''Miracle at St. Anna'' is a 2008 AmericanItalian
epic war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
directed by
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
and written by
James McBride, based on McBride's 2003 novel of the same name. The film stars
Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
,
Michael Ealy
Michael Brown (born August 3, 1973), professionally known as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), ''2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), '' Takers'' (2010), ''Think Like a Man'' (2012), '' About Last N ...
,
Laz Alonso Laz or LAZ may refer to:
People
* Laz people of the Black Sea area
**Laz language
First name
* Laz Alonso (born 1975), American actor
* Laz Barrera (1924–1991), Cuban-born American racehorse trainer
* Laz-D (born 1982), American rapper
*Laz Dí ...
,
Omar Benson Miller
Omar Benson Miller (born October 7, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for his work as Walter Simmons on '' CSI: Miami'' (2009–2012), as Charles Greane on ''Ballers'' (2015–2019), as the voice of Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urb ...
,
Pierfrancesco Favino
Pierfrancesco Favino (; August 24, 1969) is an Italian actor, voice actor and producer. He has appeared in more than fifty European and American movies and television series since the early 1990s, including '' The Prince of Homburg'' (1997), '' T ...
and
Valentina Cervi
Valentina Cervi (born 13 April 1976) is an Italian film and television actress.
Cervi was born in Rome, Italy. She is the daughter of director Tonino Cervi and granddaughter of actor Gino Cervi. Her mother is the Italian producer of Austrian- ...
, with
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...
,
Joseph Gordon Levitt,
John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
,
D.B. Sweeney and
Kerry Washington
Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fi ...
in supporting roles. Set primarily
in Italy during the
Italian Civil War in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the film tells the story of four
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...
s of the
92nd Infantry Division who seek refuge in a small
Tuscan village, where they form a bond with the residents. The story is presented as a
flashback, as one survivor, Hector Negron (Alonso), reflects upon his experiences in a
frame story set in 1980s New York. Several real-life events that occurred during the war, such as the
Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre
The Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre was a German war crime committed in the hill village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema in Tuscany, Italy, in the course of an operation against the Italian resistance movement during the Italian Campaign of World War ...
, are re-enacted, placing ''Miracle at St. Anna'' within the genre of
historical fiction.
Lee first learned of the novel in 2004 and approached McBride with the idea of a film adaptation. In Europe, the film's development attracted the attention of Italian film producers Roberto Cicutto and Luigi Musini, who helped finance the $45 million production. A majority of the film was shot in Italy, on several locations affected by World War II. Other filming locations included New York, Louisiana and The Bahamas. Frequent Lee collaborator
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...
composed the
score, and the visual effects were created by
Industrial Light & Magic.
''Miracle at St. Anna'' premiered at the
2008 Toronto International Film Festival
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
before it was released on September 26, 2008. It was met with mostly negative reviews from critics and drew controversy in Italy over historical inaccuracies. During its theatrical run, ''Miracle at St. Anna'' was a
box office bomb
A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...
, grossing only $9.3 million worldwide.
Plot
In 1983, Hector Negron, an aged,
Afro
The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...
-
Puerto Rican World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
veteran, works as a post office clerk in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. After recognizing a customer, Negron shoots and kills the man with a German
Luger pistol
The Pistole Parabellum—or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just Luger or Luger P08 is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 ...
. Several hours later, rookie reporter Tim Boyle and Detective Tony Ricci are at the crime scene seeking information. At Negron's apartment, Boyle, Ricci and other officers discover a finely carved statue head, the head of the ''
Primavera'', a long missing segment from the
Ponte Santa Trinita
The Ponte Santa Trìnita (Italian for ''Holy Trinity Bridge'', named for the ancient church in the nearest stretch of via de' Tornabuoni) is a Renaissance bridge in Florence, Italy, spanning the Arno. The Ponte Santa Trìnita is the oldest ellip ...
. Also found is a
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...
and a photograph revealing that Negron was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries.
