User reviews

I had to order this movie in from the US because you can't get it in Britain. But it was worth all the hassle of tracking it down because it is an amazing movie. Ethan Hawke is great as the young Sergent who must lead a group of frightened young soldiers to the German front. Gary Sinise is amazing as the emotionally damaged "Mother" Wilkins, and the supporting cast is great too! When the group discovers a Nazi camp of soldiers who have lost the will to fight, an uneasy truce is formed, which will ultimately and in tragedy as the American Platoon try to protect "Mother." The movie is brilliantly acted and with a emotionally powerful ending. (I was very nearly crying at the end!!!!) Defiantely worth hunting down!!!!

"A Midnight Clear" is a film that reminds me of the wonderful French film, "Joyeaux Noel". However, instead of being set during WWI, this American film is set just before the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. Both occur at Christmas time...and both involve a strange sort of cessation of hostilities.

The story is about a tiny reconnaissance group of American soldiers. They have the thankless task of scouting ahead of the rest of the army...and not surprisingly many in their small unit have already been killed. There are two main plots that result. First, they are discovered by a group of German soldiers who do not attack but instead wish to surrender. But, in order to prevent the SS back home from taking retribution against them for not fighting, they propose to make it look like they surrendered only after a horrible fire fight. Sadly, it does NOT go down as they'd planned. Second, after this, when the Major meets up with them, this commanding officer mostly screams at them and threatens them...and leaves them back at their forward base. When the German offensive begins, they're soon stuck behind enemy lines and they have to work hard to find their way back to the Allied lines.

Despite some similarities to "Joyeaux Noel", it is different enough and somber enough to be a different film viewing experience. For the most part, it's just the story of a few men trying to survive...and the thankless tasks they've been given. Well made and worth seeing.

It is worth noting that Keith Gordon (director) met with William Wharton (book author and war veteran) on several occasions and was left with the impression that the 'story' Wharton told is true. Neither author or director could use the 'based on a true story' epitaph simply because the events are completely unverifiable; but reading the book -- and watching the film to a certain degree -- does give a sense that these events did occur.

Knowing that the film is a reasonably accurate portrayal of real events -- William Wharton was said to be impressed by the final cut -- makes the events portrayed in the film even more moving. It also explains why the director chose to focus on certain scenes to keep the story flowing, it was as if he wanted to commit the 'story' to film before it was forgotten.

Having said that, there are touches of directorial brilliance and subtlety in this bleak and wintry tale. For example, the panning shot of the squad of soldiers walking through the forest which finishes with the still picture of a frozen hand -- if you even notice it -- is unforgettable.

These were true events according to the author; it is worth keeping that in mind when you watch the film.

Once upon a time in northern France on late summer night in 1944, there was a sergeant in his mid-twenties, an armorer who normally fixed the big guns when they broke down or cleared hangfires from them. ("Lonely goddamn work, I'll have you know.")

When his turn in the rotation came up every few nights, he would man the forward-observer post duty for the artillery battalion in which he served. He and a private went forward with binoculars and a field telephone to call in fire missions if they saw anything moving. And that particular night they did: Like silent spectres out of the darkness came a handful of German infantryman who, even in the poor light and from hundreds of yards away, were staggering with exhaustion, hungry, dirty. A mess wagon came forward and set up to feed them what must have been their first hot meal in days or even weeks. Patton's advance had been pressing them eastward across France without letup.

"Sarge? Aren't you gonna call this in?"

"No. Not yet. Let's let those poor sons of bitches finish their chow first."

When the Germans had finally eaten their fill, a couple had lit cigarettes, and the mess wagon was turning around to leave, Dad finally called the battery plotter with the coordinates. He made the German soldiers and the mess wagon disappear in a rain of 155-mm howitzer shells.

At the time the movie finally made it to cable, Dad had only a few months to live. When I saw this movie, I couldn't get that story of his out of my head. Knowing how bitter and disgusted he felt about the war -- "I was a political prisoner of Franklin Delano Roosevelt" was how he put it -- I realized that this movie was too powerful for him to see.

