- Good evening, gentlemen.
- You were wonderfull.
- I'm Jewish. Christmas means nothing to me.
- But I'll never forget this night. - Thank you.
- So what will happen with the young lady? - Yes, I wanted to ask you.
Could she spend the night in your shelter?
I mean, when is she leaving?
- Tommorow morning. - Fine.
Unfortunately, you can't stay in my shelter. I'm not alone.
There's a big rat, for 3 days now, but I'll get him in the end.
- We'll find a solution. Goodnight lieutenant.
- Don't worry miss, I'll find you a safe place. - Thanks Jorg.
- What did you put in your report to the HQ?
- Well I wrote 24th of December 1914.
- No hostilities on the german side tonight.
- Well, that's the truth.
Tonight...
these men were drawn to that altar like it was a fire in the middle of winter.
Even those who don't believe came to warm themselves.
...maybejust to be together...
...maybe to forget about the war.
- Maybe...
...but the war won't forget us.
- No more flairs.
- Merry Christmas.
- Listen. Someone is digging out there. - Mines!
- Those damn Scotts are digging a mine sap.
- They'll fill it with explosives and blow us up.
- No, they're not digging any sap. - They do, listen to me.
- You just became too friendly with them last night.
- Yeah? Look who's talking. - Look!
- Jonathan, Jonathan come with me.
- What the hell you think you're doing? The truce is over!
Any moment now the Germans will start shooting at you. Get back in the trench! Now!
- Get down. Down!
- Good morning lieutenant. - Good morning.
- Is it possible that we officers, talk about the dead?
- Ponchel. Bring your coffee.
- Thank you Ponchel. You can leave now.
- My men will remove the bodies of the men killed last week...
...so that you can burry them.
- And we will return the remains of your men who fell in our land last November.
- That makes sense.
- Burrying the dead the day Christ was born. Makes sense.
- Oh. I'm fast.
- Sorry but... why do you have an alarm go off every morning at 10 o'clock.
Is it for the changing of the guard?
- Oh no. No, it's just that lieutenant...
...who used to make coffee every day at 10 for his mother.
He is worried he'll forget all about that with the war.
We'rejust used to it.
- So are we.
- Do you need help?
- In a few days, their families, their wives...
...will receive the bad news...
It would be better not to think about it.
For them, nothing will ever be the same as it used to be.
And you too...
...one day they'll cover you and dump you in a hole.
Lets go, while there is time.
I have the pass. Holland is not that far.
- They have peace there, we can live. - I can't do that, I'll be a deserter.
- No it's not. We'll be together.
- I'm just a soldier... Like every one else...
I have duties, like every one here.
Holland is not that far. They'll get us.
Even your pass won't save us.
- There is another way.
The French borders are 100 meters away. We only have to cross them.
- I made tea. Perhaps you'd like some.
- Come... come...
- The others asked me to give you these letters...
...they don't trust the military post.
...and as you're going back to Berlin,
...we thought... - Sure.
Come on, Moralek! Go for it!
- I heard about your wife last night...
...If you want...
...I can pass a letter to her.
- Why would you do that? If you get caught...
A letter won't stop us from winning this war!
And when we take over Paris, and everything has finished...
...you can call us for a drink in Rue Vavin.
- You don't have to invade Paris to come by for a drink.
- How many cartridges you have to shoot every day? How many?
- Eight. - Ah. Eight? And you?
- Seven. - Seven and eight. - Us, five! Doesn't surprise me!
- Yesterday, William managed to bag two Gerries...
...who'd been sniping at us for hours.
If he keeps this up, he'll qualifies the best shot in the whole platoon.
All our mates have their eyes on your cake...
...but William and I are guarding it closely.
Lots of love, from both of us.
- Still here? Why didn't they send a vehicle?
- We were waiting, but none came to get her.
- I guess the party dragged up till morning in the headquarters and they're not awake yet.
- They called me from the HQ five minutes ago.
They told me you dissapeared.
They thought you deserted Sprink.
I told them you came with miss Sorensen...
...to sing for your comrades.
That really impressed them!
They told me to keep an eye on you till they arrive.
Miss Sorensen will return to Berlin...
...and you'll be under arrest... for two weeks...
For disobedience on the front.
- Disobedience on the front?
I don't understand lieutenant. What's the plan for tommorow?
A little football match? An aperitif with those across?
Or will you shoot them like rabbits after you drink your champagne?
Well lieutenant?
Whats the meaning of all that? It will be more odd if you die tommorow than if you died yesterday.
- That's enough Sprink.
- Any coffee left?
- Is The French lieutenant here? - Yes, he just arrived.
- What are you doing here? Every one back at his camp, we said.
- I know, I know but...
...our artillery will start shelling you in ten minutes.
- So I suggest you come and shelter in my trench.
- If you had been relieved, I wouldn't have come to warn your successors.
They would have shot you before you take a step in no man's land.
Par for the course.
- Don't say a word Sprink.
- Bullseye... Sorry.
- Damn! We'll have to rebuild that!
- By the way... That letter for my wife...
- We ceased fire.
It's time for you to go back. I hope you both make it for the war.
- I don't think it's over yet. I wouldn't be surprised if our own artillery open fire after your attack.
- Par for the course.
- This time I think we should seperate.
I'm glad I met you.
Perhars, under other circumstances...
...we could have... - Yes maybe.
Even a drink in Rue Vavin as a tourist.
- That would be..."chouette", isn't that how you call it?
- Yes. Your French are better than my German.
- Ofcourse. But your wife is German.
- Well... Good luck. - You too.
- Goodbye. - Good luck.
