Silent Night Signals a Fight - Spotlight

Legend has it that Silent Night stopped a war, at least for a night, a hundred years ago in the trenches of the First World War. 

Accounts may differ now on what exactly caused the ceasefire, what songs were sung, what things were done such as was there a game of football? Nevertheless the Christmas truce is remembered as a miracle.

Silent Night played as background for a montage in the film Spotlight. It was nowhere sounding miraculous or peaceful; it was actually eerie at first, as if something does not belong and yet it is also hypnotic enough that I could never dismiss the feeling that it all fits.

Spotlight is about the investigative team at Boston Globe that broke open a story about church cover-up of pedophiles in their ranks. Their trail on John Geoghan unknowingly led them to a policy that hid over 87 pedophile priests in the Boston Archdiocese.

Think about it, this is a story about reporters uncovering a sex scandal involving child rape. 

Up until that point it was always grown men, tired with their secret began talking with lawyers and sometimes the reporters of Spotlight. A song playing out of the blue, sung by children, was jarring.

Silent Night is a soft simple song that sounds like a lullaby for the Baby Jesus. One of its most repeated words are 'heavenly peace' but what are the visuals?

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It is Christmas season, should be silent night and of all things Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo) was busy drafting the first ever article that would expose the cover-up of pedophiles by the Boston Archdiocese. His bosses, the editorial team, of Boston Globe are sharing his stress.

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Christmas season and Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) is doing follow-ups with victims of sex abuse. One is visibly distraught as it was probably the first time he’s shared the experience anyone. There’s no heavenly peace for him, none since the incident the broke his childhood.

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Robby Robinson (Michael Keaton) is still building up the courage to urge his friend not only to break attorney client privilege but also break ranks with the Church, the pillar of the community that has raised them both. 

Now I don’t mean that one shouldn’t do anything remotely hostile during Christmas. Song does not match the visuals which increases the tension and you always had to asked why. Ending the montage with a children’s choir says it all.

For much of the movie there were stories of priests shifting parishes, boys molested and raped, and yet authorities giving the Church a benefit of the doubt, also parents are giving the Church the benefit of the doubt. 

Cinematography has the church always looming large in the background and the children are always close behind. Church, children, rape, silence...

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Mike Rezendes was sadly looking at the choir. It was as if to say no want wants this. He would have loved to just sit down and enjoy the song. People shouldn’t be feeling weird with a children’s choir especially on Christmas but crimes have been committed.

Which is probably why the chosen song is one that alludes not to Santa or bells or reindeers but to the Baby Jesus because it gives focus to the betrayal by the institution that claims to worship Him.

By the time I remembered the story of the Christmas truce I reached a whole new level of amazement especially considering that this is a story about journalists. 

Writing is a lonely exercise as shots of Rezendes would often show. The montage, as unexciting as it looks, if it were an action movie then it would be equivalent to the final duel. 

As peaceful as Silent Night is, the presentation had the tension of a battle hymn worthy of a John Williams. Robby talking to his source after the song was the final punch. 

Being a signal into battle is not loyal to its war stopping past but it all made for a beautiful Oscar winning picture.