Comments about ‘Midnight Clear, A’

I am 65 years old, and one of my uncles fought in the Battle
of the Bulge. He was in Patton's group. He wouldn't talk
about it much, but when he came back, we all knew he was
scarred for life.

So, when I watch any World War movie, I think of him
and what he probably went through. The movie I saw last
night reminded me of him. It was "A Midnight Clear" on the
Bravo channel. I saw it for the first time, and I can't
believe it hasn't gotten more attention. I had never heard
of it. It's such a good movie, with exceptional acting and
a provoking plot. I loved the beautiful, quiet snow scene
which highlights the actors' intense loneliness and fear as
they fight their part of the war.

All the emotions - bravery, fear, trust and distrust,
loneliness, near madness, anger - we read and hear about
that men in war must have are all in this movie, and in the
men's faces, especially. I could go on and on. It's such a
treat to find anything worthwhile to watch, and I plan to
watch it again. To me, "A Midnight Clear" makes it
very clear how and why war scars people.

I thank William Wharton, the producer, director and actors
for this movie. And thanks to Bravo.

Robbie Crain

This is probably the strongest war movie I have seen (even
better than Saving Private Ryan) - beautiful, sad and
mysterious and very well acted. And very different from
what I have seen before.

This movie grew on me over a period of time and now I
consider it one of the most haunting war movies I have ever
seen. The Director, Photograper, Cinematographer, and Actors
all did a great job with what was probably not a very large
budget. All of this was helped by Mark Isham's musical score
which I will forever associate with the frigged isolation of
winter. Kubrik made that connection in his adaptation of
Stephen King's "The Shining". The images of those incredibly
quiet, stark white landscapes and freezing nighttime scenes
were just so poweful in conveying the cold misery of war and
it's overall psychological toll on soldiers far from home.
The Author, William Wharton, is one of a number of authors
who were veterans of the Second World War, all of whom wrote
about their experiences starting in the late 40's through
the early 60's. They include non-fiction works like John
Hersey's "Hiroshima", and "The Wall" and novels by Kurt
Vonnagut(Slaughterhouse 5), Joseph Heller (Catch 22) and
James Jones (The Thin Red Line, From Here to Eternity) all
tell of a "different" war than the one celebrated in the
streets on VE and VJ days. And certainly different than
the likes of John Wayne were portraying on film. They cast a
spot light on the insanity of war and the psychological
effects on the isolated and minute individual, used by
military machines and Governments, to flex their muscles in
the name of national security, and questioning the loyalty
of those who question them. Spielburg's "Saving Private
Ryan" was great and it's combat sequences were truly
terrifying (as they should be) But this small, insignificant
film from 1991 demands reexamination and analysis for there
are elements within it that are as haunting and terrifying
as "Ryan" but contemplative in a way "Ryan" was not. Be
warned, if your seeking mere escapism in action and
adventure this film will not interest you. If you are
however, seeking a profoundly moving war movie see "a
Midnight Clear" at once.

I read the novel in 1982. I assumed, incorrectly, that a
movie based on the novel would be made very soon afterward.
I was wrong. However,it was worth the wait. I thought the
movie was very true to the novel. I saw movie as soon as it
was released on cassette (It had a limited release and did
not play near where I live). I was able to purchase the
movie from a video store going out of business and have
watched it many times since.
The acting is well-above average, especially with the
allways wonderful Gary Sinese. The movie makes you realize
how good Kevin Dillon is and can be. The location is
wonderful. No matter how many times I heard that it was
shot in Park City, Utah, I still did not sense that as I
watched it.
I plan to watch it many times again. It deserves to be up
there with another great war classic, "Battleground". It is
a better movie than "Saving Private Ryan". There is very
little in anything that is hokey about this wonderful film
that captures the lonliness and isolation of a group of
young men in the flower of their youth.

I really love this movie, as i generally love movies about
or better against war. What i liked most was the characters
knott and mother. But what really impressed me was the
wonderful performance of "It came upon the midnichtt clear"
by Sam Phillips. Where can i find an mp3 or something of
this great piece of music? i searched about two hours in
the
net, but couldnt find the SamPhillips-version anwhere!

It's simply the best war movie I've ever seen. I like the
parabels in the movie, and my thoughts was that Father
seems to me like Christ. In the action after his death, I
often see the stories about Christ! What do you think? I
wonder if Keith Gordan is a christian? (Sorry but I prefer
danish)

I stumbled upon this film one time watching Bravo. It is
literally the finest war movie ever based on small unit
action or even large scale. The film gives an idea of how
scared and stressed were these guys were with a CO who
didn't care if they were dead. You can only pick up an
understanding after watching this 4 or 5 times. Unlike the
brute carnage that Saving Private Ryan had to offer, A
midnight Clear brings out by far more emotions. The mock
battle could have worked, but it didn't. Instead they
killed the Germans whom they had in a sense befriended, and
Father's dead.
This is by far the most underrated war movie ever. A solid
as well as stirring, realistic, and gripping plot, there is
an all star cast of actors. If this were given a prime time
spot on TV, everyone would immediately dry out to say this
is an unbelievable movie. This is a must movie to
understand the war from a soldier's perspective that is
imitated, but until now, never duplicated.

I have NOT seen the movie, but would like to know where it
could be seen in Paris, France. I have a special interest
in William Wharton.

I just finished watching this movie in my german class and
let me say it is the best war movie i've ever seen. It has
all the bloodshed you could ask for but it adds a sense of
mystery to it. I especially liked the way they did the
mansion in that movie. I wonder if anybody else caught that
statue in the background of a bishop holding his own head?
P.S does anybody know where to find that version of "it
came upon a midnight clear" at thhe end?

This movie is truely one of the best war movies ever. I
believe it aptly showed the desolation and the horror of
war.

BTW that version of It Came Upon a Midnight Clear is only
sung by Sam Phillips. It is on an album by Bruce Cockburn
called Christmas.

i do agree this is a remarkable film. I just happened to
switch on the tv it was showing,I was just about to switch
channels but this movie riveted me to my chair. this
beautiful shot movie is indeed a classic, and one not to be
missed,