[PAST EVENT] French / German Movie Night: Merry Christmas

November 30, 2011
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location
Washington Hall, Room 201
241 Jamestown Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Merry Christmas (Joyeux No?l, 2004, directed by Christian Carion) captures a rare moment of grace from one of the worst wars in the history of mankind, World War I. On Christmas Eve, 1914, as German, French, and Scottish regiments face each other from their respective trenches, a musical call-and-response turns into an impromptu cease-fire, trading chocolates and champagne, playing soccer, and comparing pictures of their wives. But when Christmas ends, the war returns...Joyeux Noel has been justly accused of sentimentality, but if any subject warrants such an earnest and hopeful treatment, it's the horrors of trench warfare. The cast--the familiar faces include Diane Kr?ger (Troy), Daniel Br?hl (Good Bye Lenin!), Benno F?rmann (The Princess and the Warrior), and Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot)--deliver effective performances as the movie dwells on the everyday elements of life in the face of war. Based on a true incident.
Contact

akschroer@wm.edu