'NOEL' TELLS 1914 WAR STORY.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic 'JOYEUX NOEL (Merry Christmas)'' is yet another European history lesson that's up for a foreign language film Academy Award. And they wonder why kids don't watch the Oscar-cast anymore. Actually, France's official contender (although a third of the movie is spoken in English, and another third in German) covers an interesting incident from World War I. Written and directed by a relatively new filmmaker, Christian Carion, the movie doesn't say much beyond the usual bromides about war being terrible and how all soldiers are brothers under their different uniforms. But obvious and predictable as the dramatization dram·a·ti·za·tion n. 1. The act or art of dramatizing: the dramatization of a novel. 2. A work adapted for dramatic presentation: often is, at least it tells a story worth knowing. Not five months into the war, on Christmas Eve of 1914, there were reports from several locations along the Western Front of ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. cease-fires between German and Allied troops. Carion weaves together anecdotes from the time into one big, can't-we-all-just-get-along? holiday celebration. In this telling, the German trenches are decorated with small forests of trees shipped from back home. A few dozen meters across No Man's Land, members of a Scottish division The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish infantry units. The Scottish Division was formed on July 1, 1968 with the amalgamation of the Lowland Brigade and Highland Brigade. look forward to their extra whiskey ration while, on their flank, French units just hope to enjoy a good meal. Playing even further into cultural stereotype, one of the German soldiers, Nikolaus (Benno Furmann), just happens to be a professional opera singer. Somehow, he manages to get his Danish diva girlfriend, Anna (Diane Kruger Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976) is a German actress and former fashion model. Biography Early life She was born Diane Heidkrueger in Algermissen, near Hildesheim, Germany, daughter of Maria-Theresa, a bank employee, and Hans-Heinrich Kruger, a computer , the Helen of ``Troy''), out to the front for a little midnight caroling. Their singing so touches the enemies' hearts that bagpipes bagpipes Noun, pl a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bag bagpipes npl → gaita sg bagpipes are soon providing accompaniment. One thing leads to another and, before you know it, French, Scots and Germans are going over the top unarmed. Beer, scotch and champagne are exchanged, and through Christmas Day the long-neglected dead are solemnly buried, soccer games are organized, and Anglican minister Palmer (Gary Lewis) stages a service open to all. The three local commanders - Audebert (Guillaume Canet), Gordon (Alex Ferns) and Horstmayer (Daniel Bruhl, star of such German hits as ``The Edukators'' and ``Good Bye, Lenin!'') bond tightest of all. To the point, even, where they warn one another of impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. artillery barrages. This, naturally, is not appreciated back at headquarters, fraternization frat·er·nize intr.v. frat·er·nized, frat·er·niz·ing, frat·er·niz·es 1. To associate with others in a brotherly or congenial way. 2. being a big wartime no-no and some of this looked upon as outright treason. Everyone's superiors act according to national typecast - the English are particularly snotty about their Scottish underlings' behavior - and only the folks who coined the term laissez faire Laissez Faire An economic theory from the 18th century that is strongly opposed to any government intervention in business affairs. Sometimes referred to as "Let it be economics. survive the brief peace relatively unscathed. ``Joyeux Noel'' doesn't really suggest that anyone got through the war OK, though. Death, longing for home and official stupidity haunt the film's most optimistic moments, as they should; 1914 was but a prelude to nearly four more years of the most senseless slaughter in military history. Yet, though only a handful of them have been made, we've seen other films - Stanley Kubrick's ``Paths of Glory,'' Bertrand Tavernier's ``Life and Nothing But,'' the ancient but still moving ``All Quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front unromanticized novel of WWI and its unsung heroes. [Ger. Lit.: All Quiet on the Western Front] See : Antimilitarism All Quiet on the Western Front ,'' even the somewhat whimsical ``A Very Long Engagement'' from a few years back - that indict in·dict tr.v. in·dict·ed, in·dict·ing, in·dicts 1. To accuse of wrongdoing; charge: a book that indicts modern values. 2. the bloody idiocy IDIOCY, med. jur. That condition of mind, in which the reflective, or all or a part of the affective powers, are either entirely wanting, or are manifested to the least possible extent. 2. Idiocy generally depends upon organic defects. of World War I with far more specificity and righteous outrage than this carefully packaged consumer product does. Reportedly, another movie about the Christmas truce has been made. Since there must be more about the subject to be told, I hope we'll all get to see that one soon. Bob Strauss, (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com JOYEUX NOEL (MERRY CHRISTMAS) - Two and one half stars (R: violence, sex) Starring: Diane Kruger, Benno Furmann, Guillaume Canet, Gary Lewis, Daniel Bruhl. Director: Christian Carion. Running time: 1 hr. 55 min. Playing: Town Center 5, Encino; Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Royal, West L.A.; South Coast Village 3, Costa Mesa. In a nutshell: The 1914 Christmas Eve truce between German and Allied soldiers on the Western Front is depicted in a well-meaning way, but its humanistic message is simultaneously heavy-handed and thinly dramatized. In English, and in French and German with English subtitles. |
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