Music is an essential part of this film, enough to warrant it's place on this list. I'm glad because I probably would've never seen this beautiful movie otherwise.
Joyeux Noël is a war movie based on the real fraternization between enemy troops on the first Christmas of the first World War. The fiction that unfolds before our eyes features French, German and Scot units, containing among them all manner of characters and attitudes, but highlighting the common bonds of soldiers wherever they may be from, and no matter how much the other side wants to dehumanize them. Once you've shared a drink with the enemy, how can you them shoot him on sight? And in wars such as this one, where German tourists came into France all the time, might you not have crossed paths under friendlier circumstances before? There's humor, music, tension, and there's heartbreak when doing the right thing becomes doing the wrong thing in war, and an unofficial cease-fire we want to celebrate today is actually condemned at the time. And may still be, in some quarters. Because despite the century that's gone by, I don't think people and policy have changed very much.
Could barely sit through this 2-hour-long Macy's Christmas sale commercial.
The basic plot would have made more sense had it appealed to humanity between culturally different communities with significant power difference and history of oppression rather than a bunch of white blokes.
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 13 of 13
thaleya
Beautiful, heartbreaking, magical. I cried my eyes out and enjoyed every moment of it.moldypoldy
This should be on more lists. Wonderful movie.tomsalad
Music is an essential part of this film, enough to warrant it's place on this list. I'm glad because I probably would've never seen this beautiful movie otherwise.linyok
Misguided cringy extended ripoff of beautiful Christmas truce scene in Oh! What a Lovely Warbubar
Agree with tomsaladRaphael Brum
It's a war movie...Vincent44101
#34 in Music?Siskoid
Joyeux Noël is a war movie based on the real fraternization between enemy troops on the first Christmas of the first World War. The fiction that unfolds before our eyes features French, German and Scot units, containing among them all manner of characters and attitudes, but highlighting the common bonds of soldiers wherever they may be from, and no matter how much the other side wants to dehumanize them. Once you've shared a drink with the enemy, how can you them shoot him on sight? And in wars such as this one, where German tourists came into France all the time, might you not have crossed paths under friendlier circumstances before? There's humor, music, tension, and there's heartbreak when doing the right thing becomes doing the wrong thing in war, and an unofficial cease-fire we want to celebrate today is actually condemned at the time. And may still be, in some quarters. Because despite the century that's gone by, I don't think people and policy have changed very much.PoppyMars
So beautiful.CynInFlicks
Beautiful film. I loved it.landencelano
It's a bold statement, but I'd venture to say that this film rivals It's a Wonderful Life for best Holiday film...C. Ebelin
Probably the most heart-warming World War II movie I've ever seen.Rohit
Could barely sit through this 2-hour-long Macy's Christmas sale commercial.The basic plot would have made more sense had it appealed to humanity between culturally different communities with significant power difference and history of oppression rather than a bunch of white blokes.