Joyeux Noel is a true story built into a movie of heart warming schmaltz with a message. Oh that all our current batches of soldier boys would see it and recognize how terribly they can be used - not only by politicians but other powers-that-be in the ruling class. There is no doubt though just how much Germans love Christmas. From the German-speaking culture we get Christmas trees and Silent Night together with all the fun, feasting and spirituality of the season. It is well to note that the Christmas Truce of World War I (and the Americans couldn't be in this one because they hadn't yet joined in) - the fact on which the movie is based - occurred at the first Christmas and didn't happen again. In just a few months, the deaths and the manner of their occurrence in the trenches were horrendous. In the years that followed trench warfare and the hundreds of thousands of lives committeed to it became an obscenity. We try to pretend that all war, any war, that we decide is right is therefore justified - and the movie opened with this and portraying the hateridden propaganda that was let loose in France and Germany and Britain. Humanity across the globe gets itself into all sorts of messes called war - but only occasionally for good reason. But even when the reason is good what happens is not. Joyeux Noel gave an indication of the horrors of war but emphasised the hope of humanity. Our hope is in spirits embedded in ancient traditions - traditions that teach us and help us to remember what it is to be human.
Off to World War II and Mrs Henderson Presents and the Americans did eventually turn up. What can one say about Dame Judi Dench. It seems that the older she gets, the busier she is. These days she seems to be in everything. Her performance as Mrs Henderson is like a mature and well-cellared wine: to be savoured, enjoyed, and dwelt upon. She appears as a cross between The Dowager Queen Mary and the Queen Mother - at one point, complete with tiara. Mrs Henderson is a romantic, a realist, a person of her class with a sensible earthiness which brings her through an extraordinary adventure in The Windmill Theatre. This movie is a tour de force not only for Judi Dench but for Bob Hoskins. Never has he looked so handsome (even in the nude and full frontal), never has he characterized a role so well. Dench and Hoskins are evenly matched - two denizens of British film and theatre. This movie has the fun of comedy, the variety of a musical, and the drama of a wartime movie. The evocation of the Blitz brought back memories of the London bombings of 2005 and reminded me of how well the Poms do stiff-upper-lip in theatre, film, and real life.
These are two wonderful movies to put on your list if you haven't seen them yet. But just ask - wouldn't it be wonderful if we could only look at a world at war in the movies as an historic artifact?
Technorati tags: Joyeux Noel Joyeaux Noel Christmas Truce Silent Night World War I World War II Mrs Henderson Presents Dame Judi Dench Judi Dench Bob Hoskins The Windmill Theatre Blitz
2 comments:
Hi, this is my first visit to your blog...I saw your comment on "the felt mouse" and was excited to read a fellow Melbournian's blog. I'm actually an American expat living here temporarily, and loving it. Thanks for the movie recommendations -- during the recent heat wave, we sought refuge in the mall cinema as well! Looks like it might get hot again this weekend so now we have some ideas of things to go see.
Hi, I've been over and had a poke around your blog, telfair. Great! I'm a Gemini too - and someone else besides me likes the Royal Tannenbaums! I hope you are enjoying your expat existence in Melbourne and I hope you are getting a chance to see some other parts of this wide brown land. I hope to get something together for Felt Mouse's challenge. It's my saints day next week - Saint Brigid. She's as important in Ireland as St Patrick. My daughter has just recently purchased a green dinner set from the Sallies' Op Shop out here and I thought this would very appropriate and a good start. Felt Mouse has given me a bit of latitude besides the $2 shop, the Oz version of the 99c shop in the States. The only thing is I don't know of a $2 shop that sells food as she says the 99c shops do in the States. Have you come across such places here?
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