MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
RYAN: As you may recall, Caroline, I approached this movie with an all-time high baditude.
CAROLINE: Please – I practically had to drag you kicking and screaming to the screening with me after insisting that it was going to be a huge fall movie and a must-see. It’s a Spike Lee movie for God’s sake.
RYAN: I know but it had two strikes against it: 1) It’s a war film, and I’m starting to hate the whole genre and 2) It’s more than two and a half hours long.
CAROLINE: Those are valid reasons, and this movie, “Miracle at St. Anna,” is definitely too long. As you may recall, this is the movie that sparked the exchange of words between Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood about the portrayals of African-Americans in WWII films. And it’s definitely a war movie.
RYAN: Interestingly, after all my complaining, I walked out of the theater thinking it may be my favorite movie of the year and is sure to be one of the year’s best. I firmly believe it will get nominated for Best Picture and Director.
CAROLINE: That’s a strong statement given that no other Oscar contenders have come out yet. I don’t think I liked it nearly as much as you did, though I recognize it’s well made and had some good qualities. I just find this genre so hard to watch. There’s blood and guts everywhere and violence almost to the point where I had to turn away from the screen.
RYAN: There were definitely scenes where I thought, “I hope I can get these images out of my head tonight when I’m falling asleep.” The war scenes are just so horrific.
CAROLINE: The movie is based on a novel which is derived from real WWII events, and it’s about black soldiers in Italy who were known as Buffalo Soldiers. It’s reminiscent of “Saving Private Ryan” and other such movies albeit in a very long package.
RYAN: It covers racism, war, sexism and Nazis galore and it’s very disturbing in parts. But it’s also a very moving story a la “The Green Mile.”
CAROLINE: That’s an apt comparison, because I didn’t really like “The Green Mile.” There were several scenes in this movie that I did like, but the ones with the lead guy who’s kind of a simpleton and a gentle giant bugged me. I know you liked him though.
RYAN: He was such a great character! He’s the heart of the film.
CAROLINE: I liked his scenes with the little Italian boy, but the way he talked was irritating to me. I felt like the actor was trying too hard to convey that he was a “slow adult” in the words of Robert Downey Jr. I suppose he grew on me after a little while. The movie also relies on a lot of flashbacks and flash-forwards which got very confusing.
RYAN: Thankfully, I wasn’t confused and I was able to follow every story line. The film has a pattern of sort of giving you the result first and then going back in time to show you the cause. Once you realize that, it’s easier to grasp what’s going on.
CAROLINE: I’m not sure I ever fully grasped it, especially for a chunk in the middle of the movie where I was pretty lost. I loved the first fifteen minutes though, which takes place in the ’80s. It’s such a great beginning. There are also a lot of cameos from the likes of John Leguizamo, Kerry Washington and John Turturro, which is good because the guys who play the lead four actors, while not total unknowns, aren’t exactly megastars.
RYAN: I’m really impressed that Spike Lee pulled this off. It’s so well done and it feels very real. You feel like you’re all up in it, which is no place any of us wants to be. The camera work is incredible. I was totally bowled over by this film. Bottom line?
CAROLINE: While I recognize that this movie is very well made, I really can’t say I enjoyed it. Part of that is because of the topic and the violence, which we’ve seen a lot of over the last year what with all the Iraq War movies that have come out. It’s painful to watch at times. There are some parts that seemed really heavy handed. By the last scene, I found myself misting up but simultaneously thinking, “Wow, this ending is beyond cheesy.” It was maudlin.
RYAN: Totally! I misted up too, but also thought, “Seriously?” Overall though, the movie comes together in a magical way and it’s expertly directed, very well written and well performed. The music is also great, and the sound design is Oscar worthy. Across the board, this is an A+ for me.