Joyeux Noel/Merry Christmas

This post is from June at Schimelpfenig Library:

  

Joyeux Noel/ Merry Christmas (2005) directed by Christian Carion

Christmas Eve, 1914–the world is at war yet in the middle of a battlefield a Christmas miracles happens.  In a spirit of true brotherhood, Scottish, French, and German troops lay down their arms in order to celebrate the great feast of Christmas.

Joyeux Noel is based on a true story and is one that touched my heart.  It made me question yet one more time both the inanity and the brutality of war.

One can almost see into the minds and hearts of these soldiers who, on the day after Christmas, are required to pick up their weapons and point them at each other in order to maim and kill one another.  It makes one question if there really is such thing as a ‘just war’ or, are power, prestige, and money the real driving forces behind all war?

Joyeux Noel was a nominee for Best Foreign film and also a Golden Globe nominee.  If you have only a select number of films to see, put this one on your list.  I doubt you will be disappointed.