Miracle at St. Anna
In 1983, Hector Negron, an aged Puerto Rican World War II veteran, works as a post office clerk in New York City. After recognizing a customer, Negron shoots and kills the man with a German Luger pistol. Several hours later, rookie reporter Tim Boyle and Detective Tony Ricci are at the crime scene seeking information. At Negron's apartment, Boyle, Ricci and other officers discover a finely carved statue head, the Head of the Primavera, a long missing segment from the Ponte Santa Trinita. Also found is a Purple Heart and a photograph revealing that Negron was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.
Negron, in a flashback tells of his war experiences as a young corporal of the segregated 92nd Infantry Division in 1944 Italy. A disastrous attack ensues on German positions across the Serchio River. An officer, Captain Nokes, calls down artillery on the 92nd's own position, refusing to believe their reports of how far they have advanced. Many American soldiers are killed, leaving Negron stranded on the wrong side of the river with three men: Staff Sergeant Aubrey Stamps, Sergeant Bishop Cummings, and Private Sam Train. Sam rescues an Italian boy named Angelo from a collapsing building, and discovers the Head of the Primavera, which Sam believes to carry magical powers. While traveling through the mountains of Tuscany, the soldiers enter a small village, where they form a bond with the residents. Sam grows especially fond of Angelo, becoming the boy's father figure. One Italian villager, Renata, soon becomes entangled in a love triangle with Stamps and Bishop, which creates conflict.
After Negron gets his damaged backpack radio working, the soldiers contact headquarters and are told to capture an enemy soldier. A local Partisan group arrives with a young German deserter, Hans Brundt, as their prisoner. Earlier, residents of the nearby village of Sant'Anna di Stazzema were killed by German forces following a betrayal by a Partisan, named Rodolfo, who knows that Brundt can identify him as the traitor. After concealing the fact that German forces are approaching the village in a counterattack, Rodolfo kills Brundt and the Partisan leader before escaping. It is Rodolfo whom Negron will kill 39 years later. Captain Nokes arrives in the village to interrogate Brundt and finds him dead. The Americans prepare to leave the village ahead of a German counterattack, but Sam refuses to leave Angelo behind. After promising to court-martial all four soldiers, Nokes and his contingent drive out of town, but he is killed in the opening German offensive.
The remaining American soldiers and Partisans fight the Germans. Sam is fatally wounded after being shot twice while carrying an unconscious Angelo and dies from his injuries. Bishop and Negron hold off the Germans while Stamps tries to move the villagers to safety, but they are too heavily outnumbered. Renata and Stamps are killed, and Bishop dies after successfully reviving Angelo. Negron, in the retreat, is shot in the back and is saved by the radio. After Angelo gives him the Head of the Primavera, Negron gives the boy his rosary and tells him to leave. Negron is spared by a disillusioned German officer who hands over his own Luger and tells Negron to defend himself. American soldiers arrive and secure the village before evacuating the wounded Negron and Angelo, the sole survivors of the German attack.
In 1984, Negron is the defendant in a court proceeding, facing a life sentence for his killing of Rodolfo. He is successfully defended by a powerful executive attorney acting on behalf of a wealthy man. Hector is brought to the Bahamas and is reunited with the Head of the Primavera, accompanied by its new owner who takes out a rosary and reveals himself as an adult Angelo. They both hold Hector's rosary and happily burst into tears.
revenge, murder, romantic, flashback