A Midnight Clear

_**Christmas is near on the snowy Western Front in WW2**_ 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