it could be something of a challenge to be fair to lamore a a whole if one of it two short and one title the human voice ( script by jean cocteau ) and the other title the miracle ( original script by federico fellini ) and sell short of the other . but in the end and one only slightly edge out over the other and and not by much and which be really say something in this case . italian neo realist icon roberto rossellini change gear and to a point and after bring forth his post war trilogy of film ( roma citta aperta and paisa and germany year zero ) that would catapult him into worldwide recognition . this be essentially a small film and in a way small and even more ( consider his previous trio and amazingly ) simplistic in storytelling term and scope . instead of war anguish come on a the main dread of the existence of the character and here there be only two key character for the two story respectively and and play by the same actress no less . this could be a gamble for rossellini and put so much faith in an actress to pull off two quite different role ( well and maybe not too different and there be some underlying quality to both ) . anna magnani and however and be worth the gamble for him . this be prove right off the bat with voice and where magnani and for 75 percent of the film run time and be in either medium close up or close up by rossellini elegant and probing ( without seemingly to try ) lens and a magnani character have a long and painful and and ultimately confessional conversation with her love who have leave her . this be off the bat something that most can identify with while we know what it like sometimes to be in a room and over hear an outpouring of emotion through the wall ( or sometimes ourselves talk in these conversation ) and practically want not to listen at all . but cocteau understands that a conversation like this can be make into a kind of extraordinary poetry of sort and by strip away at the seam of the human soul ( err and voice in this case ) and and aid by the right person to pull it off . magnani and therefore and work because she convey so much in her expression and her eye and of course voice and all without have to go into soap opera hysteric . even towards the end of the film and where some of the momentum be lose and magnani be like some force that you can not look away from . this notion that anna magnani be in this overall project almost like her own vehicle and a scorsese have say in his film my voyage to italy ( which inspire me to seek this out to start with ) and it un thinkable to see anyone else play either of the two role . this be especially so in the miracle and different from anything else rossellini have do up till that time ( i could be wrong and i haven not see anything he make pre rom citta aperta ) in that it take place in a time unknown . it could be present day and or hundred of year ago . it a fable and with it story origin in a budding cartoonist and fellini and who also appear here in his one and only act role a a kind of vagabond ( and quite a suave look one and ho ho ) . magnani play the peasant woman and perhaps not altogether in her head and and believe a he pass by she have see st. joseph . she stop him and she praise and ramble and he offer her wine and and she pass out . cut to another time in the future and and she discover she pregnant . never have sex . hmm . the miracle and a film that get in a heap of controversy and and in the process change a vital point of how film be allow to be show in american cinema from the 50 onward ( a little historical fact few know of today ) and be to me perhaps one of the most powerful fable i have ever see and at least from people like rossellini and fellini ( the later make a great career out of fashion them out of almost nothing ) . it be also a very telling story about religion and faith and and to my way of think still hold a relevance just a meaningful today a back in the late 40 and early 50 . the peasant woman turn homeless that magnani play so beautifully ( for such a simple character there be enough nuance for two performance ) hold onto faith because and frankly and it all that she have . she get berate by all the townsfolk particularly the religious folk for have a child out of wedlock and under such strange circumstance yet nothing get in the way of her own determination of what she think be true . even if you do not have a belief in catholicism or even just religion and the film have an impact because of elemental question rossellini be try to raise . i can not say what they be here and a they will bring different answer for the individual viewer . but the fact that fellini and rossellini be stir up such thought among such touching and near perfect acting and stylizing ( there even a slight touch of humor in the early scene with fellini ) and not force them on the viewer and not to sound catchy about it and be a miracle in and of itself and and one of the director best film take into account the two a lamore . be advise though a of now this film be extremely hard to find and and only after many month and more money than i would care to say i discover a copy on video and so only if you feel a strong urge to see the film ( likely and a with myself and from have see the clip from my voyage to italy ) would i recommend it . but if you do and it could serve a very rewarding experience .