*Distinguished Service Cross (Australia)
The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...
and
Silver Star.
Negron, in a
flashback, tells of his war experiences as a young
corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...
of the segregated
92nd Infantry Division in Italy, late 1944 during the
Gothic line phase of the
Italian campaign. A disastrous attack ensues on German positions across the
Serchio
The Serchio (; la, Auser) is the third longest river in the Italian region of Tuscany at , coming after the Arno at and the Ombrone, . By mean rate of flow, it is the second largest, smaller than Arno but larger than Ombrone.
The principal sou ...
River. An officer, Captain Nokes, calls down artillery on the 92nd's own position, refusing to believe their reports of how far they have advanced. Many American soldiers are killed, leaving Negron stranded on the wrong side of the river with three men: Staff Sergeant Aubrey Stamps, Sergeant Bishop Cummings, and Private Sam Train. Sam carries the Head of the ''Primavera'' that he found in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, which he believes to carry magical powers. He and Bishop rescue an Italian boy named Angelo from a collapsing building. While traveling through the mountains of Tuscany, the soldiers enter a small village where they form a bond with the residents. Sam grows especially fond of Angelo, becoming the boy's father figure. One of the villagers, Renata, soon becomes entangled in a
love triangle with Stamps and Bishop, which creates conflict.
After Negron gets his damaged backpack radio working, the soldiers contact headquarters and are told to capture an enemy soldier. A
local Italian Partisan group arrives with a young German deserter, Hans Brundt, as their prisoner. Earlier, residents of the nearby village of
Sant'Anna di Stazzema
Sant'Anna di Stazzema, officially Sant'Anna, is a village in Tuscany, Italy. Administratively, it is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Stazzema, in the province of Lucca.
History
In 1944, it was the site of a notorious Nazi crime against hum ...
were
killed by German forces following a betrayal by an Italian partisan, named Rodolfo, who knows that Brundt can identify him as the traitor. After concealing the fact that German forces are approaching the village in a counterattack, Rodolfo kills Brundt and the Partisan leader before escaping. It is Rodolfo whom Negron will kill 39 years later. Captain Nokes arrives in the village to interrogate Brundt and finds him dead. The Americans prepare to leave the village ahead of a German counterattack, but Sam refuses to leave Angelo behind. After promising to court-martial all four soldiers, Nokes and his contingent drive out of town, but are killed in the opening German offensive.
The remaining Americans and
Italian Partisans
The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social ...
hold their ground, killing many Germans. Bishop and Negron hold off the Germans while Stamps tries to get the villagers to safety, but they are too heavily outnumbered. Sam, Stamps and Bishop are killed in the attack. While attempting to retreat, Negron is shot in the back, but is saved by his backpack radio. After Angelo gives him the Primavera's Head, Negron gives the boy his rosary and tells him to leave. Angelo is led away by the spirit of his brother Arturo, who had been killed during the massacre at St. Anna. Negron is spared by a German officer who hands him his own Luger pistol and tells Negron to defend himself. More Americans arrive and secure the village before evacuating Negron.
In 1984, Negron is the defendant in a court proceeding, facing a life sentence for his killing of Rodolfo. He is defended at his bail hearing by a powerful attorney acting on behalf of an unknown wealthy man. Hector is brought to the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
and is reunited with the Head of the ''Primavera'', accompanied by its new owner who takes out a rosary and reveals himself as an adult Angelo. They both hold Hector's rosary and burst into tears of remembrance.
Cast
*
Derek Luke
Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film '' Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...
as Staff Sergeant Aubrey Stamps:
:One of four stranded
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...
s from the
92nd Infantry Division. Director
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
described Stamps as "the leader" of the men, while screenwriter
James McBride stated that, "Stamps is a well-educated college graduate who has both faith and disappointment in the American system. He's deeply divided as to what his place and the place of the Negro in American society is or should be."
