There weren't too many stories in high school history that stuck in my mind. Most of them were cold facts and figures that were more interesting than touching. Except for this one story, of a Christmas truce on the battlefields of Flanders in World War 1, when the soldiers laid down their arms and fraternised with their counterparts on the other side of No Man's Land, culminating in football matches across No Man's Land.
So when this film came out just before Christmas in 2005, I just had to jump on it. And it was very beautifully made. It gushes with sentimentality. How could it not, when the story itself, the historical event, was a shining beacon of the human spirit in a 4 year war that was all about thousands of men climbing out of trenches to be cut down instantly by enemy fire, dying meaningless deaths?
It's that time of the year. If you have not heard about this story before, do track this film down and watch it. It's a story that needs to be remembered.
There weren't too many stories in high school history that stuck in my mind. Most of them were cold facts and figures that were more interesting than touching. Except for this one story, of a Christmas truce on the battlefields of Flanders in World War 1, when the soldiers laid down their arms and fraternised with their counterparts on the other side of No Man's Land, culminating in football matches across No Man's Land.
So when this film came out just before Christmas in 2005, I just had to jump on it. And it was very beautifully made. It gushes with sentimentality. How could it not, when the story itself, the historical event, was a shining beacon of the human spirit in a 4 year war that was all about thousands of men climbing out of trenches to be cut down instantly by enemy fire, dying meaningless deaths?
It's that time of the year. If you have not heard about this story before, do track this film down and watch it. It's a story that needs to be remembered.
I want to see this. i was at the british war mouseum in 2002 and read some letters from soldiers about that event. Then of course the next day they went back to bnlowing eachothers brains out.
That's the difference between Europeans and us. They call a truce on Christmas and eat dinner together. We wait till Christmas night and massacre everyone in their sleep.
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That's the difference between Europeans and us. They call a truce on Christmas and eat dinner together. We wait till Christmas night and massacre everyone in their sleep.
there was some similar things happening on the american-german lines during ww2. it wasnt guys playing footy in the ardennes, but it was kind of an agreed stand-down. ive read some accounts of guys hearing 'o tanenbaum' wafting across their foxholes that night and guys lighting fires without fear of artillery bombardments.
can you feel nostalgia for different kinds of war? is that fucked up?
Joined: Wed May 24, 2006 5:23 pm Posts: 12793 Location: Tours, FR Gender: Male
I saw this movie a few weeks ago. I haven't thought much of the movie itself (acting, picture, etc.) but the story it tells is just amazing (even though all that is displayed in the movie didn't take place all in the same spot, it's made of distinct events happening all over the battlefield).
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Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:37 am Posts: 3610 Location: London, UK Gender: Female
The movie is certainly pushing all the buttons... but my grandfather fought in WWI, not even 20 years old only when it finished, and he was born on Christmas day and his name was Noël... so I cried like a baby.
_________________ 2009 was a great year for PJ gigs looking forward to 2010 and: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen, Berlin, Arras, Werchter, Lisbon, some more US (wherever is the Anniversary show/a birthday show)
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