It’s easy to first enlist in today’s World War II picture.
It spins a decent yarn as adapted by James McBride from his own novel about a small squad of the so-called “Buffalo Soldiers,” which was a real-life division of some 15,000 African-American infantrymen who fought on the front lines in Italy during the last year of the war.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite as easy to stay enthralled throughout the movie’s long, sometimes meandering tour of duty. But the unexpected thing about the serviceable if inconsistent “Miracle at St. Anna” is that stylist Spike Lee directed it.
Lee came to fame for his personal fiction films he both wrote and directed about the American black experience. He is known for his unique, conspicuous use of colloquial dialogue and visual technique. But in recent years, his more hard-boiled documentary exposés proved his skill at more straightforward storytelling.
His best film in years was the recent “Inside Man.” Like that superior bank heist thriller, “Miracle” is also a prototypical genre film, not written by Lee, in which the filmmaker soft-pedals his trademark flourishes. But the subject matter is pure Spike Lee.
Because, it is the deep-seated pain of racism from back home that underlies the life-altering Tuscan war adventure of Corporal Hector Negron (Laz Alonso) and his compatriots including somber squad leader Aubrey Stamps (Derek Luke), irreverent survivor Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy) and the mentally challenged softy Private Train (respectfully played by Omar Benson Miller).
The narrative fails to make a clear point. But it hinges on an incident involving a mystical, deeply wounded 8-year-old native. (Amazing child actor Matteo Sciabordi anchors the epic’s most affecting moments). Train practically adopts the boy after the soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines. They take cover in a village with, of course, a tempting young woman (Valentina Cerri) as a mystery involving Nazi atrocity, partisan fighters, and a place called St. Anna unfolds.
The war scenes are framed as one long flashback after an elderly Hector opens the picture by shooting a man in cold blood. It is only after we learn about what happened to Hector and his buddies in 1944 that we discover why.
Given the structural disarray and indulgent running time of “Miracle of St. Anna,” the real miracle is that it holds our attention as well as it does.
Quick info
“Miracle of St. Anna”
3 out of 5 Stars
Stars: Laz Alonso, Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Omar Benson Miller
Director: Spike Lee
Rated: R for strong war violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.
Running Time: 160 minutes