- Let's go boys!
- Lieutenant...
...I managed earlier to trace all their machine-guns.
It's all there.
- What are you doing here? Every one left already.
- We came to keep us as prisoners.
- Prisoners? That's impossible!
How am I going to explain your presence to my superiors?
I can't do that!
Go back to your trenches. Play time is over now!
Sir... lf we go back to the German side they will seperate us.
Put us in a prison, but let us be together.
I beg you.
- Take those two to the village.
They are prisoners. Put them in the school till they go somewhere else.
And stay with them, We'll be there tommorow.
- Lieutenant. Can you give those letters to the red cross? It's important.
- Where is Ponchel? I've been looking for him an hour now.
- He said he was going to eat something.
- "My dear, I cling to your memory...
...like a climber cling to his rope, so he won't fall".
- "The poor guy died between our lines."
- "Before we understand it, they scored six times!
- They later admitted that most of them play for a Munich club called Bayern".
- "I will never forget the voice of that woman in the night..."
- "Drink with those bastards? I'd rather die."
- "The Scottish photographer promised us photos from New year's Eve,"
- "A Bavarian gave me his address, to visit him when the war is over."
"We'll spend New Year's eve with the germans...
We'll sing the song the Scotts taught us.
And we'll drink to the health of all those bastards
who are sitting at their warm houses, and sent us here to die".
- He's all yours now.
- You're being sent back to your parish in Scotland.
I brought you your marching orders.
- I belong with those who are in pain...
...and who have lost their faith... I belong here.
- I'm very dissapointed from you.
When you requested permission to accompany the recruits from your parish...
I personally vouched for you.
But then... then I heard what happened...
...I prayed for you.
- I sincerely believe that our Lord Jesus Christ guided me...
...In what was the most important mass in my life.
I tried to be true to His trust...
...and carry His message to all, whoever he may be.
- Those men who listened to you on Christmas Eve...
...will very soon bitterly regret it.
Because in a few days times their regiment has to be disbanded...
...by order of his majesty, the King.
Where will those poor boys end up in the front line now.
And, what will their families think?
- Excuse me Reverence. The boys are ready.
- They're waiting for me, to preach a sermon to the soldiers...
...who are replacing those who went stray with you.
May the Lord Jesus Christ guide your steps back...
...to the straight and narrow path.
- Is that the true path of our Lord?
- You are not asking the right question.
Think about this... Are you really suitable to remain...
...among us in the house of our Lord?
Christ, our Lord, said...
"Think not that I come to bring peace. I come not to bring peace but a sword"
The Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Well my brethrin, the sword of the Lord, is in your hands.
You are the very defenders of civilization itself.
The forces of good, against the forces of evil.
Because this war, is really...
...a crusade... a Holy war...
...to save the freedom of the world.
In truth I tell you...
...the Germans do not act like us, neither do they think like us...
...cause they are not like us...
...children of God. Are those who shell cities populated only by civilians...
...the children of God?
Are those who advance armed...
...hiding behind women and children...
The children of God?
With God's help, we must kill the Germans...
...good or bad, young or old...
Kill every one of them...
...so it won't have to be done again.
- May the Lord be with you. - And also with you.
May God Almighty will bless you...
...the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen!
- Every one to their posts! - Every man to his post!
- Quickly!
- What are you doing. Shoot the bloody Kraft!
What are you waiting for? Shoot him God damn it! Parties are over!
What the hell you think you playing at? Shoot him! Shoot him!
Stay down to your posts.
Shame on you Gordon... Shame on you...
- It was very stupid to die disguised as a German, right Sir?
- What the hell were you doing?
- I had a German who helped me...
I saw my mother...
We drank coffee together... Just like before...
You have a son...
Henri is his name...
- How did you let yourself...? - lf you came to preach, go now!
- Don't you realise how serious this is?
It's high treason. Punished by death.
But we can't execute 200 men. That's what saves you.
And I'm not counting all the other cases of fraternization which reported since that.
- If public learn about this... - Noone will say it...
- I hope so... - I mean I think so...
- You think so?
- The men involved in that are not ashamed of what they've done.
If they won't tell it, it's because noone would believe or understand 'em.
- Unbelievable! Carousing with the enemy while part of the country is occupied.
- The country? What does the country know of what we're suffering here?
Of what we're doing without complaining. Let me tell you something...
...I feel closer to the Germans than to those who cry...
..."Kill the Germans!", while eating their turkey.
- That's nonsense.
- No. It's just that you're not living the same war as me.
- You and your men will rejoin the Verdun sector.
You're right about one thing.
I don't understand this war.
My Weapon was the cavallary.
You'd make a career there, like I told you.
Today, I have to fight a war where the shover outweights the rifle.
A war in which people swap addresses with the enemy, so they can meet when it's all over.
Plus the cat we found with a note from the Germans...
"Good Luck comrades!"
I was ordered to arrest the cat for high treason...
untill further notice...
- You're a grandfather, dad...
His name is Henri.
- What are you talking about?
How did you find out?
- You wouldn't understand.
- Henri. Not bad.
Henri Audebert.
Let's try and survive this war for him, huh?
- Sit down.
In two days you'll be in East Prussia...
...to take part in an offense against the Russian army,
I hope you'll show pugnacity in the face of the enemy.
The train will cross the fatherland...
...but it won't be possible for you to see your families.
Why? I think you know why...
- Long live Kaiser Wilhelm! - Long live Kaiser!
- They're giving these to almost every one.
The movie is dedicated in the memory of the German, the Brittish...
...and the French soldiers in the front line, Christmas of 1914.