Joyeux Noël (2005)

Director:

Christian Carion

Writer:

Christian Carion (written by)

Release Date:

9 November 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance | War

Tagline:

Without an enemy there can be no war.

Plot:

On Christmas Eve during world War I, the Germans, French, and Scottish are trying to make peace, so they bury their dead and play football.

Plot Keywords:

German | Scottish | French | Truce | Lieutenant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Diane Kruger	...	Anna Sörensen (as Diane Krüger)
Natalie Dessay	...	Anna Sörensen (singing voice)
Benno Fürmann	...	Nikolaus Sprink
Rolando Villazón	...	Nikolaus Sprink (singing voice) (as Rolando Villazon)
Guillaume Canet	...	Audebert
Gary Lewis	...	Palmer
Dany Boon	...	Ponchel
Daniel Brühl	...	Horstmayer
Lucas Belvaux	...	Gueusselin
Alex Ferns	...	Gordon
Steven Robertson	...	Jonathan
Frank Witter	...	Jörg
Bernard Le Coq	...	Le général
Ian Richardson	...	L'évêque
Thomas Schmauser	...	Le Kronprinz

Also Known As:

Merry Christmas (UK) (USA)
Happy Christmas (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for some war violence and a brief scene of sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

France | Germany | UK | Belgium | Romania

Language:

French | German | English | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:M | Ireland:12A | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Norway:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Finland:K-11 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating on appeal) | Malaysia:(Banned) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 | USA:R (originial rating) | UK:12 (video release) | UK:12A (theatrical release) | Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

France

Company:

Nord-Ouest Productions

Trivia:

This film is dedicated to all the soldiers who fought at various places on the front during Christmas 1914.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the soldiers leave on the train there are still leaves on the trees - although there's been a winter with snow before then.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Enfant francais: Child, upon these maps do heed This black stain to be effaced Omitting it, you would proceed Yet better it in red to trace Later, whatever may come to pass Promise there to go you must To fetch the children of Alsace Reaching out their arms to us May in our fondest France Hope's green saplings to branch And in you, dear child, flower Grow, grow, France awaits its hour.
Enfant anglais: To rid the map of every trace Of Germany and of the Hun We must exterminate that race We must not leave a single one Heed not their children's cries Best slay all now, the women, too Or else someday again they'll rise Which if they're dead, they cannot do.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht

Powerful and must see

A truly powerful and must see film about the futility of war.

It depicts that whatever those in power would have us believe there are more similarities between various nationalities than differences.

Wonderful performances by many little known actors.

First class cinematography and other production values.

Illustrates that there can be no war if if if you have no enemy. It is impossible to kill a man with whom you have shared drinks and stories and grown to like

Wonderful music and singing as those who have suffered and fought each other in the trenches slowly gather to mark Christmas Eve by drinking and talking with each other, swapping addresses, singing Christmas carols common to all three nations (Germany, France and Scotland), burying frozen corpses and playing soccer together.

Not perfectly historically accurate but very close to an actual incident, A vivid illustration of the foolishness of war. While some have laid the blame at the feet it is clear that the primary blame lays with those who order others to go to war while safely enjoying the better of things far from the trenches