For an engaging movie based on this inspirational christmas story, click here. Yet for many at the time, the story of the christmas truce was not an example of chivalry in the depths of war, but rather a tale of subversion. The christmas truce an inspirational christmas story. Word of such disobedience gets back to the generals. Most people have heard the story of the frontline, christmas time, truce in france during world war one, partially due to its retelling in the 2005 movie, joyeux noel, but not many have heard of the small christmas eve truce forced upon a handful of american and german soldiers by a godly german woman during the. With diane kruger, benno furmann, guillaume canet, natalie dessay. Furthermore that almost looks like sand they are playing on. This glossy french antiwar movie, an oscar nominee for best foreignlanguage film, tells the true story of an improvised christmas truce during the first year of world war i. If humanity is truly concerned with the barbaric nature of militarism, and if our modernera false flaggenerated wars of empire are to be effectively derailed, the story of the christmas truce of 1914 needs to be retold over and over again. In wwi there was a spontaneous christmas truce in the trenches among the german, english and french soldiers this trilingual film imagines the story of how. Film recounts world war i christmas truce europe news. A christmas truce forged by germans, french and scots the new. Joyeux noel, a glossy french antiwar movie with melted snowflakes in its eyes, tells the true story of an improvised christmas truce during the first year of world war i.
This film dramatizes one such section as the french, scottish and german sides. Remembering the power of the christmas truce of 1914. The christmas truce occurred on and around christmas day 1914, when the sounds of rifles firing and shells exploding faded in a number of places along the western front during world war i. During a 1914 christmas truce, soldiers put down their weapons for seasonal chitchat across the trenches. After five months of bloody fighting on the western front, peace descended over the trenches during the christmas season of 1914. The film, directed by christian carion and starring diane kruger, focuses on the fraternization of french, german and scottish soldiers on a cold christmas eve. The generals also learn that many soldiers are writing letters back home telling their loved ones about the unofficial christmas truce and the kind soldiers they met on the other side during it. In the week leading up to the holiday, french, german and british soldiers crossed trenches to exchange seasonal greetings and talk. The dirty, disheveled men emerged into no mans land to exchange small gifts cigarettes for chocolates or champagne and share pictures of their wives and children. A moving recreation of the christmas truce on the 1914 battlefield in france, as german, british, and french soldiers fraternize and exchange gifts. One of the witnesses of the christmas truce, a german soldier named josef wenzel who wrote about the events in his letters home was of the 16th bavarian reserve infantry regiment, the same regiment in which hitler served in 1914. For more on the history of the christmas truce, click here and here. It is an awesome book that details the christmas truce and the before and after. With benno furmann, guillaume canet, daniel bruhl, diane kruger, gary lewis, alex ferns.
It was written and directed by christian carion, and screened out of competition at the 2005 cannes film festival. The real story behind the 1914 christmas truce in world war i video the christmas truce refers to a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the western front of world war i around. Christmas truce of 1914 was broken when german snipers. Although characters in the oscar and golden globenominated movie speak french, german, and english, its. Joyeux noel is a 2005 epic war drama film based on the christmas truce of. Apparently all based on true events known as the the christmas truce of 1914. The real story behind the 1914 christmas truce in world. Comprehension questions for the christmas movie joyeux. Christmas truce, december 2425, 1914, impromptu ceasefire that occurred along the western front during world war i. An unexpected tragedy reminds the french, german and scottish soldiers of the horrors of war.
Very few allied or german soldiers who experienced the christmas truce of 1914 survived the war. Remembering the power of the christmas truce of 1914 questioning christian participation in aggressive war thursday dec. Thirteen years ago, the movie joyeux noel french for merry christmas received a welldeserved academy award nomination for best foreign film of 2005. The christmas truce on the western front of 1914 from the film oh. However on christmas eve, numerous sections of the western front called an informal, and unauthorized, truce where the various frontline soldiers of the conflict peacefully met each other in no mans land to share a precious pause in the carnage with a fleeting brotherhood. In 1915 there was a similar christmas truce between german and french troops. Kovacevic, the christmas truce of 1914 in the film. The worksheet includes 23 comprehension questions that.
In 1914, world war i, the bloodiest war ever at that time in human history, was well under way. Most of the plot is inspired by event of the german tenor walter kirchhoff. What a lovely war accompanied by the music stille nacht silent night. The movie is the moving story that was adapted from the many surviving stories that had been told in. German and british troops celebrating christmas together during a. The christmas truce occurred on and around christmas day 1914, when the sounds of rifles firing and shells exploding faded in a number of places along the western front during world war i in favor. Truce, film, joyeux noel, european integration, french. This is in no way about the glorification of war but instead tells a tale of a group of human beings that see past their differences for one night. Craig olejnik and adam dimarco in christmas truce 2015 craig olejnik in. This fictionalized account based on true events of this time period. Joyeux noel merry christmas is a 2005 epic war drama film based on the christmas truce of december 1914, depicted through the eyes of french, scottish, and german soldiers. Joyeux noel film although sentimental, this is a fine film retelling the 1914 christmas eve truce between french, german, and scottish soldiers. The truce occurred during the relatively early period of the war month 5 of 51.
