MIRACLE AT MIDNIGHT

REVIEWED BY ANNA T.

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

In Denmark, 1940, lived a Christian Danish family by the name of Koster. Their lives were happily normal. Every day Elsa goes off to school, her brother Hendrick attends the university and, unknown to the rest of his family, is a part of the Danish resistance against Hitler. Justin, the father, is Chief surgeon at a large hospital and uneasily senses the growing clench of Hitler’s power on his beloved country. As things start to change, the mother insists on sending Hendrick to escort Elsa to school each morning, and when she frustratingly tells him to let her alone they chase through the streets and Hendrick bumps into a German officer. Sparks ignite and he demands to search Hendrick’s bag. When he finds nothing, he sends the two on their way and Hendrick soon joins his friends at the university and breathlessly tells one of the close encounter... there were leaflets for the resistance in a book the officer had not gone through. 

That very day the resistance plans to have a demonstration to show they can fight back. Hendrick and his best friend are crucially involved, and they go on with their plans to break into German trucks and steal the weapons and ammunition. In the midst of the firing, one of Hendrick’s friends got shot. When he is taken to the hospital and left to be found by nurses, Hendrick’s father is faced with the moral delema of caring for this rebel and a German officer wounded in the same fight. Now that the Nazi’s have demanded the names of every patient in the hospital, what will Justin do? 

From a secret source, the Jews obtain the information that the Nazis are going to arrest them all on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year at midnight. Some find it hard to believe. The Nazi’s have left them alone for three years, why would they come now? Others ask their Christian friends to hide them, and homes are offered willingly in spite of the risk. But will the Jews be saved in time? Will they all be able to hide from the danger drowning their land? How long can their friends and neighbors hide them without detection? And where will they go? So many countries had already shut their doors to the outcast people. Who will take them until Hitler’s evil is crushed?

People are shot at and some are killed non-graphically. Some blood is seen from wounds. The shadow of a man’s feet is shown, implying he hung himself—which he did. Machine gunfire is heard gunning an elderly person down. The film has many tense scenes where the Jews escape and are searched after. An engaged couple are told by their parents they can share one half of the attic they are hiding in, while the parents are on the other side. They never are shown doing anything inappropriate. He kisses her after he gives her his Star of David necklace in a tender and emotional scene. Two resistance fighters attempt to distract some Nazi officers. She persuades her partner to take off his jacket, pulls him down on the ground next to her, and they kiss briefly until interrupted.

The story is compelling, and a somewhat different side of things is shown from a family’s perspective. The mother is fearful for her children and resists adamantly any mention or pursuit of helping the Jews, which in turn would risk her children. I did wish they had shown more from the young daughter’s perspective. The mother is weak at first, but by the end has found courage. Knowing it was inspired by true events makes The Miracle at Midnight even more heart rendering. The end is both very emotional and simply miraculous. In spite of opposition, danger, death and fear, the people of Denmark took part in a miracle at midnight.