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YIKES. This was 344,769 films at once.
I give it a solid grade of:
C (possibly C+)
This film was Exhibit A for:
-Why you shouldn't ever try to include everything from the book. This film was partly a story of a black regiment and their plight, part 'Pan's Labrynith' mystical tale, part WW2 story, and ended up being none of them. The individual themes were done well at times, but together came across as clumsy and awkward.
The problem, of course, is that no one has ever told a story of black soldiers in WW2 before, and so Spike was burdened with *having* to tell the race story. Because he didn't have proper time, he had to force it into dialogue, and it didn't have a very organic feel.
Ideally, someone would have made a film with black soldiers in WW2 a long time ago, so Spike could have been more understated with his race commentary, and could have instead focused on all the spiritual mysticism shit(which had potential).
-Exhibit A for Why you shouldn't change your filmmaking style to fit what you think the public needs:
Spike specializes in being understated, with his understated, ambiguous endings. He changed that here because he didn't want to be criticized for inserting too many Spike Lee-isms into the film. Problem was, a classic Spike Lee ending would have been ideal here, because the Steven Spielberg ET bullshit he went with was a HUGE miss and took half a grade off my final score.
-But the basic problem is what I mentioned first:
Too much to do in this film. To be honest, this film could have had nothing to do with race at all and still been an interesting WW2 film -- that's how compelling all the mysticism is, as is the Italian angle. It was shot beautifully and the Italian stuff was directed quite well. Oddly, the Italian interactions were more Organic than the interactions between black soldiers...and the Italian acting was better too, overall...not because the actors were more talented(that *was* a talented black cast, save Train character) but instead because less was asked of them, and the interactions were less forced.
Having to fit in the race angle(understandable and important) was just TOO MUCH for ANY FILMMAKER to tackle.
In my opinion, a black WW2 story should have a VERY SIMPLE PREMISE, whereby you can then develop characters and their interactions and their history.
Take 'Saving Private Ryan' -- that premise was *very* SIMPLE:
*very*
The entire story became ABOUT THE GROUP, how they INTERACTED, and their BATTLES.
That is the ideal setting in which to explore sub themes like the race of the soldiers.
A film like 'Saving Private Ryan', which was not burdened with having to tell any kind of enriching story about the soldiers, would have flopped with a mysticism angle. And SPR was STILL over 2 hours long.
That's the kind of story needed to APPROPRIATELY explore race.
Not this 'Pan's Labrynith' mysticism bullshit.
It was just too much. Waaay too much.
Way, way, waaaaay too much.
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O_E: Your Super-Ego's Favorite Poster.
"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."
(C)Keith Murray, "Cosmic Slop"
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