I realize this is more a personal anecdote than a remark about the movie per se, but it says something about the tone and impact of Gordon and Wharton's story that I was finally able to understand, just a little bit, why I saw Dad sitting alone at the breakfast table in the middle of the night, chain-smoking in the darkness, for all those decades. And the horrific glimpse this film gave me sobers me to this day.

In memoriam: Amzi R. McClain (1920-1999), T/Sgt, Batt A 721st FA Btn 66th Inf Div 1943-1945

Adapted from the novel by William Wharton , with interesting script by director Keith Gordon himself, providing an absorving and stylised rendition , while acting is uniformly over-the-top and exploring issues of faith and morality about US and German soldiers, as both sides are determined to survive . It takes place in the Ardennes Forest , near the French-German enemy-line border , in December 1944 . The end of WWII approaches and it's Christmastime when six of the remaining members of a 12-member squad are sent on a perilous mission , as they settle at an abandoned , deserted cabin in order to report on enemy movements, but short of rations decide to explore all around . The American Intelligence Squad locates a strange German platoon stalking here and there . The German foes remain elusive , and after making contact with these young , nervous young men , the enemy soldiers prove strangely unwilling to attack and wishing to surrender rather than die in Germany's final war offensive, but then things go wrong.

A thrilling wartime movie set in 1944 France, in the Ardennes forest region, at an isolated location with a handful of GIs and a band of of combat-weary Germans , displaying an intelligent story , emotion , solid storyline , enjoyable message and good feeling . A sensitive and thought-provoking movie in which a sense of anquish filtrates throughout the tale , moving inexorably towards spiritual reckoning and lethal confrontation . A worthwhile seeing psychological drama pits the message of peace against the stupidity of war . Packing a top-notch cast wiith full of future big stars and notorious secondaries , including as follows : Ethan Hawke , Gary Sinese , Kevin Dillon , Peter Berg , Frank Whaley , Ayrie Gross , John C. McGinley , David Jensen , Larry Joshua , Rachel Griffin who married director Keith Gordon , among others , all off them give nice interpretations .

Colorful cinematography by Tom Richmond , shot in a dreamy surreal style , as the setting is somewhat reminiscent of a fairytale . As well as moving and touching musical score by Mark Isham . This thoughtful motion picture was compellingly written/directd by Keith Gordon . He's a good actor and filmmaker. Appeared with Kevin Bacon in Off-Broadway theater when they were both starting out as actors. Standing out his characters in Brian De Palma's Home Movies , Back to School (1986) , John Carpenter's Christine , Charles Shyer's I Love Trouble . He quit acting to become a director. As he made the following ones : Mother Night (1996), Walking the dead , The singing detective , The chocolate war and several episodes of famous TV series as Nurse Jackie , The Leftovers , Dexter , The Returned , Masters of Sex , Strain , The Bridge , Homeland , Legion , Fargo , Better Call Saul , among others . Rating : 7/10. Above average. Well worth watching. Essential and indispensable seeing for WWII lovers.

There is the classic, or `Golden Age,' of WWII based movies, from the 50s, 60s and 70s; and then there is the age of ultra-realism: those movies about WWII (or any war for that matter), that because you can show more on film, be more graphic in war's depiction, and because cinema has changed so much, it allows us to see more of how war actual was, instead of the watered down versions we had been getting for years. Don't get me wrong. When most of us speak of such classics like `Sands of Iwo Jima,' `The Longest Day,' or `A Bridge Too Far' (and so many other great WWII movies), we are perfectly right to sing our praises of such timeless standards. Nevertheless, there is a good chance that we should be even more grateful for these modern WWII gems that have raised the bar to permit us a closer glimpse of how this war really felt to those who fought in it. I suppose all I can say at this point would be to watch `A Midnight Clear,' and perhaps you would understand why I would choose this movie to be ranked only behind the likes of `Band of Brothers' and `Saving Private Ryan.' Then watch some other modern ultra-real WWII flicks like `When Trumpets Fade,' `Das Boot' and maybe even `Cross of Iron;' and then gauge for yourself. `A Midnight Clear,' though not really smacking of anti-war themes, yet showing the futility and absurdity that only propels us to hold our breath; it is a perfect example of not only reality, but of how a WWII movie works with probably no more than 50 rounds fired throughout the whole film. Poetic (though not as much as `The Thin Red Line'), great dialog, and a premise that is built much on fact. Largely based upon a true story, and taken from the book by a WWII veteran that was actually there, this movie keeps great company among the new ultra-real films; and it simply moves me. I hope it moves you, as well. 9.4

In the beginning stages of the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, a reconnaissance patrol is sent ahead in the Ardennes forest on the border of France and Germany where they encounter some German soldiers. Who will survive to celebrate Christmas?

