Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- mournful
- ambitious
- serious film night
- historical drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned and ambitious but overlong, disjointed, overproduced, and weakened by an unfocused frame story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The 1983 postal clerk shooting and discovery of a missing Italian marble head frame the flashback account of the soldiers in Tuscany.
The central unit consists of Black Buffalo Soldiers whose combat service and treatment within the U.S. Army drive the film's historical perspective.
The Italian village, local legend, miracle premise, and partisan folklore are set against grounded combat and massacre history.
The valuable Italian marble head, missing since the war, connects the 1983 investigation to the soldiers' wartime experience.
Films like Miracle at St. Anna, and why
Saving Private Ryan
shared World War II combat, historical drama, visceral battle scenes, and moral examination of soldiers under pressure
The Longest Day
shared World War II setting, multinational resistance forces, battlefield camaraderie, and large-scale war epic tradition
The Big Red One
shared World War II infantry perspective, brutal combat, disillusionment, and ensemble military drama
The Pianist
shared historical war drama, civilian suffering, partisan resistance, and morally complex occupation narrative
Movie Details
- Director
- Spike Lee
- Release Date
- 2008-09-15
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (405)
Cast
- Derek Luke
- Michael Ealy
- Laz Alonso
- Omar Benson Miller
- Pierfrancesco Favino
- Valentina Cervi
- Matteo Sciabordi
- John Turturro
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- John Leguizamo
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Miracle at St. Anna about?
- A sprawling World War II epic follows four Black Buffalo Soldiers through combat, betrayal, and moral peril in occupied Tuscany, while a 1983 mystery reveals the war’s lingering wounds.
- What is Miracle at St. Anna like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Miracle at St. Anna as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Miracle at St. Anna violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Miracle at St. Anna as graphic.
- What did critics think of Miracle at St. Anna?
- Critics broadly found the film well-intentioned and ambitious but overlong, disjointed, overproduced, and weakened by an unfocused frame story.
- Which films are like Miracle at St. Anna?
- Films with a similar feel include Saving Private Ryan, The Longest Day, The Big Red One, and The Pianist.
- How long is Miracle at St. Anna?
- Miracle at St. Anna runs 160 minutes.
- Where can I watch Miracle at St. Anna?
- In United States, Miracle at St. Anna is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
