Miracle at St. Anna encompasses a world of pain. Germans, Americans and Italians all suffer, and the amazing thing about the movie is the way director Spike Lee is able to take us into the hearts and minds of everyone involved. The insanity of war spreads like a virus here, infecting the American soldiers who are caught behind German lines and hide in an Italian village; the villagers, both those who are fighting the Nazis and those who are colluding with them; and even a German who has gone AWOL after being ordered to murder civilians. In bringing piece of black history into movie theaters – the Americans belong to the 92nd Buffalo Soldier Division – he has also created a movie with a larger, more inclusive purpose. War is hell, Miracle at St. Anna reminds us, for humans of every race, color and creed.
