SILENT NIGHT

SILENT NIGHT tells the story of how the famous Christmas carol came to be written and sung.

In 1818 Austria, Joseph, a young Catholic priest, has just been assigned to assist the residing priest in the small town of Oberndorf. In the past, the current priest has been reprimanded by their superior, Father Noestler, for his non-traditional ways, but doesn’t want to discourage Joseph, who’s non-traditional as well. When the residing priest is finally removed from Oberndorf because he’s considered too modern, Joseph is thrust into the lead.

Joseph’s heart from the beginning is to make the church more open and relatable to the common people. He speaks the mass services in German rather than Latin so the uneducated and majority of the townspeople can understand. The attendance increases with townspeople, several of whom frequent the tavern where Joseph must take his meals because there’s no kitchen at the parish. This raises the eyebrows of traditionalists who would rather Sunday’s mass be only done in Latin.

Joseph is passionate about the music of the church and works with the organist to begin a choir that includes men who don’t attend church and a woman who is a barmaid at the local tavern! This is completely scandalous to those favoring the exclusivity of the church and church tradition, which didn’t include women singing in the church choir.

Soon enough, Joseph is threatened that he must adhere to the traditions of the Catholic Church in Oberndorf or he will be disciplined. Joseph tries to hold fast to his convictions, but when a young boy he’s fond of dies, the organ breaks, and Father Noestler shuts down his choir of townspeople, he gives up and puts in his letter for a transfer.

At that point, Joseph is encouraged by the townspeople he’s served. It is just before Christmas and Joseph is further inspired by the lyrics he’d already written for “Silent Night” as he talks to God while looking out over the town of Oberndorf below the church as the snow falls. He asks a local organist, Franz Gruber, to write a simple melody for his lyrics.

Joseph has an epiphany about the song. He gathers the people to arrange and sing it during a time of caroling on Christmas Eve 1818. However, he faces opposition from Father Noestler. Will Joseph succeed in uniting the people and bringing the church closer to them?

SILENT NIGHT is beautifully shot, with a cohesive storyline defining Joseph’s character arc and character development as the plot unfolds. SILENT NIGHT has a very strong Christian, moral worldview. Joseph writes religious poetry and music as well as preaches during Sunday Mass, where he shares Scripture and shows love and compassion to the fatherless, sick and needy. SILENT NIGHT is an uplifting television movie about perhaps the greatest Christmas carol ever written.

Originally airing on television, SILENT NIGHT is now available on DVD.