"A Midnight Clear" (1992) is an obscure artistic WW2 movie focusing on a patrol in the wintery sylvan landscapes of the Battle of the Bulge. It's more realistic than the surreal "Castle Keep" (1969), but it reminds me a little of that arty flick.

While a couple of scenes could've been more convincingly executed and some elements of the story are unlikely or weird, it's almost an exact recounting of author William Wharton's actual experiences (he wrote the 1982 novel the script was based on). Director/scriptwriter Keith Gordon desperately wanted to plainly state "This is a true story" at the beginning, but the lawyers wouldn't allow it. As such, the supposed disclaimer during the end credits is vaguely worded for legal reasons.

Speaking of Keith, you may remember him as the protagonist in "Jaws 2" (1978) and, especially, "Christine" (1982).

In any case, I appreciated the wintery war ambiance in the woods with cast members from "Platoon" (Kevin Dillon and John C. McGinley), "Dead Poets Society" (Ethan Hawke) and "Forrest Gump" (Gary Sinise). I also liked the inventive approach, the music, and the depiction of this handful of young men united in a struggle of life and death. While the middle starts to get a little tedious and questionable there is a turning point and, from there, the film is quite compelling.

The film closes with a haunting rendition of "It Came upon a Midnight Clear" by Sam Phillips as the credits scroll. I felt moved and reflected.

The movie runs 1 hour, 48 minutes, and was shot in the Park City area of north-central Utah.

GRADE: B.

It's a war film, but an atypical and sober one at that. Probably war drama fits better. As there's a whole lot more to it than just action. On that count it has its moments, but really it's about the characters (if something of a coming of age) and the realisation that their enemy is just as reluctant and afraid as them. The script is meditatively thoughtful and the performances by a capable cast (Ethan Hawke, Kevin Dillon, Peter Berg, Gary Sinise, Frank Whaley, Arye Gross and John C. McGinley's pig-headed Major Griffin) are genuinely layered. This helps draw you in, feeling the joy but also the tragic nature that waits. It absorbingly paints the foolishness of war, where in a serenely ironic manner it all pans out. It follows a small young American reconnaissance platoon nearing the end of WW2 in Eastern Europe, which was put together due to them having the highest I.Q. in the army. Thinking that they would get better results, however on their mission they come across a patrol of German soldiers hiding from their inevitable fate and a special, if strange bond is formed between the two parties. Written and directed by Keith Gordon (who I'll always remember him as Arnie Cunningham from John Carpenter's 80s horror flick "Christine"), he does an effective job tailoring the welcoming humanity and the painstaking horrors of war through the visuals, dialogues, atmospheric surroundings and performances. The narrative moves back and forth early on dealing with past events that brought these American soldiers together, before settling on the straight-and-narrow. The material is rather offbeat and mellow, especially when it came to the interactions between the two groups. What seems unfathomable, becomes reality and then even playful (snowball fights?!). There's something simply haunting and forlorn about this presentation and you could probably attributed it to the beautifully moody, if glassy music score. It just stays with you. Like the final shot of the film, where the camera pans onto Hawke's face of despair and this is one powerfully heartfelt moment. "A Midnight Clear" is quite low-key and unpredictable in all, but hard to forget.

"I'm through playing soldier."

T's a story about a squad of foot soldiers caught in the Battle of the Bulge. They are youngsters, thrown into the battle, trapped behind enemy lines in the freezing Ardennes, trying to survive. Some of them will.

