The Passion of Joan of Arc (1929)

That was an excellent one.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

A Disappointing Continuation

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's Falconetti's face,somehow Dreyer managed to capture on film what seems impossible,such raw human emotion,a soul if you will,and the viewer is left drained at what they had just seen. I recommend the 24 frames a second with the 'Voices of Light' score,and watch it on the biggest screen you can find,because this is a life changing experience,transcendent even.Falconetti gives the greatest performance I've ever seen on film,and the director uses closeups for much of the movie,it's confrontational and brilliant,there is nowhere to look but at Joan,what she is going through,it's powerful stuff,your life will be elevated by just watching it.

The Passion of Joan of Arc is on a completely different level than other great films. It's haunting, terrifying and will break you down psychologically, the same way Joan of Arc was broken down during her trial. This is a masterpiece that breaks all sorts of filmmaking conventions that are rarely broken even today. In fact, the breaking those conventions are what make this film as great as it is.It must be stated the feat that Dreyer pulled off in a technical and story sense. The Passion of Joan of Arc solely centers around Joan of Arc's trial and execution, not the battles and wars, but the trial itself. It's a dialog-driven courtroom drama told without sound. It is almost nonstop talking and there are very few title cards, yet you completely follow everything that is going on and said, even if you can't read lips or don't know the language. It's almost all close-ups without any establishing shots of peoples' faces. On top of that, the only surviving version of this film was created from the film's outtakes by Dreyer because the original version was banned, and from the outtakes, it's STILL one of the greatest film ever made, arguably the greatest ever.This isn't just a movie, this is way beyond that. This is at such great heights that it transcends the medium itself.

When the list of IMDb's top films include multiple titles given to animated features and a fair share of movies that are just downright goofy ("Life of Brian", "Groundhog Day"), it's reassuring to find a gem in the mix like "The Passion of Joan of Arc". Originally released as a completely silent film, I opted to watch it with the accompaniment of the 'Voices of Light' soundtrack, which renders the story in a much more spiritual manner.Accused of blasphemy, Jeanne d'Arc (Maria Falconetti) is placed on trial for refusing to recant her assertions that she's had visions of St. Michael, and that she was directed by the voice of God to take charge of her country's army and lead it to victory. In that regard, the picture's principal negative is that it's not placed in historical context, and one does not know the events taking place during the period of time the woman lived. It actually occurred during the latter half of The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) between England and France. Jeanne's involvement in the conflict turned a long standing Anglo-French conflict into something of a religious war, as her importance to the French cause grew over the course of time.One will be struck by the completely one sided nature of Jeanne's trial, one in which every theologian and judge mocked her replies and judged her responses as blasphemous. What's striking is the portrayal Maria Falconetti brings to her character, she is at the same time terrified of her ordeal, but sublime in the way she accepts her fate. It's one of the more impressive performances one would be fortunate enough to see, particularly coming from cinema's silent era. I think it's safe to say that even if one were not religiously inclined, there's an underlying spiritual power and presence that takes hold of the viewer while watching. It's an experience not to be missed.

After having led numerous military battles against the English during the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc is captured near Compiegne and eventually brought to Rouen, Normandy to stand trial for heresy by French clergymen loyal to the English.On 30 May 1431 Joan is interrogated by the French clerical court. Her judges try to make her say something that will discredit her claim or shake her belief that she has been given a mission by God to drive the English from France, but she remains steadfast. One or two of them, believing that she is indeed a saint, support her. The authorities then resort to deception. A priest reads a false letter to the illiterate prisoner supposedly from King Charles VII of France, telling her to trust in the bearer. When that too fails, Joan is taken to view the torture chamber, but the sight, though it causes her to faint, does not intimidate her.