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist. His prominent film roles include '' Major League'' (1989), ''New Jack City'' (1991), '' White Men Can't Jump'' (1992), '' Passenger 57'' (1992), '' ...
was originally cast as Stamps, but could not commit due to his financial troubles.
*
Michael Ealy
Michael Brown (born August 3, 1973), professionally known as Michael Ealy, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Barbershop'' (2002), ''2 Fast 2 Furious'' (2003), '' Takers'' (2010), ''Think Like a Man'' (2012), '' About Last N ...
as Sergeant Bishop Cummings:
:One of the four soldiers, a womanizer and card player. The character is also known for being arrogant and distrustful, and shows hatred towards his white commanders. Lee stated that the character is “a happy-go-lucky guy. He does not like to be under the thumb of authority. He likes card games and women.”
Ealy described the character's indifference: "I think Bishop is the voice that doesn't believe change is going to come, and doesn't believe that he belongs over there fighting."
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...
was originally in talks to play Bishop, prior to Ealy's casting.
*
Laz Alonso Laz or LAZ may refer to:
People
* Laz people of the Black Sea area
**Laz language
First name
* Laz Alonso (born 1975), American actor
* Laz Barrera (1924–1991), Cuban-born American racehorse trainer
* Laz-D (born 1982), American rapper
*Laz Dí ...
as Corporal Hector Negron:
:Negron first appears in the film's
frame story as a bitter, 70-year-old World War II veteran living in Harlem, New York who reflects on his experiences during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Negron, a black
Nuyorican
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, or of their descendants (especially those raised or currently living in the N ...
, is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, which enables him to serve as an interpreter for the Americans and Italians.
Alonso first learned of the novel from his agent and read it prior to auditioning for the role.
He had to convince Lee that he was fluent in Spanish, and created an audition tape of himself speaking the language, which won him the role.
Alonso found difficulty in portraying Negron as an elderly World War II veteran: "This role was very emotionally draining. Ninety percent of the time, the elderly have outlived most of the people they have loved. When I played Negrón as an old man, I had to focus on everything I've lost in my life: my dad, friends and love lost, and that was a really depressing thing to do."
*
Omar Benson Miller
Omar Benson Miller (born October 7, 1978) is an American actor. He is known for his work as Walter Simmons on '' CSI: Miami'' (2009–2012), as Charles Greane on ''Ballers'' (2015–2019), as the voice of Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urb ...
as Private First Class Samuel "Sam" Train:
:The "biggest" of the four soldiers,
Sam is known for his child-like personality. He befriends a young Italian boy, Angelo Torancelli, and becomes a father figure to the child. Sam is first to discover a finely carved statue head, the Head of the Primavera, which he believes to carry magical powers. Miller was a fan of McBride's novel prior to learning of the film adaptation by Lee.
He fought hard to win the role of Sam, which resulted in him physically preparing for the part: "My physical prep was a little different than everybody else's, because Spike wanted me for the movie, but he told me I had to lose weight to do it. I had nine weeks to lose 60 pounds. We got it done."
* Matteo Sciabordi as Angelo Torancelli – The Boy:
:A young Italian boy who befriends Sam Train. Sciabordi appears in his debut film role. Lee issued a casting call for an Italian child actor. 5,000 child actors auditioned for the role prior to Sciabordi's casting.
Sciabordi described working with co-star Omar Benson Miller: "Omar was great fun. We were always playing and he even taught me how to play baseball."
Luigi Lo Cascio
Luigi Lo Cascio (born 20 October 1967) is an Italian actor. He won the David di Donatello as best actor for his starring role in ''I cento passi''. In 2012, he debuted as film director and writer with '' La città ideale''.
Filmography
*2000: ' ...
portrays an adult Angelo in the film's final scene.
