Miracle at St Anna - Amelia and Pam

Lippe, Richard. "Six Films." CineAction 76 (2009): 26. Print.

This review focuses mostly on summarizing the plot of Miracle at St. Anna and explaining some of the themes of the film, such as racism and omens. Unlike some of the other reviews of this film, this review compares the “scale and socially conscious concerns” of the film to those of other films, more specifically, epic films from the 1950s and 1960s. Instead of harshly criticizing the length of the film like many other reviewers, this review focuses on how the events of the film jump from the past to the present as well as how the climax of the film ties the themes together. Unfortunately, this review does not focus on the different physical aspects of film, such as camera angles or color usage, that provide other clues to the overall message of the film.

McCarthy, Todd. "Miracle at St. Anna." Variety [Los Angeles] 15 Sep. 2008: 20.

This review focuses on how the language and episodic flow of the film work together to make it “a clunky, poorly constructed drama.” The reviewer makes it clear that this was not one of Lee’s best films, regardless of the important message it carries regarding African Americans’ participation in World War II. The syntax used in this review is simple and easy to understand, and unlike some of the other reviews done for this film, this review focuses on many aspects of the film, such as the characters, the themes, and the cinematography. Unfortunately, this review itself is lengthy in its criticism of Lee’s lengthy film, and has a tendency to jump from aspect to aspect, lacking an easy to read flow.

Travers, Peter. "Miracle at St. Anna." Rolling Stone 16 Oct. 2008: 86. Print.

This review focuses on the overall performance of the actors as well as some of the technical aspects of the film, such as camera shots. The reviewer makes it clear that while he believes the film is “too long, lazily constructed, and crammed with too many characters,” it has a “grand ambition” to illustrate the racism that was prevalent in World War II. Instead of just focusing on the length of the film or its choppiness, this review introduces the characters and the actors who portrayed them and their strengths and weaknesses in their performances. It also praises the cameramen for their beautiful shots that when set to music “achieve enormous power.” Unfortunately, this review does not compare the film to others done by Spike Lee nor does it seek to connect the overall message of the film to the events.

Gleiberman, Owen. "Miracle at St. Anna." Entertainment Weekly 1014 (2008): 50-51. Print.

The review explains how Miracle at St. Anna is the first movie that addresses the role of African-Americans in WWII. The reviewer also makes it clear that “Miracle isn't powerful, it's muddled and diffuse”. The plot of the movie is explained along with the reasons the movie fails to convey its main points. According to the reviewer, the plot tries to cover too many subjects in order to really portray any of them properly. While the review gives plenty of explanation on how the plot fails, there is no mention of how filming technique, such as color and camera angles, influences the way the film is interpreted.

Honeycutt, Kirk. “Miracle at St. Anna.” Hollywood Reporter 9 Sept. 2008: 12. Print.

This review, like many others, explains how Spike Lee tried to take on a project that was too big for him. The review begins by informing the reader of Spike Lee’s main goal: to show the viewers the hardships of the all black 92nd Infantry Division during WWII. The reviewer also states how the movie fails to capture and maintain the attention of the viewer, claiming that Miracle “hits every thematic point too heavily and doesn't know when to move on.” The reviewer gives a clear explanation of the movie’s plot and afterwards explains why it fails. This approach made the review easier to follow.

Feld, Bruce. "MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA. “Film Journal International “ 111.11 (2008): 116. Print.

Unlike other reviews of Miracle at St. Anna, this review shines a positive light on Spike Lee’s film. The summary of the movie in this review is one of the clearest I have come across so far. While giving the audience a clear sense of the movie, the reviewer also explains how the cast plays a major role in the success of the film. The reviewer also discusses the effect that the battle scenes have on viewers. Whereas other reviews focused on the negative aspects of the movie and how the plot inched along, this review gave the reader insight to the performance of the actors and the detail that was put into each shot.