Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)

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Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)

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Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas)

Benno Furmann, Daniel Brühl, Dany Boon, Diane Kruger, Gary Lewis

When war breaks out in the lull of summer 1914, it surprises and pulls millions of men in its wake. Christmas arrives, with its snow and multitude of family and army presents. But the surprise won't c...( read more  read more... )ome from inside the generous parcels which lie in the French, Scottish, and German trenches. That night, a momentous event will turn the destinies of four characters: an Anglican priest, a French lieutenant, an exceptional German tenor and the one he loves, a soprano and singing partner. During this Christmas Eve, the unthinkable happens: soldiers come out of their trenches, leaving their rifles behind to shake hands with the enemy.

Id: 10852087

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Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) Recent Reviews

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Recent Reviews

Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) Recent Reviews
  • ironclad1609
    December 25, 2008
    ironclad1609
    This is the true, although probably adjusted, story of a ceasefire near the French-German border in 1914, where soldiers of three nations stopped shooting to celebrate Christmas together. Being entirely neutral, the movie equally shares the three point of views from German, Frenc...( read more)h and Scottish characters, giving short glimpses at the terror of war in the beginning, but then concentrating on this incredible story of fragile friendship and peace amidst the chaos. The first steps of trust and agreement not to attack each other are very exciting and touching to witness. Thankfully the movie spares us most of the surely ugly aftermaths or an unnecessarily violent ending, which probably would have ruined the message of people searching for a way to get along even in the most unlikely situations. The fact that the commands of all three nations kept these happenings a secret for many years says enough, though. Good cinematography, great acting and a nice soundtrack together with a message of humanity make this one of the better Christmas movies, though.
  • EarthlyAlien
    December 24, 2008
    EarthlyAlien
    "Tonight, these men were drawn to that altar like it was a fire in the middle of winter. Even those who aren't devout came to warm themselves."

    ...( read more).photobucket.com/albums/w25/EarthlyAlien/jn.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

    Many have called Joyeux Noël manipulative or unrealistic... They always do. I call it inspirational, uplifting and mind-opening. The stuff that European co-productions are made of.

    The first accusation, of being manipulative or too unapologetically melodramatic, well... I suppose that depends on the point of view. As for the second, it can already be erased. Joyeux Noël is based on a true story, period. So, the "such things don't happen in the real world" complaint isn't valid. It already did.

    On Christmas of 1914, the Great War is raging in Northern France. French and Scottish troops fight the Germans side by side in the trenches, barely 100 metres across the freezing field. Men like Scottish Anglican priest, Palmer (Gary Lewis) and French Lieutenant Adebert (Guillaume Canet) on one side and cold German-Jewish Horstmayer (Daniel Brühl) and popular Berlin Opera tenor Sprink (Benno Fürmann), on the other. When Sprink and his girlfriend, the Danish soprano Anna (Diane Kruger), head to the Western front to sing for the soldiers in the German trench, true Christmas spirit happens: Sprink sings "Silent Night" with only a harmonica for melody when the Scotsmen's bagpipes start to accompany him, leaving the French stunned out of their minds. The three commanders meet to declare a one-day truce and all the soldiers come out to No Man's Land where they shake hands, drink French champagne, eat German chocolate, share stories and play football together. Then the next day day would go back to killing each other.

    Christian Carion is no Jean Renoir. Just like Joyeux Noël is no La Grande illusion. But Carion's film emanates everything Renoir stood for as a filmmaker and humanist: tolerance, warmth, humour, sympathetic characters and a passionate sense of justice. His script is simple and unpretentious. It doesn't point fingers at anyone. French, British and Germans are portrayed equally and his intention was never to preach about who was to blame for the war (except for the fat men who drank and smoked in their mansions while men died on the trenches, of course). Only to tell a story that deserved to be told from the moment it happened.

    More than a Christmas celebration, Joyeux Noël is an anti-war film. Its message is subtle, but sublime. There's nothing complex or loud about Carion's script or direction. He starts the film with a sequence of three children (a French, an English and a German) in their classrooms preaching their countries' hate for each other. That way, making us look at 10-year old kids saying barbarities like "we must exterminate that race, we must not leave a single one. Hear not, their children's cries. They slay all now, the women too," he makes us realize just how ridiculous all self-indulged hatred is between nations. WWI or present day speaking. We're all bloody human beings. It doesn't matter where we were born.

    The cast - an authentic gathering of some of Europe's finest, including Benno Fürmann, Daniel Brühl, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis and Diane Kruger - is uniformly good and plays an important role in the film's emotional power. Fürmann, with an inspirational performance, perhaps shines the most. I'm not exactly the most cheerful and optimistic person in the world when it comes to the so called "good" nature of Mankind, but I must admit that knowing Joyeux Noël's story really happened, even with its obvious adjustments, makes me a little, just a little more confident in the future of our race.

    This is a film that exemplifies both the best and the worst of Europe and that is destined to unite audiences across the continent and across the world and become a Christmas classic for years and generations to come. Take a look at this if you have the chance, you won't regret it.
  • TheMachinist
    October 10, 2008
    TheMachinist
    "Joyeux Noel" is truly an inspirational movie about war. Three different camps, two sides fighting against each other lay down their weapons during Christmas to celebrate the holiday.

    The men are trying to forget the war but unfortunately the war will not forget them. The way t...( read more)he nations "friendship" is set is heartwarming but in the end it feels kinda unrealistic.

    "Joyeux Noel" is almost a perfect Christmas movie. Don't expect any mind blowing war scenes ala "Saving Private Ryan".
  • RossCollinsUK
    March 10, 2008
    RossCollinsUK
    A Christmas like any other but this is 1914, and it's the first of the Great War for the soldiers serving in the trenches of the Western front. This an amusing, touching, true story of the spontaneous cease-fire on Christmas Eve where the French, Scottish and German sides put the...( read more) war behind them to celebrate Christmas, even playing a game of football. A great cross-cultural tale that focuses on the characters setting aside their national differences rather than being a typical war movie.
  • organgrinder136
    December 22, 2007
    organgrinder136
    one of the better christmas films i've seen so far this year. at least it reminds you of what christmas is all about, plus on a bonus side it reminds ya that everybody is the same no matter what job they have or how rich or poor they may be or infact which trench you're in. good ...( read more)direction from christian carion. thought it was interesting seeing that guy from eastenders in it who played the wifebeater... and seeing ian richardson act is a joy too even if it was only for 5 minutes as a badass priest!!
  • skygazing
    December 17, 2009
    skygazing
    So moving and heart-wrenching. I cried (a lot). Made me contemplate a lot of things - the tragedy of war, how different it is now, the pointlessness & blindness. It's not really a movie I would classify as a holiday film, but definitely worth watching.
  • kogrone
    November 23, 2009
    kogrone
    One of my fav Christmas movies that I watch anytime of the year.






    Based on a true story -
    One of my fav Christmas movies that I watch anytime of the year.
  • thisguyoverhere
    November 23, 2009
    thisguyoverhere
    French. German. Scots. Christmas!

    This Guy Over Here picks this as one of the best films of the 2000s
  • bgaffney
    November 9, 2009
    bgaffney
    This movie reminds me very much of "Paths of Glory" with Kirk Douglas. I served in the Marine Corps during Viet Nam and I am glad I did not see it during that period of my life. I had too much questioning in my own soul at that time.
  • soniachartray
    November 8, 2009
    soniachartray
    WOW! Quel beau film!
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