Don’t you just love it when you watch something that gives you lots of “gee, I didn’t know that” moments?
Unless you’re from the area, you may have never heard of the place this documentary calls “America’s Last Little Italy.” Most of what we do know seems to be through the lens of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, is the award-winning documentary about St. Louis’ venerable Italian neighborhood – a thriving, historical district that is the very definition of “tight knit.”
The Hill was founded by Italian immigrants in the late 1800s. Of the many “talking heads” who appear in the film – several are historians, tour guides and academicians. They are able to fill in the historical and cultural points, while a cadre of “old-timers” recount everything from the smell of Sunday dinner emanating from a block of households, to what it was like playing neighborhood baseball with a couple of guys called Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola.
One might normally wish for more archival footage and fewer talking heads, but these folks are like proper characters in a play – their creaky voices and lined faces tell us that when they speak of the old days, they’re speaking from personal experience. While it may not be surprising to know that the church (Catholic, of course) played an important role in the community, one interesting revelation is that the Monsignor influenced everything from when a homeowner should mow his lawn, to whether a highway should be built as an overpass to keep from separating the neighborhood. That’s a lot of pull in both cases.
Much larger than other Little Italys, The Hill encompasses some 52 square-blocks. While the most popular Little Italys across America have lost their ethnic identity, according to the filmmakers, The Hill remains an actual Italian neighborhood, not just one street of tourist attraction restaurants and shops. In fact, there is almost a subtext – it’s not said out loud in so many words, but one does wonder if “others” have somehow been kept out so that the Italian identity doesn’t get the least bit diluted. It’s just a question I have. One of the on-camera commentators says, “look at Little Italy in New York City now- it’s Chinatown!”
“In calling the documentary, America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill, we prepared for some push back – but time and time again, people were thrilled to learn that a neighborhood like The Hill still exists,” said director/producer Joseph Puleo. “We have a feeling that when people actually sit down and watch the film, in the end, they will agree. The Hill truly is America’s Last Little Italy.”
An hour ago I could tell you everything I knew about St. Louis in three sentences. Now, I can tell you about a whole district that I’d love to visit, if only for Sunday dinner.
America’s Last Little Italy: The Hill is available to rent or own: Amazon – DVD – IMDb
Reviewed by Kyle Osborne 3 out of 4 stars
