In what has to be one of the most incongruent applications of Christmas music in the history of cinema, director Carl Foreman created a moment that remains profoundly unsettling more than sixty years later. The Victors (1963), which was photographed by Christopher Challis, BSC, follows the exploits of a U.S. Army platoon in Europe during World War Two. The beauty of his black and white work and precision of his compositions during the sequence in question help bolster what is an undeniably grim moment. On a purely technical level, make special note of his seamless matching between wide shots captured on location and close ups shot in studio. They’re truly impressive.
I realize this’s an odd choice for posting in the middle of a joyous season, but I have my reasons. As a kid, every time the Frank Sinatra-version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas came within earshot, my father would refer to a scene in ‘some movie’ in which it played under a cluster of disturbing action. He could never recall the title, but it clearly had an effect on him. By chance, I heard the song the other night and the old memory kicked in. I decided to do some detective work, hence the clip below.
It’s funny how the timing worked out. As pertained to so many other issues – right up to his passing last year – my father was right about this one, too. It is as disturbing as it is memorable!
Stick with it to the end. It’s a bit long, but it’s worth it.
I’m curious to know if anyone ever asked the director why he chose that odd juxtaposition of music and images in that story? Maybe one needs to see the entire movie to get the reason but as a standalone clip it really is strange.
Thanks for this truly obscure gem. It is a piece of what real cinema should be – unsettling, visceral, mysterious (I’m sure it conveys the same feelings watching the movie in its entirety). More disturbing is to realize that such a scene would be impossible to do in today’s world of correctness…
Richard,
I saw this film as a 10 year old, and I probably shouldn’t have.
My dad who served in the 69th armored battalion, 116 armored division in Patton’s 3rd army
through Bohemia, Belgium always thought that this film was probably the most accurate to his recollection.
As we have talked about all of the WW II we have seen as kids growing up, this was the most disturbing and complex of them all. It goes from heroic to anti hero to anti war sentiments in a form that is a true rollercoaster of emotions.
Only as an adult seeing the film again, I realized what a masterpiece of filmmaking it is.
Thanks,
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.
Wow!
Everything you said in the description is right on. The cinematography is superb and as you pointed out the matching between location and studio is excellent. The music playing against the scenes is totally arresting.
May your father’s memory be a blessing. I think I may have met him briefly in 1980 or 81 when we filmed in your basement for “High Feather” — Happy Holidays, Greg
Thank you, Greg. And oh, man…I do remember shooting in my parents’ basement for High Feather. Summer of ’79. Wow… Happy New Year!
It’s hard to believe dear Richard, that a simple post can transform itself in a marvelous Seasons gift but this is what happened. It was non-sense to postpone the watching of the whole movie after seeing the disturbing scene you proposed and commented, so I did it immediately. The reward ? I discovered what personally I consider to be one of the greatest war films ever made (better said, anti-war movies). And I also understand why is so widely unknown (just read that the available copies to us, were censored soon after the release) being at the same time a revelation that the New American Cinema didn’t start (in spirit) at the begining of the seventies, but of the sixties…I don’t know how to thank again for giving me (us) this masterpiece.
Gabriel – I’m very happy you responded so strongly to The Victors. Its themes are as relevant today as when they first appeared onscreen. My best to you for 2025!
Great post. Disturbing clip, yet understandably memorable. Another film to watch.