Lee's Italian WWII movie

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Spike Lee's untitled World War II drama, based on James McBride's "Miracle at St. Anna", is apparently going to play like an American riff on Rachid Bouchareb's Days of Glory (i.e., Indigenes), the 2006 war film about French-speaking North Africans fighting for the French during World War II and dealing with prejudice in the ranks.

This is definitely the kind of topography you want to shoot a World War II film upon (i.e., taken by myself in an area south of Volterra in 2003)

Lee said during a recent Rome press conference to announce his film that "if you look at the history of Hollywood, the black soldiers who fought World War II are totally invisible," adding that the film would be about the "paradox" of "black people who were fighting for democracy but at the same time were second class citizens at home."

Lee will begin shooting the film early next year at Rome's Cinecitta Studios, in Italy's Tuscany region -- nice! -- and in New York City.

An Amazon synopsis for McBride's book suggests it's also going to be a bit like Sydney Pollack's Castle Keep: "Miracle at St. Anna vividly follows four of the U.S. Army's 92nd Division of all-black buffalo soldiers as they become trapped between forces beyond their control and between worlds. Three of the soldiers have bolted behind enemy lines to rescue their comrade, the colossal, but simple Private Sam Train." (Who could Lee have in mind for this role, I wonder?)

"They find themselves stranded between worlds in a remote central Italian village, with the German Army hidden on one side and their racist and largely mismanaged American commanding officers on the other. The strange world of the village floats between myth and reality, where belief in magic coexists with the most horrific acts of war. In the melee that opens the book, Train suddenly comes to believe he can turn invisible, the local miser believes he is cursed with a wealth of rabbits, and each of the other soldiers also exists in a mythical world of his own. But they are all about to be shattered by the Miracle."

"Magical", "myth and reality", a psychologically confused soldier who thinks he's "invisible", a miracle"? If Lee's movie turns out to be half as fantasy-driven and airy-fairy as this synopsis suggests, it's going to suck eggs. Mix in the fanciful stuff with Lee making a point about the military treating the Buffalo Soldiers like shit...forget it. Too much in the pot.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 3, 2007 at 1:11 PM

comment #1

Brian says ...

(Who could Lee have in mind for this role, I wonder?)

Cuba Gooding Jr?

Posted by Brian at July 3, 2007 1:50 PM

comment #2

Wrecktum says ...

Does Lee even know how to do fantasy and whimsy? Seems like work for another director.

Posted by Wrecktum at July 3, 2007 1:57 PM

comment #3

NYCritic says ...

This may explain why Spike is going to direct a revival of STALAG 17 (with Clive Owen) on Broadway first.

Posted by NYCritic at July 3, 2007 2:16 PM

comment #4

Gabriel says ...

The "colossal" in "colossal, but simple" leads me to believe Jeff was suggesting that Michael Clark Duncan will take this role. Which (and I think this was the point) would mark the 217th time that Duncan has played such a part.

Posted by Gabriel at July 3, 2007 3:41 PM

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

As long as Chiwitel Ejiofor is involved somehow, I'm there.

Posted by BurmaShave at July 3, 2007 3:51 PM

comment #6

StewartforPresident says ...

I personally can't wait to see Spike playing the black equivalent of Ernie Pyle.

Posted by StewartforPresident at July 3, 2007 4:06 PM

comment #7

erniesouchak says ...

This sounds dangerous for a number of reasons. Can't Lee pontificate adequately in NYC on a lower budget?

Posted by erniesouchak at July 3, 2007 4:25 PM

comment #8

corey3rd says ...

When the troops storm the beach, Spike will have them all step up on a dolly and he'll have them pulled to the front lines.

Posted by corey3rd at July 3, 2007 6:06 PM

comment #9

Rod32303 says ...

The book is fucking awesome. The "magical" element totally makes sense and is a bit shocking - read it, or shut up - the Amazon description is shite (do people who write these things READ the books?).

As the grandchild of a WWII vet, and the son of a Vietnam vet, I am glad that Lee is excited about doing this film. Bummed me out that in Eastwood's and Speilberg's (not counting the doofus in "1941") and Malick's epics, argurably some of the best made, we (black men) are no where, though I know the military was segregated.

And I thought Lee did "mystery/thriller" pretty well in "Inside Man," so good for him for stretching.

Posted by Rod32303 at July 3, 2007 9:31 PM

comment #10

malibugigolo says ...

Yaphet Kotto grab your boots!

Posted by malibugigolo at July 3, 2007 9:41 PM

comment #11

Arizona Joe says ...

Fantasy and whimsy? Lee must have been given some Mexican Camels from the newest NY Knick, Zack Randolph.

"Inside Man" was way too long, a misuse of a good cast, and not too much fun to watch with the demeaning psychological torture. It had a crummy pace, like the director was out of his element.

Spike is wrong about Isiah, too.

Posted by Arizona Joe at July 3, 2007 9:59 PM

comment #12