*
Pierfrancesco Favino
Pierfrancesco Favino (; August 24, 1969) is an Italian actor, voice actor and producer. He has appeared in more than fifty European and American movies and television series since the early 1990s, including '' The Prince of Homburg'' (1997), '' T ...
as Peppi "The Great Butterfly" Grotta:
:The leader of a
Partisan group operating in the area. Favino was the filmmakers' primary choice for the role. McBride suggested that the character represents the great Partisan leaders who led thousands in Italy throughout World War II: "He's a deeply thoughtful young man. After witnessing several atrocities, he basically snaps and becomes one of the most ruthless and most clever and most sought-after Partisans. Although he's ruthless against his enemies, he's always a fair-minded person, deeply kind, fighting for his country—not fighting to kill Germans, fighting to kill the enemy. He's a leader with a heart."
*
Valentina Cervi
Valentina Cervi (born 13 April 1976) is an Italian film and television actress.
Cervi was born in Rome, Italy. She is the daughter of director Tonino Cervi and granddaughter of actor Gino Cervi. Her mother is the Italian producer of Austrian- ...
as Renata Salducci:
:One of the Italian villagers, who proves to be an instant ally of the four soldiers. Renata soon becomes entangled in a
love triangle with Stamps and Bishop, which creates conflict. McBride said of the character, "Renata exemplifies the difficulties Italian women faced during the war. Her husband was drafted and she hasn't heard from him in two years. She's very smart and is one of the few people in her village who has learned some English. She tries very hard to make her father renounce his
Fascist beliefs."
*
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...
as Detective Antonio "Tony" Ricci, who is charged with investigating a post office murder in 1983
*
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...
as Tim Boyle, the investigative reporter assigned to cover the murder and subsequent discovery of an Italian artifact
*
Kerry Washington
Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fi ...
as Zana Wilder, a lawyer hired to represent the suspected post office murderer.
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
was originally cast as Wilder in September 2007, but later pulled out due to scheduling conflicts.
Other cast members include
John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
, in a cameo appearance, as Enrico;
D. B. Sweeney as Colonel Jack Driscoll, an advocate for the Buffalo Soldiers;
Robert John Burke
Robert John Burke (born September 12, 1960) is an American actor known for his roles in '' RoboCop 3'' (1993), '' Tombstone'' (1993), and '' Thinner'' (1996). During the 2000s Burke became well known for his portrayal of Mickey Gavin on '' Rescue ...
as General
Ned Almond, a high-ranking officer who opposes the 92nd Division;
Omari Hardwick
Omari Latif Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor known for his starring role as James "Ghost" St. Patrick, the protagonist of Starz's ''Power'' and his role as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder's ''Army of the Dead'' (2021). He is also kn ...
as Platoon Commander Huggs;
Omero Antonutti
Omero Antonutti (3 August 1935 – 5 November 2019) was an Italian actor and voice actor.
Biography
Born in Basiliano, in the province of Udine (in the Northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia), after having worked in shipyard ...
as Ludovico Salducci, Renata's Fascist father; Sergio Albelli as Rodolfo Berelli, a Partisan of questionable loyalties;
Lydia Biondi
Lidia Biondi (3 February 1941 – 14 June 2016), often credited as Lydia Biondi, was an Italian film and television actress who appeared in more than 40 Italian and foreign films since the 1960s. Her international film credits included ''Eat Pray ...
as Natalina, a village healer;
Michael K. Williams
Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame in 2002 through his critically acclaimed role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series ''The Wire''. He has been described as a "singular pr ...
as Tucker a scared soldier;
Walton Goggins
Walton Sanders Goggins Jr. (born November 10, 1971) is an American actor. He has starred in a number of television series, including ''The Shield'' (2002–2008), '' Justified'' (2010–2015), '' Vice Principals'' (2016–2017), ''The Righteous ...
as Captain Nokes;
Christian Berkel
Christian Berkel (born 28 October 1957) is a German actor. He is known for his appearances in '' Downfall'' (2004), ''Valkyrie'' (2008), ''Inglourious Basterds'' (2009) and ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (2015).
