100 BEST WAR MOVIES: 51. A Midnight Clear (1992)

 

               “A Midnight Clear” was released in 1992.  Its cast consisted of several up and coming actors like Ethan Hawke, Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, John McGinley, Frank Whaley, and Gary Sinise (his film debut).  The ensemble cast is strong and the movie is a little gem that is not well-known.  It cost less than $5 million to produce and made less than $2 million.  It is based on the novel by William Wharton. It follows the novel closely and includes a lot of dialogue from it.

            The movie is set in the Ardennes Forest before or during the Battle of the Bulge.  It is not a big picture movie.  You get no idea how the battle is going.  There is a “fog of war” surrounding the intelligence squad that is sent out to observe enemy movements from an abandoned mansion.  The mission is seemingly suicidal and their ex-mortician Major Griffin (McGinley) has a habit of putting them in precarious positions. The squad settles in and although they are away from strict discipline, they are very vulnerable should the Germans attack. They encounter some Germans who have the drop on them, but don’t open fire. The Germans come to the chalet to throw snow balls and serenade the Americans with Christmas carols. “A Midnight Clear” is one of the rare war movies that references Christmas. It turns out the Germans are a squad of young soldiers with an aged officer. They know the war is lost and they want to surrender. They ask the Gis to make it look like they put up a fight.  The best laid plans.

ACTING:                     A

ACTION:                     N/A

ACCURACY:                A  - it follows the novel very closely

PLOT:                            A

REALISM:                      B

CINEMATOGRAPHY:   A

SCORE:                          B

 

QUOTE:  Speaking of a previous patrol, Will (the narrator Ethan Hawke) makes the following telling remark:  “We lost half of our squad attempting one of [Griffin’s] map-inspired, ill-conceived recon patrols.  When I say ‘lost’, I mean ‘killed’.  Nobody in the Army ever admits that someone on our side is killed.  They’re either ‘lost’ like Christopher Robin… ‘hit’, as in a batter hit by a pitched ball… or get ‘it’ like in hide and go seek.  Or maybe they “get it”, as with an ambiguous joke.”

                  We get to know the squad well.  They are typically heterogeneous except there is no country hick because this is an “intelligence” squad, literally and figuratively. They care about each other, but there is some dysfunction. There is a flashback scene from boot camp as several of the boys attempt to lose their virginity with a good girl down on her luck.  It is a sweet scene and tastefully done. The men are united in their hatred for Major Griffin.

            The setting and mood of the movie could have easily fit a horror movie.  On the way to the mansion, they come upon the corpses of a G.I. and a German in a death embrace. Their encounter with the Germans is the opposite of that.  The chalet is eerie.  It is empty except for a deer. This is a very snowy movie.  Watch it with a mug of hot chocolate by a fire place if you can.  It was shot in Utah and the temperatures at night were frigid.  The cinematography is crisp and clear like the locale.

            This is a remarkable movie.  It is unlike any other war movie I have seen.  It is spiritual (helped by the New Age musical score) and has a heart-tugging scene involving the bathing of a dead comrade that is hard to forget..  It is also overtly religious in spots.  Although a Christmas movie, there is also a strong reference to the Crucifixion.  Some will not like this aspect of the movie, but I found it refreshing.  Keep in mind that soldiers tend to be religious for obvious reasons, so why shouldn’t war movies occasionally have religious themes?

              The movie is very well acted.  The squad is likeable and relateable.  Each has a distinct personality.  Each actor gets a chance to shine.  No one dominates.  The small unit dynamics are realistic.  Their behavior rings true.  McGinley is appropriately loathsome as the clichéd commanding officer.   (By the way, McGinley and Dillon went on to appear in another great small unit movie – “Platoon”.)  The Germans are shown in a sympathetic light.  What happens to them is truly tragic. However, the film does not end the tragedy. It goes on to an inspirational conclusion.  All good war movies (except comedies) should by anti-war. “A Midnight Clear” is a movie that leaves no doubt that war sucks. Knott (Ethan Hawke) narrates.  He is cynical and critical of officers. He reminds of Joker in “Apocalypse Now.”

            “A Midnight Clear” is a movie that did not make a big splash when it was released. It has something of a cult status now. It is a must-see for war movie buffs. Watch it with your wife or girlfriend. It is one of the rare date war movies.  Pair it up with "Joyeux Noel". Both have a Christmas theme and are inspired by the Christmas Truce of WWI.