A Midnight Clear (1992)

Sick Product of a Sick System

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It's a war film, but an atypical and sober one at that. Probably war drama fits better. As there's a whole lot more to it than just action. On that count it has its moments, but really it's about the characters (if something of a coming of age) and the realisation that their enemy is just as reluctant and afraid as them. The script is meditatively thoughtful and the performances by a capable cast (Ethan Hawke, Kevin Dillon, Peter Berg, Gary Sinise, Frank Whaley, Arye Gross and John C. McGinley's pig-headed Major Griffin) are genuinely layered. This helps draw you in, feeling the joy but also the tragic nature that waits. It absorbingly paints the foolishness of war, where in a serenely ironic manner it all pans out. It follows a small young American reconnaissance platoon nearing the end of WW2 in Eastern Europe, which was put together due to them having the highest I.Q. in the army. Thinking that they would get better results, however on their mission they come across a patrol of German soldiers hiding from their inevitable fate and a special, if strange bond is formed between the two parties. Written and directed by Keith Gordon (who I'll always remember him as Arnie Cunningham from John Carpenter's 80s horror flick "Christine"), he does an effective job tailoring the welcoming humanity and the painstaking horrors of war through the visuals, dialogues, atmospheric surroundings and performances. The narrative moves back and forth early on dealing with past events that brought these American soldiers together, before settling on the straight-and-narrow. The material is rather offbeat and mellow, especially when it came to the interactions between the two groups. What seems unfathomable, becomes reality and then even playful (snowball fights?!). There's something simply haunting and forlorn about this presentation and you could probably attributed it to the beautifully moody, if glassy music score. It just stays with you. Like the final shot of the film, where the camera pans onto Hawke's face of despair and this is one powerfully heartfelt moment. "A Midnight Clear" is quite low-key and unpredictable in all, but hard to forget. "I'm through playing soldier."

A Midnight ClearThe problem with war during Christmas is both sides put the annihilation of the other on their wish list.And since Santa doesn't play favourites, instead he grants the war-weary warriors in this drama amnesty. During the winter of 1944, a squad of US troops (Gary Sinise, Ethan Hawke, Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross, Frank Whaley) stationed in France is ordered to secure a château in the forest.But even with the post under their protection, the soldiers notice Jerry's presence in the woods.After a number of unsuccessful confrontations, both sides call a ceasefire in honour of Christmas Day.An intense wartime movie and an intimate drama at the same time, A Midnight Clear shows a rare glimpse at compassion during combat, and the pleasures of peace, however brief.Unfortunately, the fighting started again when they couldn't decide which language to sing O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) in. (Green Light)vidiotreviews.blogspot.com

A Midnight Clear is a gem among modern WWII films. It manages to be wonderfully realistic without the heavy emphasis on blood and gore. This movie centers upon the experiences of some very human individuals, rather than famous battles and vast armies. It employs a very solid cast, most of whom were relatively unknown at the time of production. There is no simple division between Good Guys and Bad Guys; the young German soldiers are very human and likable, while at least one American officer is not. A Midnight Clear does a commendable job of demonstrating the absurdity and ultimate futility of war, without either preaching or denigrating the heroic service of the soldiers of that war. Highly recommended.

It is well made and well acted, however the plot is extremely limited to make it worth while watching.The film centuries around a lone patrol of relative misfits in the Ardenne forests during the winter of 1944. The essential plot to the movie is, if u where a German soldier wanting to surrender, what would you do? The makers of this drama feel it is OK to dwell on it for two hours whereas in most films it is a question of hands up, drop your weapons and come out...For me it is very important for a film to be faithful to the truth, but since I don't know for certain the kind of people and situations that arouse during the IIWW I cannot totally debunk or praise this film.Whether u like it or not depends on believing the characters, though I can accept that weird situations did arise, I have found it too cinematic, too Hollywood like, to feel it is an accurate portrayal of the situation.All in all, I would recommend to lower your expectations before watching it, and maybe your will be pleasantly surprised, rather than build them up only to feel deceived.As a final note, comparing it with Black Hawk Down or Apocalipse Now is like comparing a VW Beetle to a top of the range Mercedes or BMW.