Life and career
Berkel was born on 2 ...
as Captain Eichholz; Jan Pohl as Corporal Hans Brundt, the German deserter; and
Alexandra Maria Lara
Alexandra Maria Lara (''née'' Plătăreanu; 12 November 1978) is a Romanian-German actress who has appeared in '' Downfall'' (2004), ''Control'' (2007), '' Youth Without Youth'' (2007), ''The Reader'' (2008), '' Rush'' (2013), and ''Geostorm' ...
as
Mildred Gillars
Mildred Elizabeth Gillars ( Sisk; November 29, 1900 – June 25, 1988) was an American broadcaster employed by Nazi Germany to disseminate Axis propaganda during World War II. Following her capture in post-war Berlin, she became the first woman t ...
, nicknamed Axis Sally, an American broadcaster employed by the Germans as a propagandist.
Production
Development
The novel ''Miracle at St. Anna'' was written by
James McBride originating from his late uncle's experiences as a World War II soldier.
Upon writing the novel, McBride conducted his own research and learned of the
92nd Infantry Division, which consisted of 15,000 African-American soldiers, who served in Italy during World War II from August 1944 to November 1945. McBride interviewed several remaining members of the 92nd Division. "I studied Italian at
The New School
The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
in New York City," he explained. "I moved to Italy with my family for six months. I interviewed dozens of Italians—
Partisans and
Fascists. I interviewed dozens of African-American soldiers who fought in the war, most who have since passed away. I must have read at least 20 books. I went to the
Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I studied the whole business of what the 92nd did in Italy during the war, to try to get an idea of what really transpired."
The 92nd Division served as the basis for McBride's novel, which was published in 2003.
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
first learned of the novel in 2004 and contacted McBride about making a
film adaptation.
He felt that McBride was the perfect person to write the screenplay, believing that his novel would serve as a guide.
Commenting on the difficult process of adapting his book into a screenplay, McBride stated, “As a novelist, you tend to think internally. You can guide what the character says and you can explore what he or she is thinking. Movies don't have time to explain. You have to get right to the muscle.”
The film adaptation of ''Miracle at St. Anna'' attracted the attention of Italian producers Roberto Cicutto and Luigi Musini, the co-founders of On My Own Produzioni Cinematografiche.
Cicutto explained that they knew that Lee was "not just coming to Italy to make a film as an American director, but to make a film that belongs to his culture and to our history." The film's budget was an estimated $45 million.
Under their Own My Own production banner, Cicutto and Musini contributed $8.74 million.
Lee's reputation as an acclaimed filmmaker in Europe, where he served as a jury member of the
2004 Venice Film Festival, also helped the filmmakers obtain two-thirds of the budget from Italy's
RAI Cinema and France's
TF1 ($30 million).
Touchstone Pictures provided the remainder ($6.26 million),
and later released the film in North America.
Lee described ''Miracle at St. Anna'' as an "ensemble piece"
and aimed for authenticity in his depiction of American and German soldiers battling in Italy.
In casting Italian actors, he held a
casting call
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenplay, ...
in Rome. The Italian actors, all born in Rome, were coached to sound as though they were from Tuscany.
The actors portraying soldiers underwent a two-week boot camp, supervised by senior military advisor Billy Budd, a 15-year
Royal Marine
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
veteran who had served in the
Falklands War.
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
for ''Miracle at St. Anna'' lasted nine weeks, beginning in October 2007
and concluding in December of that year;
filming took place in Italy, New York, Louisiana and The Bahamas.
The film was the first by Lee to be shot in Europe, and the director insisted on shooting on locations where the story is set. Filming began in Tuscany,
where the Tuscan regional government gave Lee permission to film where the actual events took place.
According to producer Luigi Musini, ''Miracle at St. Anna'' was shot along the
Gothic Line, which was the major line of defense in the final stages of World War II: "The location is highly representative of what the war was in Italy, what our resistance was. True dramatic episodes took place there.”
The first ten days of filming took place on the Serchio River, covering the battle sequence that opens the film.