It's a good place, I think to tell my family story about the Bulge. My uncle was a foot soldier in the battle. He was stuck in a fox hole with an Italian POW who agreed to fight with the American forces. A shell landed right on them, blowing my uncle out of the foxhole, ripping off all his clothes. When a jeep showed up, the driver wanted to leave my uncle's body, but the man he was in insisted he not be left behind. My uncle's corpse was strapped to the front of the jeep like a shot deer, taken back to field headquarters, and dumped in the tent with the other dead soldiers, and soon my grandparents get their 'deeply regret' telegram. Some time later, a doctor, walking through the tent, thought he saw my uncle breathing, and revived him from the hypothermia he was in. He spent a few years in a wheelchair, and eventually made a full recovery. He died about fifteen year ago.

Maybe it's that connection that makes this talky drama, shot in a freezing Utah winter, speak to me. Maybe it's the cast, including Peter Berg, Arye Gross, Kevin Dillon, Ethan Hawke, Gary Sinise (in his screen debut), and Frank Whaley. Maybe it's the sere, white cinematography of Tom Richmond. Whatever it is, it's a very worthwhile movie to watch on Memorial Day.

The intentions of the filmmaker are obvious. Pacifism, realism, surrealism all mix into the celluloid brew that is concocted by director Keith Gordon. For those who do not have a vast exposure to cinema this effort would seem like a breath of fresh air.

If you consider pacifism and realism in World War II movies, "The Thin Red Line" of Terrence Mallick would make this film look juvenile in every department. If you consider surrealism in World War II movies, Sydney Pollack's "Castle Keep" and Mike Nichol's "Catch 22" are far superior in comparison to this effort.

Keith Gordon's well-intentioned film has several flaws. Someone with basic sense of visuals can see that the film is not shot in Europe. You see a young deer walk out of an abandoned house past soldier crouching with rifles just as a pet dog walks by the master in the master's house. Intelligent young soldiers drop their weapons in a knee jerk reaction to the enemy pointing rifles at them. Gordon could have made the action a bit slower to make the incident more credible.

The treatment of sound and music is like a breath of fresh air if you are not exposed to European cinema. The build up to consensual sex with a soldier's girlfriend reminds one of films made in France in the Sixties, including the shot of the girl walking between four soldiers on the road the next day. Most of the actors in the movie are credible most of the time.

I saw this film, probably a censored version, on late-night TV in Dubai. After the film ended the "realistic" treatment of the story seemed too artificial. It was a laudable effort that lacked punch. Compared to Pollack's "Castle Keep", this is kid stuff. Noting the positive comments of other viewers, I think "Castle Keep" deserves a re-release for today's audiences to savor and appreciate.

First off, If you haven't yet seen this film, I recommend you do so ASAP. But, considering A Midnight Clear is underrated and relatively unknown, anyone reading this message has most likely already seen the film. Not only is the acting brilliant and emotionally charged, the premise is excellent as well. Set in 1944, this small intelligence group is forced to report on any pending, incoming German attacks, something that turns to mystery and evidently reveals the true horrors of war. Combined with an innovative director and a wonderfully tragic score, I must say A Midnight Clear is one of my favorite war movies, second only to Glory in my opinion. Others on my list would include Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Braveheart, Black Hawk Down, The Bridge Over the River Kwai and Schindler's List (if that can be considered a war film). To say that this movie tops all those others is an incredible testament to its greatness.

"A Midnight Clear" tells of a WWII Army patrol with a very different approach to war. This film has everything going for it from a solid cast to an interesting premise to excellent cinematography, etc. However, rather than a typical action flick, "A Midnight..." intends to be a human drama which fails to sufficiently develop the characters such that we, the audience, would not be particularly moved is one, none, or all were killed. A tedious and slightly flawed film, the story is simply not sufficiently interesting to make it laudable. A worthy watch probably not deserving of it 7.5 (at this writing) IMDB.com score.

