Alan writes – This is a very good movie and well worth seeing. Within it the futility of war and our shared humanity are shown as they contrasted with the power of music and Christian faith. In this movie, although at times a little over done, we see the essence of Christmas – Immanuel – God as one of us.
Below is a copy of the NZ Herald review of Joyeux Noel.
NZ Herald Review by Francesca Rudkin
“..It’s one of the more uplifting and heart-warming films on offer this Christmas.
Nominated as France's entry for Best Foreign Film at the 2006 Oscars, Joyeux Noel is based on a real event which took place in Northern France during World War I. . . . The story revolves around a magical moment when enemy soldiers come together on Christmas Eve, and for a brief moment, forget about the war.
From their bitterly cold trenches, French, Scottish and German soldiers start to prepare for the few festivities the war allows them. They are drawn together by each other's music and a truce is formed so they can bury their dead, share photos and stories, have a drink to celebrate Christmas.
The story is told from the perspective of many characters, but mostly through volunteer Gordon (Ferns), a Scottish Anglican priest; Nikolaus Sprink (Furmann), a highly regarded tenor from Berlin; and French Lieutenant Audebert (Canet), who is anxiously awaiting news on the birth of his first child.
Apart from some dodgy lip-syncing by Sprink and his lover (Kruger), each performance is perfectly weighed, drawing you into each soldier's experiences and the questions he faces - when will the truce end? What does the rest of the war hold for me?
Even though Joyeux Noel begins as a bleak reminder of the brutality of war and the ghastly consequences for those enduring it, it also turns out to be a charmingly amusing film. The situation is almost farcical as enemies unite and struggle to communicate with each other.
And the overwhelming impression director Carion leaves us with, is that the foreign enemy is not so foreign after all…”
My grandfather, who was drafted to serve in the German army, was one of the participants in the Christmas Truce of 1914. In his sector, the event began with an exchange of combat rations. Since the trenches were close enough to throw grenades at each other, during Christmas, one the "enemy" asked if the Germans wanted to trade food for cigarettes. Both sides ultimately climbed out of their trenches to celebrate Christmas, until the officers on both sides forced them to fight again. In Vietnam, after I had forced one of our enemy to lead us through one of their minefields, I let her go, to fight against us another day. Even in war, we must occasionally reflect on our common humanity, or we are not really human after all - whatever that term means!
Posted by: Wolfgangpmay | Sunday, 05 March 2006 at 08:20 AM