. Anna focuses on a different side of the war effort, while still being effective and powerful.
This film will take patience to sit through. It is not a film you’ll want to watch just for entertainment. When I saw the film before the movie was more than half over I was the only person still sitting in the theater. Everyone else had left. This isn’t a film just to please the masses. It is evident that the director is making statements through this film and I think it’s a film that could raise discussion. It’s a story of war from a different perspective and different approach that tackles the art of story telling from yet another angle. I’d say it’s worth seeing at least once, even if you decide to wait until it’s on DVD.
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