More Than a Miracle (1967)

just watch it!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

As an admirer of the Italian neo-realist film director Francesco Rosi, I was delighted when a friend mentioned that he'd obtained a copy of Rosi's long forgotten film, "More Than A Miracle." Released in 1967, it only lasted for a couple of weeks (which explains why I missed seeing it back then), before quickly disappearing from sight. Now, forty-five years later, I finally sat down to watch it. I knew that "More Than A Miracle" was a fairy tale set in 17th. Century Spain. And that it starred Omar Sharif as Prince Ramon and Sophia Loren as the peasant girl, Isabella who the Prince falls in love with. I'm not a huge fan of fairy tales. However, as this was a Francesco Rosi film, I figured it would be a cut above films tackling similar subject matter. Prince Ramon has refused to choose a bride from the seven marriageable princesses whom his mother has selected as most deserving of becoming his wife. Out on his horse he comes across a monastery, and meets friar Brother Joseph who amuses the local children by leaping into the air and flying about the countryside. The friar presents the Prince with a donkey and a bag of flour and instructs him to search for a woman who will make him seven dumplings. Despite trying to remain 'engaged' with the film, I soon found myself checking how long still had to run. Seeing a peasant girl picking vegetables, he orders her to make seven dumplings from the bag of flour he gives her. Which she dutifully does, but overcome by hunger, she eats the seventh dumpling. To punish her for her disobedience, the Prince feigns death and then disappears. While I understood that it was after all just a fairy tale, my attention was beginning to wander. I must have dozed off, as I was woken up by a sharp poke in the ribs from my wife. On the TV, Isabella was being rescued from a wooden barrel by a group of street urchins. By then, Francesco Rosi or no Francesco Rosi, I'd had enough and went to bed. Next morning, my wife insisted on telling me how it all ended. Apparently, Isabella ended up marrying the Prince and they both lived happily ever after. Born in 1922, Francesco Rosi directed some of the finest neo-realist films to come out of Italy. Such classics as "Hands Over The City", Salvatore Guiliano", "Moment of Truth" and "The Mattei Affair" Those alone elevate him to the Pantheon of Italian film directors. To me, "More Than A Miracle" was just a "glitch" and in no way detracts from his reputation as a great film director.

The first several minutes of this film consist of a syrupy song performed by Roger Miller's orchestra and Singers while blurry 60's visual effects light the screen. Remaining viewers then spy Sharif, a Spanish prince, taming a wild white stallion as his mother screams at him that it's time to get married. When he thinks he's broken the horse, he takes off riding, but soon discovers that his job wasn't fully completed. He stumbles upon a flying monk (perhaps an ancestor of Sally Field?) who gives him a sack of flour, telling him that whichever woman bakes seven dumplings out of it that Sharif is unable to fully eat, will be the correct wife for him. When Sharif finds his horse, it has been commandeered by curvy peasant Loren, who is persuaded to bake him the dumplings. What follows is a lengthy game of give-and-take, hit-and-miss and misunderstanding as this couple attempts to discover if they are in fact meant to be together. Some of it, including a notably vivid dish-washing scene, is rather captivating. Some of it, like the endless segues into various locales and with various townsfolk, is pretty dull, sometimes even annoying, as with the ancient witch (and her coven) who aligns herself with Loren. One highly remarkable scene, however, is one in which thousands of eggs are simultaneously hatched, revealing an army of little yellow chicks. This impressive scene alone makes the film worth a glance. Others may check in to see Sharif at his peak and Loren close to hers. Unfortunately, the couple's love seems to come from a mandate in the script versus any organic chemistry between the two. It remains to be seen why Loren would have such a yen for a man who would soundly strike a woman hard across the face, but maybe times were different then. Del Rio makes one of her very last appearances as Sharif's mother and adds the touch of authoritative glamour needed for the part. Many other parts are ably acted, but intrusively dubbed into English. Witch Liotti's voice is actually painful to listen to. One of the chief assets is the roaming countryside and the use of rich and authentic looking locations. There are also some eye-popping costumes displayed by a bevy of eligible princesses who long to be chosen by Sharif. It's a fractured fairy tale that may appeal to fans of the stars, but otherwise comes off as disjointed and even a little humiliating.

I only saw the last half hour of this movie on the Turner Classic Movie (TCM) channel on cable one early morning last month and incidentally, was the climax of the movie. I was immediately pulled by the beauty of Sophia Loren as she competes with the other princesses in the dishwashing contest. That scene alone is a classic! I've never seen quite like it before. Too bad the movie is not available on VHS or DVD because I sure would love to own this one. Considering that I am not familiar of Sophia Loren and her movies (she peaked before my time), it is amazing to see how ravishing she looked! She joins the ranks of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, for me, as the most beautiful women on the silver screen.

When our romantic charming Prince (Omar Sharif) puts his eyes on our delicious merry heroine Isabella (Sophia Loren), he thought about the amusing dish-washing contest and decided to make her part in the competition for the would-be royal brides...Isabella, the peasant girl, could be the fastest in the field... For her, washing dishes without breaking anyone, is very easy...But our Cinderella fails... and is eliminated from the contest for breaking too many dishes..Taken by surprise, the Prince is astonished and deceived... Isabella, humiliated and with all her dreams dispersed, runs away, all sad...Brother Joseph De Copertino (Leslie French) comes to her rescue and reveals to her that she was cheated...Feeling blessed and lucky, Isabella returns to the palace to demonstrate to her Prince that she was tricked...If you need a sumptuous look to a fairy story, starting off as 'Once upon a time...' and you want to see pretty girls, witches and flying monks, plus a glamorous Sophia hidden in a barrel... Well, don't hesitate to see "More Than A Miracle"!