It seems that most of the negative comments on this board were expecting something different from the film. It is not a typical war movie; the war is the background for the story. There are some moments in the war scenes toward the beginning that could have been done better, and perhaps the Ally "bad guy" could have been less cliché, but other than that, I thought the movie was perfect.
It focuses on the soldiers, the people of the town they get stranded in, and a small boy who has never seen black people before. The movie has great moments of both humor and drama, something I look for in films (if you prefer movies, especially war movies, to be completely serious and devoid of any humor, keep looking). There is also not a whole lot of action, something that is probably a turn-off for many war film fans.
The meat of the film, however, is something that most of the reviewers overlook. The title of the movie is "Miracle at St. Anna". Yet, at St. Anna, hundreds of people were slaughtered. Where is the miracle? Does one life being saved make a miracle? Where is God in all of this?
The film also keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next. Most war films are at least somewhat obvious in where they are going; this one isn't.
If you're looking for a war film, this isn't for you. If you're looking for a film with a great story, solid characters and more thought put into it than the average movie, this might be what you're looking for.
It focuses on the soldiers, the people of the town they get stranded in, and a small boy who has never seen black people before. The movie has great moments of both humor and drama, something I look for in films (if you prefer movies, especially war movies, to be completely serious and devoid of any humor, keep looking). There is also not a whole lot of action, something that is probably a turn-off for many war film fans.
The meat of the film, however, is something that most of the reviewers overlook. The title of the movie is "Miracle at St. Anna". Yet, at St. Anna, hundreds of people were slaughtered. Where is the miracle? Does one life being saved make a miracle? Where is God in all of this?
The film also keeps you guessing as to what is going to happen next. Most war films are at least somewhat obvious in where they are going; this one isn't.
If you're looking for a war film, this isn't for you. If you're looking for a film with a great story, solid characters and more thought put into it than the average movie, this might be what you're looking for.