Silent Night (2002 film)

Silent Night
Directed by	Rodney Gibbons
Produced by	Rory J. Aylward Steven Hewitt Irene Litinsky Michael Prupas Steven Jay Rubin
Written by	Roger Aylward
Narrated by	Michael Sinelnikoff
Starring	Linda Hamilton Matthew Harbour Romano Orzari Alain Goulem Martin Neufeld Mark Antony Krupa James McGowan Michael Elkin Michael Sinelnikoff Cassian Bopp Harald Winter
Music by	James Gelfand
Cinematography	Eric Cayla
Editing by	Vidal Béïque
Distributed by	Artisan
Release date(s)	2002
Running time	100 Minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English

Silent Night is a fact-based 2002 television film set on Christmas Eve in 1944, during World War II.

Plot

A German mother (Linda Hamilton), who had already lost her eldest son in the Battle of Stalingrad and whose husband is a cook serving in the German army, and her son are seeking refuge in a cabin near the front lines in the Ardennes forests region of western Europe. They are invaded by three American soldiers and then soon after three German soldiers, and after much resistance the mother manages to convince the enemy soldiers to put aside their differences for one night and share a Christmas dinner. The Germans were planning to kill the Americans, but eventually they and the American soldiers shared their rations to make a proper Christmas dinner. This included homemade cookies and other goodies. Throughout the night the Americans and Germans befriend each other despite the fact that they will eventually have to return to the war. The next morning an American MP soldier comes and is surprised by what he sees. As he learns of what has happened he turns his rifle on the American soldiers and begins talking with the Germans. Realizing he is really a German soldier who has infiltrated the American lines, the Americans surrender and the three German soldiers get their weapons. The German then orders the three other soldiers to execute the Americans. Just before he is about to shoot the mother, one of the German soldiers knocks him out, saving her. The soldiers depart with the Americans taking the German infiltrater as a prisoner of war, as well as one of the Germans, as he is only 14 and neither side wants him to die in a future battle, and the Germans return to their side. They say good bye and wish each other good luck for the rest of the war.

Cast

• Linda Hamilton as Elisabeth Vincken
• Matthew Harbour as Fritz Vincken
• Romano Orzari as Pvt. Jimmy Rassi
• Alain Goulem as Sgt. Ralph Blank
• Michael Elkin as Pvt. Herbie Ridgin
• Martin Neufeld as Lt. Hans Klosterman
• Mark Anthony Krupa as Sgt. Marcus Mueller
• James McGowan as Capt. Dietrich
• Casian Bopp as Pvt. Peter Heinrich

Award nominations

Silent Night was nominated for four Gemini Awards in 2003:

• Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series: Rodney Gibbons
• Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series: James Gelfand
• Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series: Eric Cayla
• Best Sound in a Dramatic Program: Scott Donald, Richard Betanzos, Véronique Gabillaud, David Gertsman, Michael Gurman, Paul Hubert

Notes

• This story was profiled on Unsolved Mysteries, where the young boy was looking for a specific soldier that helped him out. He eventually found the soldier and thanked him.

Source

• The true story on which the film is based, interview with Fritz Vincken, February 1997.

External links

• Silent Night at the Internet Movie Database