Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four American soldiers who are members of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.
Overwrought, overproduced, overbusy and overlong, Miracle at St. Anna finally suffers from the worst filmmaking sin of all: the failure of trust, in the story and the audience.
– Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
26 Sep 2008
rotten:
Given the importance of that subject, the real mystery of Mr. Lee's movie is why it's so diffuse, dispirited, emotionally distanced and dramatically inert.
– Joe Morgenstern,
Wall Street Journal,
26 Sep 2008
rotten:
Clocking in at 160 minutes, this interminable movie comes across like a rough cut. Perhaps Lee believed its length would give it gravitas. The opposite is true.
– Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
29 Sep 2008
fresh:
It's impressive that a filmmaker of Lee's distinction is willing to continue to push boundaries.
– Ben Lyons,
At the Movies,
7 Nov 2008
rotten:
Lee is a filmmaker who, through talent, accomplishment, and a constant working of the refs in the Hollywood system, has earned autonomy over his films. I'm all for artistic freedom, but here he could have used a bit of oversight.