La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writers:

Joseph Delteil (writer)
Carl Theodor Dreyer (writer)

Release Date:

21 April 1928 (Denmark)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

A chronicle of the trial of Jeanne d'Arc on charges of heresy, and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Trial | Torture Chamber | Suffering | Heresy

Cast

Maria Falconetti	...	Jeanne d'Arc (as Melle Falconetti)
Eugene Silvain	...	Évêque Pierre Cauchon (Bishop Pierre Cauchon) (as Eugène Silvain)
André Berley	...	Jean d'Estivet
Maurice Schutz	...	Nicolas Loyseleur
Antonin Artaud	...	Jean Massieu
Michel Simon	...	Jean Lemaître
Jean d'Yd	...	Guillaume Evrard
Louis Ravet	...	Jean Beaupère (as Ravet)
Armand Lurville	...	Juge (Judge) (as André Lurville)
Jacques Arnna	...	Juge (Judge)
Alexandre Mihalesco	...	Juge (Judge)
Léon Larive	...	Juge (Judge)

Also Known As:

The Passion of Joan of Arc (USA)

Runtime:

110 min | France:88 min (1952 re-release) | USA:114 min | 82 min (restored DVD version) (24 fps) | Denmark:96 min

Country:

France

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1988) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-16 (1954) | Norway:16 (1928) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (2003 re-rating) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Société générale des films

Trivia:

None of the actors wears any makeup, which was unheard of in the silent era. Dreyer thought this lent strength to the characters' faces.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the 15th century, a priest can be seen wearing a Jesuit robe. The Jesuit order was founded in the 16th century.

Quotes:

Juge: What is your name?
Jeanne d'Arc: In France, I am called Joan... in my village, I am called Jeanneton.

Movie Connections:

Version of Procès de Jeanne d'Arc (1962)

Soundtrack:

Voices of Light

Falconetti's face is sublimely human

I saw this film for the very first time last week and was so tremendously captivated by it that I needed to share this rapture. The innovative camera-angles, the close-ups revealing pain and spirituality. It elevates the human condition and the Art of film. I would love to be able to go on into the whys or hows or technicalities. But my words couldn't do the film justice for the imagery still overwhelms me.