Spike Lee Clashes With Partisans
Director refuses to apologise. ANPI veterans to organise flyers protesting at film
Valerio Cappelli
30 settembre 2008
ROME – According to the partisans, Spike Lee didn’t Do the Right Thing. “His statements outrage us. He has made a film that does not depict the exact truth of what happened at Sant’Anna di Stazzema”. Yesterday evening, Giovanni Cipollini, vice president of the Pietrasanta branch of the partisan veterans’ association, ANPI, replied to the American director who had just said that partisans often ran away after attacks, leaving unarmed civilians to face reprisals from German troops on their own. He added: “As a director, I am not apologising for anything”. The director of Do the Right Thing hoped that this would end controversy over his film, Miracle at St. Anna, which 01 will release in 250 cinemas on Friday.
Tomorrow, ANPI will distribute flyers at the film’s premiere in Viareggio protesting at the “travesty of history and insult to the Resistance”. Representatives were unable to meet the author. ANPI had already accused the director of misrepresenting history by suggesting that the SS massacre of civilians at Stazzema was triggered by a partisan’s treachery. Actually, there are two massacres in the film, both provoked by partisans for different reasons. The traitor played by Sergio Albelli (“I never thought I was playing a baddy”) fails to give warning of the arrival of a German column and the hero, Pierfrancesco Favino fails to own up to the ambush, causing the massacre in the church on the ten-to-one principle: ten unarmed civilians for every soldier killed.
“If the film starts discussion about Italy’s past, it’s a good thing”, points out the director. “There are various interpretations of what happened but the fact is that on 12 August 1944, 560 Italian civilians, men, women, old and young, were massacred by the SS 16th division”. James McBride is the film’s screenwriter and author of the novel of the same name (published by Rizzoli in Italy): “I am very sorry if I have offended the partisans. But this is a fictional story that was born the day I entered the village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema. No one was talking about the massacre any more. It took a film and a novel, which is not a history book. I talk about the war through an incident that sets fathers and brothers at each others’ throats, and destroys friendships. It’s a story we blacks feel even more closely. We were part of the war and we have a right to write about it. It’s better to be talking about these things than the latest episode of Big Brother. Today, everyone’s a partisan. But back then, only a few were”. Spike Lee goes on: “The partisans weren’t loved by all Italians. After ambushes, they fled and hid in the mountains, leaving civilians to face the Germans’ reaction. I didn’t make anything up. It was Kesselring who invented the ten-to-one ratio”.
At the start of the film is an old clip of John Wayne, emblematic of the legend of the white soldier, marking out the difference with other films. Other Italians in the film are Omero Antonutti in the role of a Fascist and Valentina Cervi, who plays his daughter. Spike Lee’s anger is both his strength and his limitation. He responds to criticism in the United States, especially from Variety, that his film is a 144-minute long polemic in which the black soldiers are all good brothers treated like slaves by a country that doesn’t want them. “I’ve been doing this job for 23 years. I’m an artist who takes risks. I don’t slit my wrists or jump off the Empire State Building every time I get a poor review”.
6 comments:
I saw the movie and I thought it was great. From what I can tell, the movie was not about the massacre as much as it was about the African-American soldiers who were left out of this history when the story is told. I didn't see this movies accusing Italians, but showed the distasteful way in which the German soldiers slaughtered women and children. Yes it depicted "One" bad Italian, but the scene of the slaughter touched my heart and left me feeling even more resentment towards the Germans. I'm sure a lot of fiction was added to give a story (after all its just a movie).
I agree, this is typical, how another black person is going to "keep it real" and start changing history to suit their own needs. When is the last time you have seen any movie involving a black director or a black writer that somehow did not include some racial message about how they are constantly victimized by the evil Europeans and European Americans and how they are the root of all their problems. Come on guys, give it a rest already. I applaud the other writers who posted some truths about how the 92nd division. I am glad to see that people are brave enough or fed up enough to stand up and tell it like it is without worrying about the media backlash. Letting the original distorting of history in past movies from Spike Lee and others is what got us here in the first place. If a person or groups are allowed to cross a line they shouldn't and get away with it, they will continue to do so. If it was the other way around, rest assured they would be out in crowds all over comparing us to the KKK. There is a strong pride among the people in Italy and among the Italian people all over the world. We will not stand for these insults on our people we consider hero’s who gave their lives to fight for the cause. Nice try Spike, maybe you and your people need to start coming to grips with your history instead of changing everybody else’s. This just shows me you are a coward and you hide behind the media to protect you when you take a shot at another race. But as usual, it is the easy pickings and you know that nobody will do anything. Next time, if you are brave enough, why don’t you make a movie about radical Islam and see what they do.
I saw the movie and also thought it is a great film.
When I first learned of this movie several months ago, I looked up Sant’Anna di Stazzema. It was at this time that I learned of this great tragedy, one of several, during WWII. Because I did my research ahead of the movie's release, I didn't believe that a partisan was partly responsible for the death of so many at Sant’Anna di Stazzema. I knew it was the Nazis. I also know that not all Germans were Nazis.
I recognize that writers, directors, and producers often use "creative license" in telling their story. Because of this, I conduct my own research.
As a black woman, this movie reminded me not of the horrible atrocities people (all people) have experienced throughout history but how much we still face. It also gives me hope for the future for all people that we can continue to evolve.
While I can understand someone being upset that the film (which I have not seen) may have as the focus the small number of Black American soldiers, as opposed to the much larger tragedy of German military massacres, how is that Spike Lee's issue?
Spike Lee may be doing well, but I haven't heard yet that he has become a Billionaire. So he is spending his own money (and that of investors that have joined with him) to show the world an event that was horrific in nature but that Black soldiers had some part in discovering or maybe keeping from being completely hidden forever.
Where is the outrage at the hundreds or maybe even thousands in Italy and Germany that swept it under the rug? Why is it even an American who is bringing it to the screen for the world to remark on? Where are the Italian artists, actors, directors, producers, film financiers, even plain old Italian millionaires and billionaires? Are they all too busy not trying to rock some boat?
OK, forget the located in Italy Italians. Where are the American Italians in making their own film about any of the 20,000 civilians who died in the 1,500+ mass killings?
So what if he didn't get every detail right. He's not doing a documentary. And it would be completely wrong to think that such collaboration as he appears to show could have never happened. Disgusting things of that nature happen all the time, or even infiltrators can do the worst work.
Your outrage is warranted, but misdirected. Get over it. Or do your own film. As a final note, I don't even care much for Spike Lee, so I'm less defending him than his right to do his movie, his way. My apologies if you find that an offensive or unacceptable viewpoint.
Just to let you make your own opinion about the debate on Spike Lee's last film, here is the translation to English of the original letter written by partisan Didala Ghilarducci in Italian language: http://lindipendente.splinder.com/post/18593893/Open+letter+to+Spike+Lee
I read your blog with a heavy heart after seeing Spike Lee's beautiful film that was not only a tribute to black soldiers but a beautiful tribute to Italians. It is quite extraordinary to see the humanity of us all in the midst of the brutal war through Lee's eyes.
I can only think that you do not believe that blacks are worthy of your consideration. My belief is founded on our argument about how many blacks died during WWII and that most were non-combatants. Following that logic, then the deaths of civilations are not as important either even those massacre.
A loss of a life is a loss to us all no matter the circumstances.
Let me just that those black soldiers did not have to be there given the racism they faced in teh military in in their own country. They were fighting a war on two fronts. It is clear from your comments they are still fighting that war.
Look into your heart and soul...when you diminish the humanity of others you diminish your own.
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