Christmas film to expose churchís war role
-23/11/05
A new film to be released in the U
Christmas film to expose churchís war role
-23/11/05
A new film to be released in the UK this Christmas is set to expose the churchís role in demonising and dehumanising the enemy during World War I, a film critic has suggested.
Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas), due to be released on December 14 is not a typical festive film.
It is set in the trenches of France on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1914. The French and Scottish armies face the Germans, with ëno-manís landí – littered with bodies – lying between them. But on Christmas Eve, something unthinkable happens. The Germans start singing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of Scottish bagpipes. Soon the soldiers are climbing out of the trenches and exchanging chocolate and cigarettes and eventually even sharing a Christmas worship service together.
But Vic Thiessen, an Ekklesia associate and director of the London Mennonite Centre, claims the new film also exposes the dubious actions and thinking of the church at the time.
ìMost Christians in the UK would argue that World War I and World War II were good examples of just war theory put into practice,î Thiessen said, ìbut this film, based on a true story, shows how the church itself ignored just war precepts in order to persuade its men to kill the enemy.î
ìIt is in its handling of the churchís role in the war that the film truly stands out,î says Thiessen, who gives lectures on Christian responses to war and terrorism as well as on violence in film.
ìIt shows the very best that Christianity can offer as well as the very worst. On the one hand you have the horrifying words of a priest telling his men that Jesus did not come to bring peace but a sword, so they need to go out and kill those godless enemies without hesitation. On the other hand, the film shows another priest conducting what he later called ìthe most important mass I ever gaveî, uniting the enemy soldiers into one humanity under one God and encouraging his men to see the human in everyone, as Jesus did. No one watching the film will be left in doubt as to which priest truly represented the Jesus who said, ëLove your enemiesí.î
ìThe film also exposes the horrific irony that World War I, like much of World War II, was a war fought between Christians. Churches on both sides were encouraging their men to go out and kill the ëdemonsí on the other side.î
Theissen points out that Augustine, who developed just war theory in the fifth century, certainly never envisioned such a scenario.
ìThe film begs the question: What is the churchís role in safeguarding the just war criterion that the enemy is to be respected and not dehumanised? Merry Christmas takes on this role, for it is a profoundly humanising film that challenges us to look past our preconceptions of others.î
But Thiessen also suggests that Merry Christmas is not a flawless film.
ìItís a little melodramatic and contrived and the character development is not as strong as one would like. And the lip-synching of the opera singers made me cringe. But it is very well-acted, well-directed, well-edited and beautifully shot. It is the kind of film that could easily have become overly sentimental. But it treads that line very carefully and, I think, perfectly. I believe Merry Christmas is destined to become a classic and deservedly so.î
ìIf you only see one film this Christmas season,î Thiessen concludes, ìmake sure this is it.î
Christmas film to expose church’s war role
-23/11/05
A new film to be released in the UK this Christmas is set to expose the church’s role in demonising and dehumanising the enemy during World War I, a film critic has suggested.
Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas), due to be released on December 14 is not a typical festive film.
It is set in the trenches of France on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1914. The French and Scottish armies face the Germans, with ëno-man’s land’ – littered with bodies – lying between them. But on Christmas Eve, something unthinkable happens. The Germans start singing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of Scottish bagpipes. Soon the soldiers are climbing out of the trenches and exchanging chocolate and cigarettes and eventually even sharing a Christmas worship service together.
But Vic Thiessen, an Ekklesia associate and director of the London Mennonite Centre, claims the new film also exposes the dubious actions and thinking of the church at the time.
‘Most Christians in the UK would argue that World War I and World War II were good examples of just war theory put into practice,’ Thiessen said, ‘but this film, based on a true story, shows how the church itself ignored just war precepts in order to persuade its men to kill the enemy.’
‘It is in its handling of the church’s role in the war that the film truly stands out,’ says Thiessen, who gives lectures on Christian responses to war and terrorism as well as on violence in film.
‘It shows the very best that Christianity can offer as well as the very worst. On the one hand you have the horrifying words of a priest telling his men that Jesus did not come to bring peace but a sword, so they need to go out and kill those godless enemies without hesitation. On the other hand, the film shows another priest conducting what he later called ‘the most important mass I ever gave’, uniting the enemy soldiers into one humanity under one God and encouraging his men to see the human in everyone, as Jesus did. No one watching the film will be left in doubt as to which priest truly represented the Jesus who said, ëLove your enemies’.’
‘The film also exposes the horrific irony that World War I, like much of World War II, was a war fought between Christians. Churches on both sides were encouraging their men to go out and kill the ëdemons’ on the other side.’
Theissen points out that Augustine, who developed just war theory in the fifth century, certainly never envisioned such a scenario.
‘The film begs the question: What is the church’s role in safeguarding the just war criterion that the enemy is to be respected and not dehumanised? Merry Christmas takes on this role, for it is a profoundly humanising film that challenges us to look past our preconceptions of others.’
But Thiessen also suggests that Merry Christmas is not a flawless film.
‘It’s a little melodramatic and contrived and the character development is not as strong as one would like. And the lip-synching of the opera singers made me cringe. But it is very well-acted, well-directed, well-edited and beautifully shot. It is the kind of film that could easily have become overly sentimental. But it treads that line very carefully and, I think, perfectly. I believe Merry Christmas is destined to become a classic and deservedly so.’
‘If you only see one film this Christmas season,’ Thiessen concludes, ‘make sure this is it.’