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January 7, 2010
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Should I see it?
Yes.


Short Review: A classic of the silent era which reminds us that film should be an art form, not just a mode of entertainment.



This beautiful and haunting film is one of the great works of cinematic art. A French silent era gem, this movie is still potent nearly ninety years later. The imagery and editing are striking in their maturity given the freshness of the medium and can match much of what is being produced on a daily basis today. This revived film shows that today’s special effects and clever plot twists fail to compete with the artistry and intelligence of the master works.

We follow the trial of Joan of Arc from her time in front of the sneering court, through to her horrid death sentence - she is burned alive. Maria Falconetti’s portrayal of Joan of Arc is disturbing and powerful. Her vacant eyes express a woman who has seen the goodness of God and the evil of man. From the film’s cold opening to the brutal end, Falconetti offers one of the silent era great performances.

The film itself has a strange history. After releasing the film, director Carl Theodor Dreyer found his work of genius censored and reedited by The Catholic Church and French authorities. After the editing, the master print was destroyed. In other words, the original film was lost and all that remained was the edited copy that was forced upon the director. This meant that Dreyer was left patching his film together with previously rejected shots and scenes. Over the course of time the original negatives to the film were destroyed as were the remaining theatrical released reels. The film had been thought lost until a print master, of good quality, was discovered in an Oslo mental institution in 1981. What the heck a print of this film was doing there, I have no idea. After four years of studious reediting, the film was released once again in 1985.

Thankfully, this work of genius has survived and available for us to witness. To see this film now is actually troubling. This film reminds us that we have allowed film to become only a tool of entertainment. Film has the ability to be something more. Film is an art form that has the ability to transform and to offer us a window to the meaning in our lives. Films such as The Passion of Joan of Arc are a reminder of what the medium is capable of and calls for filmmakers to take their craft to a higher level.


Related Reviews:
Other silent era classics:
M (1931)
Phantom of The Opera (1925)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Decent Films Guide
Cinemaphile


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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 8:00 AM




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2 Comments:

Anonymous Joi said...

This is probably my favorite movie of all time. I was introduced to it by my college roommate, who was a medieval history major, and writing a thesis about St. Joan. The film left me literally speechless for several hours after I saw it.

Thank goodness for the Criterion Collection, not only for re-releasing the film, but also for releasing it with the glorious Voices of Light soundtrack by Richard Einhorn.

January 7, 2010 at 9:53 AM  
Anonymous pgepps said...

I ran across this one because of Antonin Artaud's role in it. Curious that the copy was found in a mental institution, because Artaud spent a lot of time in various kinds of care for what seems to have been serious schizophrenia. Not in Oslo, to my knowledge, however. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin_Artaud

January 7, 2010 at 10:53 AM  

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