A scene that recreates the
Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre
The Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre was a German war crime committed in the hill village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema in Tuscany, Italy, in the course of an operation against the Italian resistance movement during the Italian Campaign of World War ...
was shot where the atrocity took place; the massacre—in which over 500 villagers were murdered by
German occupation
German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
forces—is re-enacted in the film. Filming then took place in Rome for one month; in New York for four days; in White Castle, Louisiana for two days; and in The Bahamas for two days.
Design and effects
Matthew Libatique
Matthew Libatique (born July 19, 1968) is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work with director Darren Aronofsky on the films '' Pi'' (1998), ''Requiem for a Dream'' (2000), '' The Fountain'' (2006), '' Black Swan'' (2010), ' ...
served as cinematographer, having previously collaborated with Lee on the films ''
She Hate Me
''She Hate Me'' is a 2004 American independent comedy drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling, John Turturro, and Ossie Davis in his ...
'' (2004) and ''
Inside Man
''Inside Man'' is a 2006 American heist thriller film directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. It centers on an elaborate bank heist on Wall Street over a 24-hour period. The film stars Denzel Washington as Detective Keith Fr ...
'' (2006). Libatique relied on the use of natural light, which proved challenging for scenes shot indoors.
The final battle sequence in the film was especially difficult as the film relied on the use of practical effects and difficult weather conditions.
Libatique's solution was to collaborate with Lee, military advisor Billy Budd, and first
assistant director Mike Ellis in creating
storyboards to choreograph the scenes.
Production designer
In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wo ...
Tonino Zera was tasked with filling outdoor locations with greenery, rebuilding exteriors and constructing the interior of an Italian barn.
Costume design
Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...
er Carlo Poggiolo consulted with a former Buffalo Soldier of the 92nd Division, prior to designing the American soldiers' outfits. He also provided contemporary and historical wardrobe pieces.
Ernest Dickerson
Ernest Roscoe Dickerson (born June 25, 1951) is an American director, cinematographer, and screenwriter of film, television, and music videos.
As a cinematographer, he is known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee ever since they were c ...
served as the film's
second unit director, cinematographer, and camera operator.
The visual effects were created by
George Lucas'
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
After Lee approached him, Lucas allowed ILM's team of artists to work on the visual effects for the film.
Music
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...
composed the
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
, marking his twelfth collaboration with Lee. For the score, he attempted to make a distinction between American and German soldiers. "That was first done through the use of percussion, using a higher-pitched, tighter sound for Germans, and a fuller-field drum sound for Americans," he explained. "I also drew a distinction by using
French horn
The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...
s for American forces, and a
Wagner tuben for German forces." Scoring the film required the use of a 90-piece orchestra, which was larger than in any of Lee's previous films. Blanchard also relied on the use of instruments from the 1940s era, including a
mandolin,
accordion,
slide guitar and rope drum.
The film's soundtrack, titled ''Miracle at St. Anna: Original Soundtrack'', was released in
CD and
digital downloading formats by
Hollywood Records on September 23, 2008.
Release
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...
released ''Miracle at St. Anna'' under
Touchstone Pictures. The film's world premiere was at the
2008 Toronto International Film Festival
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
on September 7, 2008. The film later premiered in France at the 34th
Deauville American Film Festival
The Deauville American Film Festival (french: Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville, link=no) is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France.
It was established by Lionel Ch ...
on September 10, 2008. ''Miracle at St. Anna'' premiered in New York City at the
Ziegfeld Theatre on September 22, 2008. Disney released the film in the United States and Canada on September 26, 2008. The film was released in Italy on October 3, 2008; in Romania on April 10, 2009; in Bolivia and Brazil on April 30, 2009; in the United Arab Emirates on May 28, 2009; and in Lebanon on September 10, 2009.
[.]
Box office
''Miracle at St. Anna'' grossed $7,658,999 in North America and $1,404,716
from markets elsewhere—a worldwide total of $9,323,833 against a $45 million budget.
