The arbitrarily concluded Christmas truce of 1914 (the film’s central motif) was just the tip of the iceberg of arbitrary and spontaneous collaborations, agreements and camaraderie between otherwise formally hostile soldiers - despite superior orders. Historical testimonies recorded them at other times of the war, on different parts of the front. They formed a natural human counterbalance to the fanaticism of some commanders and influential individuals, forcing other people by force to participate in this senseless conflict.

“Joyeux Noel” 2005
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424205/

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