Summer of Sam
This film takes place in the summer of 1977 in New York City during the Son of Sam murders. The film focuses on the radically different cultures that make up New York, and how they deal with one another during a time where everyone was afraid to go out at night no matter who you were.
The film starts off rather abruptly after the .44 Caliber Killer has already made a name for himself. Characters are thoughtlessly thrown in our laps with little to no back story. We are simply witness to the mistrust, the fear, the paranoia. We don’t care about any of the characters, we aren’t even really given the chance to. With a jumbled mess of images intended for us to feel the madness that was taking over the streets of New York at the time, it fails to successfully act as that metaphor.
The actors all do a great job, in my opinion, given what they were working with. My biggest problem with the film was the lack of character development. The only two characters you really find out anything about are Vinny (John Leguizamo) and Dionna (Mira Sorvino). These are two people in a relationship that are being bombarded on all sides, eventually coming to a head in, what I consider, one of the only good scenes in the film. Richie (Adrien Brody) comes close to becoming a character with depth, but we aren’t given enough time with him. The rest of the characters are there to simply react to the fear that the Son of Sam has instilled in the city.
This film had potential, I thought, as fear is a very powerful motivation and will cause people to do all kinds of things. This mentality was hinted at briefly, more so at the end, but was not the focus of the film although it should have been. Spike Lee tries to graft themes in all of his films where they don’t need to be, and like a bad transplant, they are rejected.
Video
The film is presented in 1.85:1 1080p High Definition. The transfer looks really good. There is noticeable grain, and some of the colors are rather muted. Both of these things lend to an authentic 70’s feel as you’re watching it. It really is hard to believe this was made in 1999.
Audio
The sound is presented in 5.1 Master Audio DTS-HD and is phenomenal. Sounds are all very crisp and clear, taking full advantage of the surround sound with many sound effects, the best being the gunshots from the .44 Caliber Killer. There are some odd sound effects throughout the film if you pay close attention, which has nothing to do with the quality, but took me out of the film trying to understand what possibly could be happening off-screen.
The soundtrack is by far the best thing about this film. A lot of classic stuff for the period. That all changes, however, when the instrumentals pick up in some of the emotional scenes. Very overpowering, eye rolling, a terrible contrast between such a good music selection and a poor score.
Extras
New Commentary By Director Spike Lee and Actor John Leguizamo
Miracle at St. Anna
Miracle at St. Anna opens with a seemingly random act of violence as a man named Hector Negron (Laz Alonso) guns down an unarmed man. Through the investigation, a priceless artifact is discovered in his apartment. Through flashbacks we are told the story as we follow four African-American soldiers in World War II. We come to discover the identity of the man, the hardships these soldiers faced, and the lives they touched.
I have conflicted opinions about this film. There are some really strong sections of it. I particularly enjoy the beginning. He has set up a mystery that we want to know more about. Not only did this old man gun down another old man in a Post Office for no reason, he has a priceless artifact tucked away in a Macy’s bag in his apartment that has been missing since World War II. Immediately I am intrigued and want to know more.
The strongest parts of the film come from the bond that is formed between the soldiers and the citizens of the town, as well as the relationship between Angelo (Matteo Sciabordi) and Train (Omar Benson Miller). The conflict they have with each other, with their superiors, are all a strong theme as well as an important commentary on America and their views on African-Americans at the time.
The weakest parts of the film come when they try to take that theme and apply it to a much larger scale. We are shown many differing sides of the war. A civil war in Italy was raging. Through flashbacks within flashbacks (a mistake in itself), we see the tragedies that war brings. Political views shouldn’t matter is the message to take away. I agree of course, but this side story only takes away from the other themes being discussed. We are also shown the point of view of the Nazi’s. One particular high ranking Nazi shows more compassion toward the soldiers of Buffalo Company than any American officer. It’s at this scale the film becomes a bit convoluted in its theme.
Video
This film is presented in 2.35:1 1080p High Definition. A newer film, the transfer is exceptional. The colors are good, with a more earthy tone to them like most World War II films. No noticeable specks or any other problems.
Audio
This film also features 5.1 DTS-HDMA. The score is amazing, and reminds me a lot of Ennio Morricone’s score of Cinema Paradiso. As with any other war film, there is strong use of surrounds in the battle scenes, which all sound fantastic.
Extras
New Commentary By Director Spike Lee and Screenwriter James McBride
Deeds Not Words
This is an interesting round table discussion with a group of Veterans who fought in World War II. They briefly discuss their time with the service, and how African-Americans were treated by their own country as they fought and died for it.
The Buffalo Soldier Experience
This short documentary on the status of the African-American soldier during World War II I found to be more interesting than the film itself. You get a lot of information about all the difficulties they faced, and how the Buffalo Company was not considered a success in the history books.
Deleted Scenes
Overall
This is an odd pairing of films to be put into a set together, as both are vastly different types of films. Love him or hate him, Spike Lee always manages to inject social themes into his work, whether or not they are successful is one thing. The fact that it creates a dialogue at all means he is doing what he set out to do. He is passionate about his work, and in that aspect I respect the man.
If you’re a fan of Spike Lee, these films are treated well and worth having. Admittedly I would have liked to have more special features, especially on Summer of Sam. Watching the short documentary on Miracle at St. Anna made me appreciate the film a bit more I think.