Movie 10min

Christmas Eve Tragedy (1908)

Original title: Nuit de Noël
Rating:

+ 7 images
Facts
Country France
Language French
Titles
(Country Spesific) Christmas Eve
(Original) Nuit de Noël
(Alternative) Christmas Eve Night
(Country Spesific) Christmas Night
Production
Distribution
(USA, 1908) Pathé Frères
Other
(US Import, 1908) Pathé Frères
Categories
Adultery Black and White Christmas Church Crusifix Death Drama Grief Horse Hypocrisy Longing Prayer Revenge Short Silent Film Tragedy
Descriptions

Although it is very near Christmas, when everybody should rejoice, a sailor bound for a dangerous expedition takes leave of his wife, and the poor woman is seen following with dim eyes the departing ship, her heart apparently heavy with grief. After having cried and prayed on a cross, the grass-widow returns to the farm to resume her duties and takes a sack of wheat to the next mill. The miller, knowing of the sailor's departure, and finding the lass very agreeable and charming, after having seen to the wheat bag, gives his whole attention to the young woman, and he does not seem to mind very much the clumsy advances made by the workingman. They part after a rather excited confab, and have evidently made an appointment for the evening at the church, for it is a Christmas celebration. We follow the two young people in the chapel, then to a bonfire dance, and lastly we see them both driving away in a country cart. They arrive at the sailor's home, leave the carriage before the door, go in, and then all is stillness, until the sailor, returning unexpectedly from his trip, finds the horse and cart waiting at his door, understands his misfortune, and, blind with rage, breaks in. The lover, conscious of his danger, jumps from a top window down into the waiting vehicle and is galloping madly away when his pursuer, getting a glimpse of the retreating man, dashes after him, and after a wild chase manages to overtake his enemy, and, jumping on the cart, a fierce struggle ensues. The miller is knocked down by the infuriated sailor, and then, in a paroxysm of hatred and thirst for revenge, the robbed husband backs the horse and cart with its driver down a terrible precipice into the sea. They are all seen being dashed to atoms on the protruding rocks, and the last picture is that of the sea angrily beating against the rocks as if in mute protest against this terrible deed.

Source: Moving Picture World


A sailor on the eve of Christmas, leaves for a dangerous voyage. His wife accompanies him. Then, after crying and praying with a pardon, she goes back to the farm and goes through the mill to get a bag of flour. The miller woos her, which she seems to accept with good grace. They meet at Midnight Mass. Then the mass ended, they go by car to the young woman. There they leave the cart at the door and enter. But the sailor returns unexpectedly and, seeing the cart, understands his misfortune. He bursts into the house but the miller tries to flee with his cart. Joined by the furious sailor, he is knocked unconscious and then the cuckold leads the crew to the cliff and throws them into the sea.

Source: Pathe Freres - Translated

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Cast
Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois -
Crew
Unavailbale.
Reviews
by
Gravatar
Slow and different

"Christmas Eve Tragedy" is a different kind of Christmas film, where Christmas is the backdrop for adultery and revenge. The sailor goes away and the wife starts an affair, and more scandalous as she is shown both praying and going to church. We all know this is hypocrisy in the end, but the film slowly takes us there. For me, it's uncertain for how long the husband is gone, if the grief and longing of the wife is real or fake. In any way, this film gives us the idea of the righteous indignation of the husband when he returns. The film is most well known for the fact that they killed a horse to make the end scene, and that is quite disturbing.