Silent Night (2002 film)

Silent Night
Silent Night
Directed by	Rodney Gibbons
Written by	Roger Aylward
Produced by	Rory J. Aylward; Steven Hewitt; Irene Litinsky; Michael Prupas; Steven Jay Rubin
Starring	Linda Hamilton; Matthew Harbour; Romano Orzari; Alain Goulem; Martin Neufeld; Mark Antony Krupa; James McGowan; Michael Elkin; Michael Sinelnikoff; Cassian Bopp; Harald Winter
Narrated by	Michael Sinelnikoff
Cinematography	Eric Cayla
Edited by	Vidal Béïque
Music by	James Gelfand
Distributed by	Artisan
Release date	December 14, 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 the Battle of the Bulge of World War II.

Plot

A German mother, Elisabeth Vincken (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 younger son, Fritz, 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 share their rations to make a proper Christmas dinner. This includes 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 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 the officer is really a German soldier who has infiltrated the American lines, the Americans surrender and the three German soldiers get their weapons. The German infiltrator 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 infiltrator as a prisoner of war, and also one of the Germans, who is only fifteen - neither side wants him to die in a future battle. The Germans also return to their side. All say good bye and wish each other good luck for the rest of the war. In the present day, an elder Fritz (Michael Sinelnikoff) is visited by Private Jimmy Rassi's grandson, Christopher, with Fritz handing over Rassi's dogtags.

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 Antony Krupa as Sgt. Marcus Mueller
James McGowan as Capt. Dietrich
Cassian Bopp as Pvt. Peter Heinrich

Award nominations

Silent Night was nominated for four Gemini Awards at the 18th Gemini Awards held 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

The story was profiled on Unsolved Mysteries, in which Fritz Vincken was seeking the information on the soldiers. The episode resulted in Vincken being reunited with Ralph Blank. 1995.

External links