Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    EmmysSuperheroes GuideSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideBest Of 2025 So FarDisability Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Back
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro
Respite at Christmas (2013)

User reviews

Respite at Christmas

2 reviews
6/10

Interesting But Too Brief

Plot In a Nutshell: This short film relates a tale of enemies peacefully coming together at Christmas, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge. And while that might sound similar to "The Christmas Truce" story from The Great War, this one is different.

Unbeknownst to each other, American and German soldiers converge on a local farmhouse one night in deep winter, seeking shelter. Surprised to see each other, their natural reactions can be predicted but, cooler heads prevail and together they share a meal and actually exchange a gift or two.

There is a short battle sequence with a few explosions that don't look too bad, given the likely limited funds available for this film. The biggest drawback of it is that it is very very short (16 minutes), so before you know it, it's over. It felt like this story could have been developed into something much deeper than what we get. Also, given the extremely short running time, there is no character development to speak of. You don't know who these people are, their motivations, backstories or anything else. Basically, you witness a quick battle scene and then the encounter in the farmhouse and that's it. And while that makes for an interesting little story, that's really all it is - an interesting little story. I liked it, but it's difficult to give something of that caliber anything higher than a 6.

6/10. Not bad, feels like it could have been more.
  • Better_Sith_Than_Sorry
  • Dec 27, 2019
  • Permalink
10/10

Top Notch

Violent war movie with the overriding theme that no matter how violent "something" is, God, with his infinite mercy and love and truth show men that there are things bigger than themselves.

Common sense and nature, gifts from God, help most that aren't jealous or greedy to understand that love and help comes from above and not from governments (Hitler, Stalin, FDR (especially FDR (LOL))) and that love is ingrained in all our hearts and shows that we, not government people, can make great things happen.

In the movie you know they sense something far greater than a government leader (a.k.a. FDR, Hitler, Stalin) that ALWAYS has ulterior motives, they sense, not only in themselves something yearning for love and peace, but yearning for a higher purpose than themselves.

The movie is done well too, thought I would add that (Lol)!

God Bless!!!
  • jcjccaz
  • Dec 17, 2022
  • Permalink

More from this title

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb App
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb App
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb App
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.