A new movie celebrates an impromptu truce between british, french and german soldiers during world war i in order to observe and share christmas. A christmas truce forged by germans, french and scots. World war i christmas truce german and british soldiers played soccer and exchanged gifts during a brief truce on christmas day in the first year of world war i. I normally avoid these socalled europudding type films like the plague but, bearing in mind the. It is a great film to show before the holidays that is in the target language, is culturally relevant and that is crosscurricular great for history and german classes as well. On christmas eve, a group of french, german, and scottish soldiers agree to a momentary truce amidst the chaos and dehumanization of the war. On christmas eve of 1914, caroling in the french, german, and scottish trenches led to a sense of mutual understanding and a temporary truce that lasted through the next day. The christmas truce is a term used to describe several brief unofficial cessations of hostilities that occurred on christmas eve or christmas day between german and british or french troops in world war i, particularly that between british and german troops stationed along the western front during christmas 1914. Christmas truce of world war i joyeux noel 2005 film.
In december 1914, an unofficial christmas truce on the western front allows soldiers from opposing sides of the first world war to gain insight into each others way of life. Christmas truce of 1914 was broken when german snipers killed two british soldiers a previously untold account of christmas day casualties has now come to light in. On this day nearly a century ago, while nations warred, the prince of peace brought an end to the conflicts and murdering of man. The plot of the film focuses on the christmas truce of 1914 between french, german and scottish soldiers. The 1914 christmas truce occurred december 24 to 25 in some places december 24 through january 1, 1914, during the first year of world war i 1914 to 1918. Belgian and french soldiers put down their rifles, stepped out of their. Joyeux noel, a glossy french antiwar movie with melted snowflakes in its eyes, tells the true story of an improvised christmas truce during. Kovacevic, the christmas truce of 1914 in the film joyeux. The film is about the world war i christmas truce of 1914.
Working as a cutaway between french, german and scottish soldiers, christian carion asks himself why these men found themselves more friend than foe in a war each wanted to end painfully. In december 1914, an unofficial christmas truce on the western front allows. When fighting resumes, they promise to reunite on the first christmas after the war ends if theyre both alive. Patriotism and loyalty are shown in the schools of france, scotland and germany. Why did it happen and did british and german soldiers really play football in nomans land. It did not change the course of the war, or even effect the outcome of a single battle, but the truce that broke out among french, german, and english troops on the first christmas of world war i is one of those few gracefilled moments in history that tells us that. On christmas eve of 1914 and the following day, an amazing thing happened along the western front. The film begins with french, english and german school boys reciting xenophobic, jingoistic war poems.
It honestly helps you understand better world war i and how indeed generals who basically knew nothing about war kept this war going with all the carnage and unnecessary deaths and maiming. It is a moving tale whose basic story comes directly from surviving veterans who experienced the event and from letters from soldiers who wrote home about it, letters that somehow survived military. A uefa tribute to the world war one truce featuring sir bobby charlton, philipp lahm, gareth bale, wayne rooney and uefa president michel platini among others. During world war i, on and around christmas day, the sounds of rifles firing and shells exploding faded in a number of places along the. Based on real events, this anglofrancogerman coproduction is a dramatised account of the remarkable christmas truce of 1914 or, more accurately, the story of one of the many truces which took place during the first christmas of the great war. As a rule i generally tend to blacklist war movies but this so different. The christmas truce of 1914 was an initiative of the soldiers on both. The visually sweeping film, written and directed by christian carion, is the kind of feelgood.
The christmas truce of world war one reflects the common man, with common sense, realizing the senselessness of the war they were engaged in. The remarkable christmas truce of 1914 by stanley weintraub. This holiday season marks the 100th anniversary of the legendary christmas truce during world war i. The real story of the christmas truce imperial war museums. I am not convinved that this is from the christmas truce because there does not seem to be any snow on the ground. Uefa marks 100th anniversary of world war one truce youtube. The discussion took place in miller nichols learning center 451. A famous tenor rises from the german trenches to serenade the enemy, xmas tree in hand. The prizewinning movie that beautifully characterizes the spirit of the christmas truce of 1914 is joyeux noel french for merry christmas.
Christmas truce 2015 an american soldier and a belgian woman fall in love during a brief holiday truce amid the battle of the bulge. During the unofficial truce, soldiers from both sides laid down their arms and celebrated the holiday with carols, soccer, and the removal of the fallen in no mans land. Second message has information about a man who comes out of a coma, or what people t. The pause in fighting was not universally observed, nor had it been sanctioned by commanders on either side, but, along some twothirds of the anglogerman front, the guns fell silent. I am no real hitler expert so i dont know exactly where on the westfront he was during christmas 1914.
A famous soprano sings for the combined troops, and a pastor. The rankandfile soldiers spontaneously arranged informal ceasefires continue reading. The film was followed by a panel discussion about how the movie compared to the events of the actual christmas truce. In the 21st century, millions of people the world over see the senselessness of the afghanistan and iraqi wars. Joyeux noel doesnt adapt a specific christmas truce, but tries to.
The christmas truce has become one of the most famous and mythologised events of the first world war. In the movie, an incident is greatly fictionalized. History stories it came to be called the christmas truce. Kovacevic, the christmas truce of 1914 in the film joyeux noel 2005 article pdf available in traditiones 471. This opens a dialog between the lieutenants of the french, german, and scottish troops.