On its opening day in North America, the film debuted at ninth place, grossing $967,329 from 1,185 theaters. The end of the opening weekend saw the film take a total of $3,477,996—for an average of $2,935 per theater—finishing as the number eight grossing film of the weekend. Steve Mason of ''
Hollywood.com
Hollywood.com is an entertainment news website covering popular culture topics including movies, television, music and celebrities. Hollywood.com is principally owned by Mitchell Rubenstein and Laurie S. Silvers, who previously founded Sci-Fi Ch ...
'' believed that ''Miracle at St. Annas negative reviews and moviegoers' declining interest in
war film
War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
s contributed to the film's poor box office performance. On its second weekend, the film saw a 50.1% decrease in revenue, moving down to fourteenth place and earning an additional $1,736,302—an average of $1,465 per theatre. ''Miracle at St. Anna'' was pulled out of theatres on November 25, 2008 after 61 days (8.7 weeks) of domestic release.
Following its release in North America, ''Miracle at St. Anna'' continued to perform poorly in international markets. Its highest gross was in Italy, where it grossed $1,363,754 during its theatrical run.
Also contributing to the film's $1.4 million gross in international markets was Bolivia ($9,821), Brazil ($9,821), Lebanon ($3,184), Romania ($1,465), and the United Arab Emirates ($26,492).
Home media
''Miracle at St. Anna'' was released on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
formats by Touchstone Home Entertainment on February 10, 2009. The DVD is available in separate
anamorphic widescreen and Blu-ray editions, each with
Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. Upon its release on DVD, ''Miracle at St. Anna'' debuted in eighth place, selling 142,782 units in its first week. In North America, the film has grossed $10.1 million from DVD sales.
Reception
Critical response
The film has received mostly negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 121 reviewer and a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
of 5.2/10. The website's consensus states "''Miracle at St. Anna'' is a well-intentioned but overlong, disjointed affair that hits few of the right notes."
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, another
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
, assigned the film a
normalized score of 37% based on 31 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' called the film "a clunky, poorly constructed drama designed to spotlight the little-remarked role of black American soldiers in World War II." James Rocchi, writing for ''Cinematical'', gave the film a mixed review: "When ''Miracle at St. Anna'' falters, it's in the moments that seem like they could have been crafted by any other film maker; when ''Miracle at St. Anna'' succeeds, it's in the moments that could only have been crafted by Lee."
Ann Hornaday of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote that the film was "overwrought, overproduced, overbusy and overlong" and that "''Miracle at St. Anna'' finally suffers from the worst filmmaking sin of all: the failure of trust, in the story and the audience." Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' wrote that the film "aspires to be epic, but mostly it's just unfocused, sprawling and badly in need of editing" and that "
tries hard to be inspiring, but it has jarring tonal shifts, stereotyped characters and a lack of narrative perspective."
Peter Travers
Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...
of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' described the film as "too long, lazily constructed, and crammed with too many characters and subplots for any director to develop fully outside of an
HBO miniseries."
Despite a mostly negative reception, ''Miracle at St. Anna'' received some praise. Eric D. Snider, writing for ''Film.com'' praised the film, writing, "This is beyond the scope of anything Lee has done before, and he rises to the challenge remarkably well, with battle scenes nearly as visceral and jolting as those in ''
Saving Private Ryan
''Saving Private Ryan'' is a 1998 American epic war film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. Set during the Battle of Normandy in World War II, the film is known for its graphic portrayal of war, especially its depicti ...
'' and a multi-layered story involving the U.S. Army, the Nazis, and the Italian resistance movement."
Snider criticized the film's
frame story, which he described as "unnecessary and definitely corny."
James Verniere of the ''
Boston Herald'' awarded the film an "A" grade, calling it a "
masterpiece" and a "classic American WWII movie that both acknowledges the rousing tradition of such war epics as ''
The Longest Day'' (1962) and ''
The Big Red One
''The Big Red One'' is a 1980 American epic war film written and directed by Samuel Fuller, and starring Lee Marvin alongside an ensemble supporting cast, including Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Siegfried Rauch, Bobby Di Cicco, and Kelly Ward ...
