Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Joyeux Noel

Original title: Joyeux Noël
  • 2005
  • PG-13
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
31K
YOUR RATING
Daniel Brühl, Guillaume Canet, and Alex Ferns in Joyeux Noel (2005)
Watch Bande-Annonce [VO]
Play trailer2:03
4 Videos
78 Photos
DramaHistoryMusic

In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other's way of life.In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other's way of life.In December 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce on the Western Front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the First World War to gain insight into each other's way of life.

  • Director
    • Christian Carion
  • Writer
    • Christian Carion
  • Stars
    • Diane Kruger
    • Benno Fürmann
    • Guillaume Canet
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    31K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Christian Carion
    • Writer
      • Christian Carion
    • Stars
      • Diane Kruger
      • Benno Fürmann
      • Guillaume Canet
    • 170User reviews
    • 125Critic reviews
    • 70Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos4

    Bande-Annonce [VO]
    Trailer 2:03
    Watch Bande-Annonce [VO]
    Joyeux Noël
    Trailer 1:51
    Watch Joyeux Noël
    Holiday Films and Series From Across the Globe
    Clip 2:02
    Watch Holiday Films and Series From Across the Globe
    10 Top-Rated Holiday Classics to Stream Now
    Clip 2:15
    Watch 10 Top-Rated Holiday Classics to Stream Now

    Photos78

    Gary Lewis in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Dany Boon in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Gary Lewis in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Gary Lewis in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Daniel Brühl, Guillaume Canet, and Alex Ferns in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Guillaume Canet in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Daniel Brühl in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Daniel Brühl and Benno Fürmann in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Daniel Brühl, Benno Fürmann, and Diane Kruger in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Benno Fürmann and Diane Kruger in Joyeux Noel (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Diane Kruger
    Diane Kruger
    • Anna Sörensen
    • (as Diane Krüger)
    Benno Fürmann
    Benno Fürmann
    • Nikolaus Sprink
    Guillaume Canet
    Guillaume Canet
    • Le lieutenant Audebert
    Natalie Dessay
    Natalie Dessay
    • Anna Sörensen
    • (singing voice)
    Rolando Villazón
    Rolando Villazón
    • Nikolaus Sprink
    • (singing voice)
    • (as Rolando Villazon)
    Gary Lewis
    Gary Lewis
    • le pasteur Palmer
    Dany Boon
    Dany Boon
    • Ponchel
    Daniel Brühl
    Daniel Brühl
    • le lieutenant Horstmayer
    Lucas Belvaux
    Lucas Belvaux
    • Gueusselin
    Alex Ferns
    Alex Ferns
    • Le lieutenant Gordon
    Steven Robertson
    Steven Robertson
    • Jonathan
    Frank Witter
    Frank Witter
    • Jörg - un soldat allemand
    Bernard Le Coq
    • Le général Audebert
    Ian Richardson
    Ian Richardson
    • L'évêque anglais
    Thomas Schmauser
    Thomas Schmauser
    • Le Kronprinz
    Joachim Bißmeier
    Joachim Bißmeier
    • Zimmermann
    Robin Laing
    Robin Laing
    • William
    Michel Serrault
    Michel Serrault
    • Le châtelain
    • Director
      • Christian Carion
    • Writer
      • Christian Carion
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Welcome to the Sticks
    7.1
    Welcome to the Sticks
    Days of Glory
    7.0
    Days of Glory
    The Chorus
    7.8
    The Chorus
    Land of Mine
    7.8
    Land of Mine
    A Very Long Engagement
    7.6
    A Very Long Engagement
    Fjendeland
    Nothing to Declare
    6.4
    Nothing to Declare
    R.A.I.D. Special Unit
    5.5
    R.A.I.D. Special Unit
    Love Me If You Dare
    7.5
    Love Me If You Dare
    Good Bye Lenin!
    7.7
    Good Bye Lenin!
    Into the White
    7.1
    Into the White
    Der letzte Flug
    7.8
    Der letzte Flug