This movie was on Bravo last night but was terribly edited so I stopped watching and stuck my video taped copy into the VCR. This movie truly grew on me over time. I had planned to see it in the theater in, I think 1993, when it was released but it was in theaters for such a brief time that I lost my opportunity. I'm very happy to see that other posters here were also profoundly affected by this movie. The first time I'd seen it I was dumbstruck and truly didn't know what to make of it. Like many, I'd been fed a steady diet of WW2 movies with John Wayne, William Holden, Richard Widmark, and the like. They were all of a jingostic testosterone bent and featured stirring musical scores, minimal blood, and happy endings, as in all the Germans/Japanese die. This was the first WW2 movie I'd ever seen that dispensed with all that crap and gave you a sense of how war makes victims of everybody, sparing no one it's violent assault on our sanity. For this Keith Gordon/William Wharton, Mike Nichols/Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegaut, James Jones, Norman Mailer, John Hersey should all be praised for their courage to discard ideological dogma and poignantly lament our violated humanity. They may have, dare I say, stepped upon an enlightend plain where even Steven Spielberg has yet to trod. His movies are remarkable presentations of events, but do not explore any issues that might touch upon this theme of the individual, powerless, human suffering in war time. They are far more traditional morality plays. In short this movie makes you truly feel sorrow for these dead, good intentioned German (Nazi) Soldiers who wanted nothing more than to end their misery as fodder in der Fuherer's army. I was struck By the scene in which Will Knott stares into the eyes of the German officer who's face betrays a million nightmarish images of the Russian front and perhaps some horrible deeds for which he has paid a dear price in guilt worthy of Macbeth. This was one of many scenes which conveyed so much with out a single line of script. Just the faces of the experience guiding the viewer. Mark Ishams fantastic musical score helped quite a bit to. For those who hated this movie, I'm not sure what to say. If your looking for a very heavy-handed war movie this is not for you. If, however, you appreciate the deft and delicate hand in conveying a powerful message and making a powerful statement, than you will be richly rewarded by a movie you will never forget.

It's mid-December 1944 in the Ardennes forest of France. Sgt. Will Knott (Ethan Hawke) is part of a rundown undermanned American intelligence squad. 'Mother' Wilkins (Gary Sinise) is disturbed by his experiences and news of the death of his newborn baby. 'Father' Mundy (Frank Whaley) failed at studying to be a priest. Bud Miller (Peter Berg) is the mechanical genius. Stan Shutzer (Arye Gross) is Jewish. Cpl. Mel Avakian (Kevin Dillon) is their best fighter. Major Griffin (John C. McGinley) is a poor commander and sends the men to a house from where they could monitor an expected German advance. They encounter a group of German troops who have lost the will to fight.

There is a fakeness to this movie that makes it feel more like a fable. I don't think it's meant to be like that. It doesn't have the realism or grittiness that I need from a war movie. The story feels too unreal but without any surreal style. The actors are great and they make this better than it deserves to be.

A Great war movie that doesn't get envolved with the killing and blood. It deals with the souls of a small german (not NAZI) squad and US special forces squad. Gets you in the head of young kids going to war and how the people on the other side aren't all that different.

It is well made and well acted, however the plot is extremely limited to make it worth while watching.

The film centuries around a lone patrol of relative misfits in the Ardenne forests during the winter of 1944. The essential plot to the movie is, if u where a German soldier wanting to surrender, what would you do? The makers of this drama feel it is OK to dwell on it for two hours whereas in most films it is a question of hands up, drop your weapons and come out...

For me it is very important for a film to be faithful to the truth, but since I don't know for certain the kind of people and situations that arouse during the IIWW I cannot totally debunk or praise this film.

Whether u like it or not depends on believing the characters, though I can accept that weird situations did arise, I have found it too cinematic, too Hollywood like, to feel it is an accurate portrayal of the situation.

All in all, I would recommend to lower your expectations before watching it, and maybe your will be pleasantly surprised, rather than build them up only to feel deceived.

As a final note, comparing it with Black Hawk Down or Apocalipse Now is like comparing a VW Beetle to a top of the range Mercedes or BMW.

This is one of those films that when it finishes you can't find words for a while, to express the feelings it stimulates. I was one of the few who saw this in the theater, and I was stunned by the power of the acting, and surprisingly enough, the writing.

If after seeing this you can't see the futility of war, you've missed something. This is in the same class as All Quiet on the Western Front, Gallipoli, and Breaker Morant.

The stage curtains open ...

When it comes to war movies, there are your epic films like "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Saving Private Ryan", and "1917". Then there are your from-the-hip films like "Inglourious Basterds", "Kelly's Heroe's", and "Von Ryan's Express". And then, there are movies like "A Midnight Clear", which is not your typical war movie, other than the fact that it takes place during WWII.