'' (1980) and adds something new: paying tribute to the World War II African-American soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Roger Ebert, writing for the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...
'', criticized the editing but praised the film overall, describing it as "epic" with "one of the best battle scenes I can remember, on par with ''Saving Private Ryan''...''Miracle at St. Anna'' contains richness, anger, history, sentiment, fantasy, reality, violence and life. Maybe too much. Better than too little."
Controversy
Protests were scheduled for the film's Italian premiere in Viareggio, Italy, by unspecified organizations. The protesters objected to the plotline of a Partisan collaborating with the Nazis. This runs directly counter to the accepted historical version of events, ruled by an Italian military court in 2005, that the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre was entirely premeditated by the Germans with no reason except the aim to frighten the population.
Giovanni Cipollini, deputy head of the
National Association of the Italian Partisans, said the film was a "false reconstruction" and a "travesty of history". However, Lee, unrepentant, stated "I am not apologizing." He told Italians there was "a lot about your history you have yet to come to grips with. This film is our interpretation, and I stand behind it." McBride, the novel's author, stated: "As a black American, I understand what it's like for someone to tell your history... unfortunately, the history of World War Two here in Italy is ours as well, and this was the best I could do... it is, after all, a work of fiction.”
In light of the film's controversy, Lee was awarded
honorary citizenship
Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
by the mayor of
Stazzema, Michele Silicani, who defended the film, stating, "It's true that the film depicts a partisan who betrayed civilians. But above it is the tale of those partisans who fought to the death to defend civilians."
Litigation
Following the theatrical release of ''Miracle at St. Anna'', Spike Lee and the Italian production company On My Own Produzioni Cinematografiche brought a lawsuit against
TF1, alleging that the company failed in its contractual agreement with On My Own to distribute the film in international markets, excluding the United States, Canada and Italy. In its defense, TF1 refused to distribute ''Miracle at St. Anna'', claiming that Lee had made a different film than the one promised, and refused to pay On My Own the
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
11 million advance needed to distribute the film internationally.
On June 21, 2011, a Paris court ruled in Lee and On My Own's favor, believing that TF1 failed to honor the contract, which proved "disastrous" for the film. TF1 was fined €32 million (
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
46 million).
TF1 was ordered to pay On My Own €20 million in damages, plus a further €1 million for moral prejudice; Lee was awarded €1 million, while screenwriter James McBride received €200,000; TF1 was also ordered to pay €13 million to
BNP Paribas to cover the advance it had failed to pay.
In November 2016, trustees of below-the-line Hollywood unions filed a lawsuit against Lee and two of his production companies claiming Lee had failed to pay $45,000 in pension and other health contributions for the crew.
Notes
# Though the film was distributed by Touchstone Pictures,
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...
is credited at its end.
See also
*
2008 in film
The year 2008 involved many major film events. ''The Dark Knight'' was the year's highest-grossing film, while ''Slumdog Millionaire'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture (out of eight Academy Awards).
Evaluation of the year
2008 has been w ...
*
List of World War II films
This is a list of fictional feature films or miniseries which feature events of World War II in the narrative.
There is a separate list of World War II TV series.
Criteria
* The film or miniseries must be concerned with World War II (or the ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{good article
2008 films
2000s war films
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks films
African-American war films
American epic films
Films about race and ethnicity
Films directed by Spike Lee
Films scored by Terence Blanchard
Films set in Italy
Films set in New York City
Films set in the 1940s
Films set in the 1980s
Films set in Tuscany
2000s German-language films
Italian Campaign of World War II films
Italian epic films
English-language Italian films
2000s Italian-language films
Touchstone Pictures films
World War II films based on actual events
2000s American films
Film controversies in Italy