Miracle at St Anna Tagged Articles at Cinematical

CINEMATICAL'S 2008 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PREVIEW

TIFF 2008 is coming up fast; now that the full schedule's been announced, we thought we'd give you a preview of the films we're most excited about catching at this year's fest. With over 300 films to choose from, TIFF has something for everyone, but there's so much to choose from, it can be hard to decide what you want to see.

Cinematical will be at Toronto from start to finish, and you'll be able to read all our coverage on our TIFF hub. Meanwhile, to aid you in your own TIFF planning, here are the ten films we're looking forward to most. To get started, just click on any of the images below to find out more about that film ...

Special thanks to the stellar folks who run the unofficial TIFF guide, TOFilmFest.ca, who once again bring you the best-organized guide to this massive festival ...

TITLE: Miracle at St. Anna
DIRECTED BY: Spike Lee
STARS: Derek Luke, Laz Alonzo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: In 1944, a group of black American soldiers were trapped behind enemy lines in occupied Italy ... and their ordeal is the key to unraveling a mysterious murder in the present day. With James McBride adapting his own novel for the big screen, Miracle at St Anna would already be intriguing ...

WHY WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT: ... But the fact Spike Lee's in the director's chair seals the deal to make this one of the must-see films this year at Toronto. All controversy aside (and that's saying a lot, considering how firmly Lee challenged Clint Eastwood's judgment about race and representation in Eastwood's World War II films), Lee's great with actors, tackles tough material head-on and has even turned into a great action and suspense director in recent years. If any filmmaker's been able to turn their complicated, complex, challenging love for America into fascinating moviemaking, it's Lee -- and we can't wait to see this film.

Back to the TIFF Preview page

Well, Spike Lee and I have had a complicated relationship over the years. As much as I have always respected his films, I haven't always agreed with him. But, unlike a lot of directors, at least he always has something to say. BlackFilm.com is hosting the first image from Lee's Miracle at St. Anna. The script focuses on the "tale of four members of the U.S. army's 92nd division of all-black soldiers, who in 1944 became trapped in a Tuscan village, as they contended with their racist, incompetent commanders and the Nazis".

Based on the novel by James McBride, the story centers on the massacre of Sant'Anna di Stazzema. On August 12, 1944, retreating SS-men rounded up 560 villagers and refugees (mostly women, children and the elderly) shot them and then burned the bodies. McBride adapted his own novel for the screen and the cast includes John Turturro, James Gandolfini, Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) -- who is replacing the tax-plagued Wesley Snipes, and Laz Alonso.

The project had a rocky start when Lee's comments about the treatment of African-American veterans in film caused a bit of a press frenzy. Shooting began back in October on location in Tuscany and Lee is also planning to shoot in Rome, New York, and Nassau, Bahamas. Surprisingly, Miracle has yet to find a studio, but Lee is planning on a 2009 release, so I would expect to hear something soon. It just goes to show you the sorry state of the industry when somebody like Michael Bay has no trouble setting up a studio for whatever crap-fest he has planned next, and yet one of the greatest American directors struggles to secure a deal. How depressing is that?