The Small Miracle

I saw this film in the UK when I was 7 and now in 2020 on the day that we rightly commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz I have watched it again. I urge every being that lives to watch this film, and never say yes to those who discriminate against any being that breathes. A donkey is equal to any so-called ' human ' being and it takes the love of a young boy in this film to prove it. Beautifully acted the film portrays those early years after WW2 in a gentle, if sometimes sentimental way. If a young boy ( and equally his young friend who loves his cat ) can do their best to cherish, and neither of them accept the obstacle of the word ' no ' which has so often in history been used as a verbal drawbridge against goodness, so can we. Cruelty and the dismissal of suffering and following those who accept both is inadmissible. It should be easy now after all these years of our living memory, but look at the world and see how hard it is to save and to love and to heal. And we do not need to be ' religious ' to believe in humanity. Maurice Cloche is not considered a particularly good director, but for this film we should truly thank him.

"Never Take No for an Answer" is based on the story "The Small Miracle" by Paul Gallico. The British-Italian co-production was called "Peppino e Violetta" in Italy. It is about an orphan boy named Peppino who lives in Assisi and who seeks permission from the pope to allow his ailing donkey (Violetta) into the crypt of Saint Francis in the hope of curing him. Much less schmaltzy than one would surmise, the film has some genuine pathos. It is certainly not of the same stature, of course, as another donkey film, "Au Hasard Balthasar" by Robert Bresson. This touching story was one of the few films actually allowed to be shot inside the Vatican. Vittorio Manunta is a remarkable trouper and is the same boy who played alongside Paul Muni in Joseph Losey's "Stranger on the Prowl." A remake of this movie is the one that circulated on American TV as "The Small Miracle." It was made in 1973 and featured Vittorio De Sica and Raf Vallone and was directed by Jeannot Szwarc. This IMDb entry is using, incorrectly, the title of that remake and spreading confusion elsewhere on the internet.

The original in Italian was entitled PEPPINO E VIOLETTA, the English-dubbed version going with two names: DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER and THE SMALL MIRACLE.

Needless to say, if you can get by with some Italian, that is the better, more naturalistic version, but, albeit somewhat stilted, the English-dubbed does no harm to this wonderful tale of love for all creation, animals included, which the Catholic Church saw for centuries as soul-less.

Seven-year-old Peppino (Vittorio Manunta) delivers a terrific performance as a child mature well beyond his years after losing his parents in recently ended WW II. Violetta, his donkey, is his family, and the purity and candor of his love for her shines from the first to the last frame.

Prepare a hanky, tears are sure to come to your eyes and, yes, Peppino manages to reach his goal through faith, perseverance, never accepting the refusals that he keeps getting as he labors to have Violetta cured of her breathing problems.

This film also affords you a unique opportunity to see the Vatican's museum, as Peppino runs from the Switzer guards much like Harry Lime fleeing his pursuers in THE THIRD MAN, with a very good use of light and shadow to boot.

You will find cinematographical flaws but good intentions drive this film and make it a must-see. 9/10.

Little Vittorio Manunta is cheated by the adults he does business with, but he has some good friends, like the priest and the American sergeant who still sends him packages from Brooklyn. His best friend is his donkey, Violetta, who helps him with his business. One day, however, Violetta falls ill. She may be dying. He asks to take his donkey into the church dedicated to Saint Francis, who loved all G*d's creatures. The rules are clear: only people can go in. The door through which he might bring the ailing beast was walled up a century and a half ago. He asks that it be torn down and is told that only the Pope can order it done. Remembering what his friend the sergeant told him, to never take no for an answer, he goes to the Vatican and asks to see the Pope.

Young Mr. Manunta is a charming young boy, and the unnamed jenny who plays Violetta is too. This tale of simple faith made me weep; far too many movies claim to be heartwarming, but are obviously calculated. I suppose this one was too, but the simplicity of story and character charmed me throughout.

I saw this film in the cinema when I was 8 years old. I am now 80. It made a deep impression on that little lad and he has never forgotten it, although he must have seen hundreds of films in the intervening years. At that age I could not form any judgement on the quality of the film making or the acting, but that doesn't matter at all. It was clearly of the first rank because that little film has stayed with me for over 70 years, and I only saw it once. If there were viewing lists for children as there are reading lists, Never Take No For An Answer would forever be at the top of mine.

I commend it to everyone.

Such a simple storey, yet such a powerful message.