This historical epic is most notable for its prescient casting of Roger Moore in a lead role. He’d been a featured actor for a decade by the time of this film’s release, but it predated his TV star turns in The Alaskans and The Saint that made him a household name before his Bond run. Here, he’s the love interest for top-billed Carroll Baker, sweeping her off her feet in his dashing redcoat uniform. Unfortunately, she’s a nun, leading to numerous complications.
Buy The Miracle Blu-rayBased on the title, one would naturally expect the plot to be driven by some fantastic event, but that’s not the case here. Instead, the miracle occurs late in the game and is fairly inconsequential, acting more like a bow on an already completed package than the plot impetus. The story revolves around the nun’s crisis of faith, as she forsakes the convent to follow her soldier, falling in with a stereotypical band of gypsies on a four-year mission to find her missing love. While she’s away, a Madonna statue mysteriously appears at her convent and symbolically takes her place, but that event really has no bearing on her own spiritual reawakening triggered by her rough road years.
Baker is simply too staid in her role, a boring choice who fails to make anything out of her character’s life-changing arc. Whether she’s in the convent, surrounded by raucous gypsies, or in the arms of her lover, her lack of reactions and monotone delivery fail to develop her character in any way. Thankfully, Moore is around with charisma to burn, although Baker’s lack of chemistry doesn’t give him much to work with in their joint scenes. Walter Slezak has a ball as the jovial head gypsy, cultural appropriation be damned.
On the upside, the film looks spectacular, with plenty of budget allocated to capture its Technirama vistas populated by tons of extras and some decent action sequences. The film also boasts an Elmer Bernstein score, upping its grand spectacle even if its soggy story fails to amount to much. The Blu-ray presents the film in 2.35:1 with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Colors are rich and fine detail is thoroughly represented, with no discernible flaws. The disc also includes a couple of classic Warner Bros. cartoons, as well as the original theatrical trailer.
It’s a miracle that a dreary historical epic about nuns, gypsies, and British soldiers was ever greenlit. While the results look impressive thanks to its big budget, the drowsy story and lackluster leading lady fail to engage, leaving its principal delights solely found in the form of young Roger Moore.
