Hidden Movie Gem: “Joyeux Noel”

Here is a Hidden Movie Gem courtesy of Aurélien Lainé.

Movie Title: Joyeux Noel

Year: (2005)

Writer and Director: Christian Carion

Lead Actors: Diane Kruger, Benno Fürmann, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis, Dany Boon, Daniel Brühl.

Plot Summary: On Christmas Eve during world War I, the Germans, French, and Scottish soldiers fraternize and get to know the men who live on the opposite side of a brutal war, in what became a true lesson of humanity.

War is an inhuman act driven by human beings. News report the death toll, the tactics, the politics, but we forget that in the heart of the mess and agony are human beings trying to survive. Part of the French school cursus is the study of World War I and II. We watch videos of bombs dropping from planes, hear historical speeches and are taught about the camps and the horror.

Things that we never get to hear, are these highly humane moments, these high acts of treason which let us all qualify as a human species.

Enter “Joyeux Noel”, a film which depicts a night when soldiers decided to take a break from the war and spend time together, no matter their homeland, the language they speak and the loyalty they carry.

Why I think this movie is a gem: Because of the way it was written. The entire story was developed from a gathering of letters sent to the producers by families of soldiers who fought in World War I. Everything in the film actually happened in a way or another during the war in France: the soccer game, the midnight mess, the exchange of gifts and the cat moving from a trench to another. Researching on the subject, I was amazed to discover that these events were not only real but actually common during the war. Letters from French soldiers would often mention how they would think about the German soldiers as brothers on different sides of the war- all humans with a different flag. They understood each other.

My Favorite Moments in the Movie: Comes into ACT II, on the turning point, when the singer on the German side sings “Silent Night” for the German soldiers. The Scottish side follows and when the song comes to a close: applause. Music and feelings are an amazing way to connect people together, especially people who never asked to be enemies in the first place.

My Favorite Dialogue in the Movie: Carries both the weight and the humanity of the war in a single humorous line:

Horstmayer: I heard last night about your wife. If you like, I can get a letter through to her.
Lieutenant Audebert: Why would you do that? If you got caught…
Horstmayer: [scoffs] One letter won’t stop us winning the war. And anyhow, when we’ll have taken Paris and it’s over, you can invite us for a drink in Rue Vavin.
Lieutenant Audebert: You don’t have to invade Paris to drop round for a drink.

It doesn’t take just a good soul to create a truce in a war. I see it more like a puzzle that magically comes together at some point in time. However, as readers of the GITS blog, we all know that this magic is fabricated through plot, sub-plots, characters and back-story. Try and see the pieces and look at how they all come together to create this magical night.

Movie Trailer:

Aurélien Lainé is an independent producer and is currently leading a crowdfunding event for “Sedae — A Documentary about South Korea”. Check it out here.

Thanks, Aurélien! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

Tomorrow: Another Hidden Movie Gem!

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