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The character of the Male opera singer is based on that of German tenor Walter Kirchhoff (1879-1951), who traveled to the front in order to perform for the troops. His performance was met by cheers from the French lines, where upon he decided to climb onto no-mans-land to see who was cheering.
    • Goofs
      When Anna and Nikolaus talks about the time they met for the first time, they say "Oslo". Oslo, capitol of Norway, was called Kristiania until 1924.
    • Quotes

      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.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards 2006 (2006)
    • Soundtracks
      Ave Maria
      Composed by Philippe Rombi

      Performed by Natalie Dessay and London Symphony Orchestra

    User reviews170

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    The Power of Song as a Gateway of Understanding
    Writer/director Christian Carion ('Une hirondelle a fait le printemps' aka 'The Girl from Paris') is unafraid to write and create cinematic tales that touch the heart as well as the mind. 'Joyeux Noël' is a story of war and its effects on soldiers that goes far beyond sentimentality (or the opposite emphasis on brutality as found in American films) and offers the viewer insights to the responses of young men's minds to the monster of war and how they cope.

    Based on a true story, the film opens with the usual callous killing among three groups of soldiers - German, French, and Scottish - who face an oncoming Christmas Eve in the trenches, the realities of fighting have precluded their getting time to retreat for air. But a miracle happens: among the Germans is a famous opera tenor Nikolaus Sprink (Benno Fürmann) who has aligned with his fellow troops in the trenches, hoping he can bring some minor sense of Christmas and understanding to them. His soprano partner Anna Sorensen (Diane Kruger) finds a way to be with him in the trenches on Christmas Eve, 1914. Meanwhile the disgruntle troops of all three sectors are planning meager festivities and a bit of relaxation even in the trenches as the bodies of the day's plunder lie in the snow of no man's land. We get to know the French Lieutenant Audebert (Guillaume Canet) and his orderly Ponchel (Dany Boon), the German head of the regiment Horstmayer (Daniel Brühl), and the Scots - especially the priest/medic Palmer (Gary Lewis).

    Christmas Eve comes and the voice of Sprink (in reality the tenor Rolando Villazón) sings 'Stille Nacht', rising out of the trenches to sing in the open of no man's land. Soon he is accompanied by the Scottish bagpipes and the 'chorus' of the Germans, the Scots and the French. They all emerge, share gifts of champagne and other libations, and agree to a cease-fire in honor of the holiday. It is in this magic moment that the true personalities of these warring men surface and each is seen as a vulnerable puppet of the WW I, exchanging addresses to meet after the war. Anna Sorenson has managed to enter the scene and during a communal mass led by Palmer she sings (the voice is Natalie Dessay) an Ave Maria (composed by the film's composer Philippe Rombi): the lovers have previously sung a duet version of Bach's 'Bist du bei mir'. For that moment in time the horrors of war melt and the camaraderie of the men glows and is carried into Christmas Day when all three groups of soldiers agree to bury their dead together. Of course the brutality and ignorance of war re-engages and the leaders of the three groups enter camp and threaten courts martial and punishment for the troops' lack of military discipline. The film ends in a manner that leaves the audience able to integrate the happenings of that Christmas Eve on the futures of these men.

    The script is superb, the cast is uniformly excellent, the sets and cinematography are creatively moody, and the musical score by Philippe Rombi is one of the finest in years: the ending song 'I'm Dreaming of Home' deserves to become a standard. Would that everyone could see this film, a bit of global hope in the cloud of the destruction that shadows our world right now. Highly recommended. Grady Harp
    helpful•65
    4
    • gradyharp
    • Nov 16, 2006

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ1

    • What was the name of the opera based on Joyeux Noel?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 9, 2005 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Germany
      • United Kingdom
      • Belgium
      • Romania
      • Japan
    • Official sites
      • Nord-Ouest Films (France)
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • French
      • German
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Merry Christmas
    • Filming locations
      • Romania
    • Production companies
      • Nord-Ouest Films
      • Senator Film Produktion
      • The Bureau
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €18,151,814 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,054,361
    • Gross worldwide
      • $17,709,155
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Daniel Brühl, Guillaume Canet, and Alex Ferns in Joyeux Noel (2005)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for Joyeux Noel (2005)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.