In a squad that started out with 12 soldiers, the remaining 6 (due to half of them being killed off) are sent on a reconnaissance mission to watch for, and report any sightings of Germans in a small clearing in some lost corner of the world. Cast against the harch cold of winter, they settle into a house and find that they indeed, are not alone. Things seem amiss however, when they hear voices coming from the surrounding woods one night directed at them. No attack happens, in fact, not even an attempt of an attack happens. On Christmas night, they are surprised when they hear singing, caroling in German and soon, both sides put down their arms to enjoy a rare night of peace in an uncertain time. But, of course ... not all good things can last.

I was surprised at the direction this film took. I felt the ending was inevitable, but the story was very different from anything I'd ever seen in a war movie before. I thought the acting was pretty decent, though the voiceover narrative by Ethan Hawke was a little hokey. There were a few humorous scenes in the movie - ie: the snowball fight between the two sides.

I did enjoy the movie, but it isn't really a stellar achievement, and it isn't a memorable film. There is nothing graphic in it, but it does levy the seriousness of war while showcasing characters who are trying to maintain their dignity and humanity in a dark time. This is worth a watch. 6 stars out of 10.

I saw the film when it was in theatres nearly 20 years ago. As for scary films set in a snow-bound mansion, I found this to be ten times as creepy as The Shining. This is not a horror film, but certain images in the first half of the film are as horrifying as anything I've seen in film since then. I don't mean gore or grue. I mean ghost-story horror.

A war movie/horror film? Has anything ever been done like that? I think this film is in a genre all its own. I guess this is an anti-war film. If you wish to view it as such. It certainly does not make the viewer want to rush out and fight a war. In the cast are John McGinley and Kevin Dillon, both from the cast of "Platoon," but here in significantly different roles.

I regret to say I've not been able to totally analyze and deconstruct this film. I can't tell you what it's all about, or what you should think or feel as you watch it. There is so much going on in this film. I saw it in the theatre nearly twenty years ago, and then again on cable when I taped it, about 16 years ago. I watched it again tonight. It was just as spooky and just as impressive as it was two decades ago.

I totally loved this film. My father fought in the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, very close in time and proximity to this story. His battalion, from Pennsylvania, trained at Camp Shelby (in Mississippi), just as the soldiers in this film. Some horrifying things he saw in the forties, he was only able to begin to describe a few years ago.

This is such a terrific film. For so many different reasons.

Low keyed war story that humanizes the soldiers of both sides quite effectively. Story is developed well but holds no big surprises. Interesting to think that this may have really happened but it has an air of unbelievability about it. Good character study with solid performances all around. War stories that deal with the intimate experiences of the soldiers actually in the field are always more moving and thought provoking about the nature of war than the ones with grandiose themes or political messages. This is one of the former. Definitely worth watching.

A Midnight Clear

The problem with war during Christmas is both sides put the annihilation of the other on their wish list.

And since Santa doesn't play favourites, instead he grants the war-weary warriors in this drama amnesty.

During the winter of 1944, a squad of US troops (Gary Sinise, Ethan Hawke, Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Arye Gross, Frank Whaley) stationed in France is ordered to secure a château in the forest.

But even with the post under their protection, the soldiers notice Jerry's presence in the woods.

After a number of unsuccessful confrontations, both sides call a ceasefire in honour of Christmas Day.

An intense wartime movie and an intimate drama at the same time, A Midnight Clear shows a rare glimpse at compassion during combat, and the pleasures of peace, however brief.

Unfortunately, the fighting started again when they couldn't decide which language to sing O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) in. (Green Light)

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Although this film boasts a squad of recognizable faces, the story lets the entire film down. There seem to be major inaccuracies in the way the soldiers operates, but let's suspend that thought for now and look at the rest of the film. The twist in the tale that the story builds up to is so obvious, as soon as the story began to take shape you could see it staring you in the face, and that's exactly the way the story unfolds. It's unbelievable, and wholly annoying for the inaccuracies and the glaringly obvious mistakes made by the characters throughout the film. A big miss, I even considered turning off during this film, and I hardly ever do that!