Wednesday, May 21, 2008

"Miracle at St. Anna" About Sant'Anna di Stazzema Massacre

The ANNOTICO Report

 

On August 12, 1944, retreating SS-men of the II Battalion of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 of 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsf|hrer-SS  commanded by SS-Hauptsturmf|hrer  Anton Galler, rounded up 560 villagers and refugees, mostly women, children and older men - shot them and then burned their bodies.

 

While I Like that the St Anna Massacre will be getting long overdue attention, I find it offensive that Spike Lee, who has continually negatively portrayed Italian Americans in his films, is further insulting Italians in that he is using this Italian Tragedy as a "background " to what he says his wanting to highlight the contribution that African-Americans made in World War II. Lee says that One million black men and women participated.

 

I am offended by the fact that he builds a "memorial" based on 4 black soldiers experience, in one of the very few Black combat units in the US Military. Yes there were 909.000 Blacks that served in the Military, but less than 3 percent were assigned to combat duty.Blacks were placed in the non combat service branches (including quartermaster, engineer, and transportation corps).[http://www.lwfaam.net/ww2/]

 

The 560 Italian Villagers are an "after thought", as were the 20,000 other Italian civilians that were massacred in 1500 "incidents" !!!!!!!

 

Spike Lee says drama spotlights blacks' forgotten WWII role

AFP

May 19, 2008

CANNES, France (AFP)  Filmmaker Spike Lee, unveiling the first outtakes of his new drama "Miracle at St. Anna", said Monday it would show the forgotten contribution of African-American soldiers in World War II.

Lee said in an interview on the sidelines of the Cannes film festival that the idea for the "epic" feature, due for US release in October, was born when he read the 2002 novel of the same name by James McBride.

The film follows four members of the 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Infantry Division of the US Army who become trapped behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Italy in 1944 when one of the troops tries to rescue a local boy.

Its dramatic climax is the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre perpetrated by the Germans in retaliation for troop losses at the hands of Italian partisans.

Scenes in contemporary New York are woven in, as the ageing veterans continue to struggle to come to terms with those bloody months in Europe.

Introducing an eight-minute preview of his film, Lee jokingly called the picture "David Lean in Italy" -- referring to the Academy Award-winning British dictator who made "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Bridge on the River Kwai".

Lee said the historical drama marked a departure from his best-known work, racially-charged dramatic comedies such as "Do The Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever".

"I've always wanted to do a World War II film highlighting the contribution that African-Americans made. One million black men and women participated in World War II," he told AFP.

"I also wanted to shoot a film in Italy and James McBride's great novel provided me with the material to make this happen."

Lee, who produces many of his own screenplays, left the writing this time to McBride. He said the film stood apart from the glut of World War II dramas made over the last two decades such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers".

"Steven Spielberg's a great filmmaker. I've always respected his work but this is totally different," he said.

"This is a very unique, epic, powerful, powerful film."

Lee said another novelty of the project was shooting several scenes entirely in Italian and German.

"I like to have my stuff authentic," he said.

"I don't want to do a film where Nazis are speaking perfect English. I don't do that."

The New York-based filmmaker said he had little trouble with the transition to working in Europe.

"Language is not a barrier at all. Coming into it I thought it would be but it wasn't," he said.

"We had a top-notch Italian crew, it was wonderful. We shot in Tuscany for three months, another month in Rome at Cinecitta, so this is basically an Italian film."

"Miracle at St. Anna" is being distributed in the United States by Disney Touchstone. Lee said he has already sold the French and Italian rights and that talks were underway at Cannes for wider distribution.

The film stars Laz Alonso with perennial Lee favourite John Tuturro and German beauty Alexandra Maria Lara, a member of the 2008 Cannes jury, in supporting roles

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (With Archives*) on:

Italia USA: www.ItaliaUSA.com * [Formerly Italy at St Louis]

Italia Mia: www.ItaliaMia.com *

 

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net