Joyeaux Noel

I know, a Christmas movie in June? Well, this is not your average Christmas movie. This is not even a movie I would normally pick for myself. But, my soon-to-be senior in high school recommended it. They watched it in French class (or German, I can't remember). I reserved it once and didn't get to watch it. But I was determined to see it.

This is a World War I movie about the German/French and British front line at Christmas. It is based on a true event, a brief moment of true beauty in a horrible war. At Christmas 1914, during WWI, the men at the front line, after singing Christmas carols in the trenches, decided (unbeknownst to their superiors, miles away) on a cease-fire for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They also went a step farther, and that was to celebrate Christmas together. They shared pictures, alcohol and candy bars, stories, and even war strategy, and also buried their dead, for just a few short hours, before the war resumed. I won't tell you anymore, because I don't want to spoil it for you, but it was a really good movie. At the beginning, the various characters and two languages (all subtitled except for the brief bits of English) were confusing, but pretty early on I figured everyone out and was able to keep track of them in my head. The different uniforms help.

NOTE: This is an adult movie. Though my teen watched it in class, it was a cut version. There is one bedroom scene (between a husband and wife) fairly early in the movie. I believe there was also some language. And then, of course, war violence.