Movie Review

Title: Passion of Jeanne d'Arc
Filmed in 1928, silent, B/W
Starring: Renee Falconetti

Yesterday TCM ran a series of movies about Joan of Arc and the best one is a cinematographic masterpiece. Long before Orson Welles etal tried new camera angles and techniques, film maker Carl Theodor Dreyer did use innovative camera work to make this remarkable movie.

Jeanne (Joan) as you all know, was a French peasant girl who felt compelled by God to help the beleagured French King fight against the English. Saying God directed her to do this ruffled priestly feathers, and she was imprisoned and tortured and attempts were made to make her sign a document that it was the devil, not God who was guiding her. After being tortured, she did sign the document--with a priest guiding her hand and signing-- but she recanted.
This was the trial where she was brought up on charges of heresy and witch craft by ecclesiastical jurist who sought to force her to recant her claims of holy visions. Director Dreyer chose not to fictionalize the story, and used trial documents instead.
Jeanne was played by Renee Falconetti, a marvelous actress, with such an expressive face, every emotion was so clear and poignant that words really weren't needed. She was absolutely wonderful.

Director Dreyer did not allow his actors to wear any makeup, so there was none of that silent movie lipstick and mascara for men--nope, every actor's warts and wrinkles were plain to see. Jeanne's hair was cut short, so her boyish pixie haircut looks modern today--no dated silent era movie look.

There were a couple of things that weren't apropos--one priest was wearing glasses--which hadn't been invented at that time in history--and in the scene where Jeanne's hair was cut to the scalp prior to being tied to the stake, the priest used scissors--also an invention far into the future.

In 1431 Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake in the courtyard of Rouen Castle. Through the flames and smoke, she gazed at a flock of birds taking wing as the fire overtook her.

Jeanne d'Arc 1412/1431

susil