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A Midnight Clear

A Midnight Clear

List Price: $14.94
Your Price: $11.95
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A STRANGE AND VIOLENT MOVIE!
Review: I saw this movie once and I almost fell asleep. There was way too much profanity. I suggest that children under 14 don't watch this movie. It protrayed American soldiers poorly. TOO MUCH TALKING AND TOO MUCH PROFANITY.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This movie makes you root for the enemy!!!
Review: This has to be the worst movie about WWII ever produced. Its sappy, corny, and just plain dumb. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time or money.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Do not rent this movie!!!
Review: If the United States army had been full of the type of soldiers portrayed in this film, we would have lost World War II. Poor script, poor acting. I was disappointed that Amazon didn't provide the option of NO stars!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: About the Human Side of War
Review: A refreshing film about how people are still people during war, with hopes and dreams and holiday traditions, whether ally or foe.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Midnight Clear
Review: Not a typical war movie and difiniteley not a "feel good" story.
This is not a war movie crammed with unlikely battle scenes, heroic "citizen soldiers", or wisecracking warriors. The action is sparse and concentrated in just a few, brief minutes of the film. The casting is near perfect as is the acting and photography. It is definitely an anti-war movie, but the producer and writer do not hit the viewer over the head with this message. It is a very powerful movie in spite of what must have been a relatively low budget. Highly recommended for the serious, thoughtful, viewer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent!
Review: What a excellent movie! Midnight Clear is the story of a group of American Soldiers, led by "Will Knott" aka "Don't, " who are entrenched behind enemy lines in war torn Germany. Sent to occupy a rural farmhouse, the soldiers soon discover they are not alone. They share the sector with a small group of enemy soldiers. Over time, boredom, fatigue, and anxiety get the better of the soldiers, and they begin to contact with eachother. Eventually harmless pranks turn to friendship.

After exchanging Christmas presents and Christmas Cheer, the American's and Germans hatch an unlikely plan to bring peace to their small region of the Ardennes Forest - with life-changing consequences.

I really loved this film! It was poignant, moving and tragic. I loved the acting by Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise. This movie is a must for fans of character-driven drama.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Strangely non-violent; makes you root for humanity!
Review: This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful (war-) films I have seen. The plot is based on the authors own war-experience, and on other well documented "Christmas truces" during WW1. The American soldiers in the story, who, if presented with a combat situation would probably have shown the same degree of bravery as any others in their army, are given the opportunity to show initiative combined with compassion, in trying to arrange the surrender of a small group of disillusioned Germans. They are presented with a unique opportunity to practice the ethic "love thine enemy", exactly at the season when one of the most significant advocates of that idea is celebrated! The realistic story makes it clear why it is not "sappy" or "corny" to wish to show kindness to your fellow-human. A very moving story, in which the element of hope transcends the actual outcome. I actually prefer this film to "Private Ryan" (a very different kind of film), in that it plays mainly in just one starkly beautiful location, and relies on emotional truth, rather than physical realism produced by massive - and technically brilliant- special effects. I have seen it twice now, and it gets me every time. This is no action-movie "junk-food": it's more like a very subtle gourmet dinner, so find a good friend (if possible), pour a glass of wine, light a candle, and don't be in a hurry! ;-)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A very poignant war story, much more complex than Pvt. Ryan
Review: "A Midnight Clear" has to be one of the best war movies I have seen in a long time, which is rather surprising given how it's not a true "war movie" per se. The film follows a squad of young army recruits just before the Battle of the Bulge who are sent to a chateau near the front lines to give an early warning to the rest of the army when the Germans come through. The story unfolds at a leisurley pace and takes it's time exploring the different personalities and motivations of each character, as seen through the eyes of reluctant sergeant Will Knott, better known as Won't. Each character is a very different and complex individual with his own emotions and fears. Especially touching is the Gary Sinese character Mother, who is very distraught over the fact that his young wife at hime has just had a miscarrage and the way the other characters try to help him out and confort him. The film itself is gorgeous with most of the action occuring in a beautiful chateau in the middle of winter. Overall, I enjoyed this film much more than "Saving Private Ryan," for although it was a good movie in it's own right, none of it's characters (other than Tom Hanks and Matt Damon) were particularly memorable, nor did it take the time to explore any deeper meanings or emotions of the characters. All in all, "A Midnight Clear" is an excellent film that will appeal to everybody, not just the war-film affictionado.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The more you think about it, the worse it is
Review: I believe the best war movies are the ones that show the agony soldiers must endure. As I mature, I care less and less for the 'guts and glory' war films that used to be plentiful. War films are now judged by my gold standards such as BlackHawk Down, When Trumpets Fade, and Platoon. With that said, this movie does a fair job showing the pain of war. But the behavior of the soldiers on both sides is complete nonsense. The way in which the Germans contact the I&R squad, the "plan", and even the "disaster" (which any thinking person saw coming a mile away) were so difficult to believe as to ruin the rest of the movie. The way in which the soldiers set up their position makes anyone who has military experince realize the film is going to be silly before it gets REALLY unbelievable. The officers in this film are direct from the "BAD OFFICER STEREOTYPE" bin, so uncaring and malicious as to be ridiculous. I wanted to like this film. I just could not. It is bad. Really bad.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Truly one of the best World War II movies ever
Review: There must be hundreds of movies out there set in World War II, and I've seen more than I can count. This one truly stands alone as one of the most outstanding war movies from any war. By focusing on one small squad of troops isolated from their unit, this movie succeeds brilliantly in developing the characters and placing them in a very moving story that doesn't get lost in the bigger spectacle of war like many other war movies do. I was lucky to stubmle upon A Midnight Clear many years ago on VHS. War movie buffs like myself are sure to enjoy it (unless all they're looking for is a mindless blood and guts action movie), but the thing that makes this movie so great is that it also appeals to viewers who aren't enthusiasts of the war movie genre.


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