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Arye Gross, Ethan Hawke, Frank Whaley

William Wharton's autobiographical novel of World War II becomes a moving portrait of war's madness in the microcosm of a small intelligence patrol on the German front in 1944. The unit, composed of ...( read more  read more... )high IQ soldiers, is sent to scout ahead. They discover a small platoon of Germans hiding in the forest, but these soldiers would rather fight with snowballs than guns and exchange Christmas presents instead of mortar fire. The young, rather unsoldierly Americans are offered the opportunity to "capture" the Germans without a fight--until a fatal misunderstanding plunges their efforts into tragedy. Director Keith Gordon, who also penned the screenplay, creates an unusually eloquent, offbeat platoon drama shot amidst the tranquil beauty of a snow-covered forest. His excellent cast includes future stars Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise, with Frank Whaley, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross, and Peter Berg rounding out the platoon. Though little seen upon its 1992 release, this moving drama received high praise for its vivid characters and delicately wrought imagery and remains one of the most powerful pacifist dramas of the post-war era. --Sean Axmaker

Flixster Users

83% liked it

2,692 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

24 critics

R, 107 min.

Directed by: Keith Gordon

Release Date: April 24, 1992

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DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002

Stats: 119 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (119)

  • threefolddado
    June 1, 2008
    threefolddado
    Captivating little war film. With a great cast.
  • skotjay
    November 23, 2009
    skotjay
    One of my favorite Christmas movies, please watch this during the holiday season if you get the chance.
  • ahhh1989
    October 27, 2009
    ahhh1989
    The ultimate war film. Imagine Kurt Vonnegut crossed with All Quiet on the Western Front.
  • FlyingSolo2009
    August 5, 2009
    FlyingSolo2009
    I think that I can pass on this one.
  • Ghw12158
    September 15, 2008
    Ghw12158
    great movie all star cast
  • sxcjaydo
    July 10, 2008
    sxcjaydo
    this is a really good movie!
  • trinsec
    May 28, 2008
    trinsec
    Pretty good WWII flick which holds the suspension pretty well.
  • MECreviews
    March 24, 2008
    MECreviews
    Could have been a lot better.
  • levelboss15
    March 2, 2008
    levelboss15
    Tragic masterpiece. Very fun to watch on Christmas with your family... if you're a masochist!
  • rhec1
    February 11, 2008
    rhec1
    a drama with the war behind it..
    why everything is always about a sacrifice?

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Critic Reviews

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

...It's a good film, and Gordon is uncanny in the way he suggests the eerie forest mysteries that permeate all of the action. full review

View more A Midnight Clear reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • MorpheusOne
    September 19, 2007
    MorpheusOne
    A rare movie, that has the title of "character driven story", so very much so that this movie is the very definition of it!
  • mattmartinez11
    August 29, 2007
    mattmartinez11
    I'd check this out if Sony would pull their heads out of their asses and release a widescreen version.
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  • What actor appeared in Back to School (1986) and later went on to become a respected director whose titles include A Midnight Clear, Waking the Dead and The Singing Detective?  Answer »
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