Joyeux Noël

Joyeux Noël
Christian Carion :: France :: 2005 :: 1h55

During the Great War (WWI), the French, Scottish and German troops lay entrenched on the Franco-German border in a frozen stand-off. The onset of Christmas brings about an unparalleled cease-fire coming together of the soldiers cumulating into the famous friendly game of soccer. You would expect to be confronted with wounded soldiers rising up from the muddy trenches like zombies in a violin drenched, tear-jerk climax of a scene, but rest assured that you are spared of that. Although emotional, the movie is actually rather light on the horrors of the trenches and skims over to the incredible bottom-up ceasefire. A couple of funny and equally unbelievable scenes bring you to the conclusion that the what you expect is what you get (without the Disney element). None the less, the added value of the film lies primarily in the thought that the general public does not know this story, a claim I can not corroborate. No doubt Mr Carion has pacifistic intentions, but you would already be hard pressed to find a soul wanting to repeat the disaster of the First World War.

www.joyeuxnoel-lefilm.com