The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (original title)

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writers:

Carl Theodor Dreyer (writer)
Joseph Delteil (writer)

Release Date:

1928 (Germany)

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 | Suffering | Heresy | Trial | Torture Chamber

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)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Aymé	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Gilbert Dacheux	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Gilbert Dalleu	...	Jean Lemaître (uncredited)
Paul Delauzac	...	Martin Ladvenu (uncredited)
Dimitri Dimitriev	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Fournez-Goffard	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Henri Gaultier	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Paul Jorge	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Henri Maillard	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)
Raymond Narlay	...	Juge (Judge) (uncredited)

Directed by
Carl Theodor Dreyer		(as Carl Th. Dreyer)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joseph Delteil		writer
Carl Theodor Dreyer		writer

Original Music by
Jesper Kyd		(2007 New Score)
Ole Schmidt		(1982)

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté

Film Editing by
Marguerite Beaugé		(uncredited)
Carl Theodor Dreyer		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Jean Hugo		(settings)
Hermann Warm		(settings)

Costume Design by
Valentine Hugo

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Christian Holm	....	assistant director
Paul La Cour	....	assistant director

Other crew
Pierre Champion	....	historial advisor
Carl Theodor Dreyer	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Société générale des films

Distributors

• Gaumont (1928) (France) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1928) (Germany) (theatrical)
• M.J. Gourland (1929) (USA) (theatrical)
• Capitol Film Exchange (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (states rights system)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1978) (USA) (TV)
• Video Yesteryear (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Images (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Yesteryear (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Artificial Eye (2003) (UK) (theatrical) (subtitled) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2005) (Japan) (DVD) (special edition) (original Denmark version)
• Sherlock Home Video (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• Eureka Video (????) (UK) (DVD)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"La passion de Jeanne d'Arc" - France (original title)

Runtime:

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

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1954) | Norway:16 (1928) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (2003 re-rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 (1988) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Société générale des films

Trivia:

After completing the original cut of the film, director Carl Theodor Dreyer learned that the entire master print had been accidentally destroyed. With no ability to re-shoot, Dreyer re-edited the entire film from footage he had originally rejected.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: One of the priests is wearing a pair of black plastic spectacles. Only for a couple of seconds, but it's very apparent.

Quotes:

Juge:How old are you?
Jeanne d'Arc:[counts on her fingers] Nineteen... I think.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Carl Th. Dreyer: My Métier (1995)

Soundtrack:

Voices of Light

Falconetti is amazing!

A certain amount of credit must surely be paid to the director for the genius of 'La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc.' The daring camera angles, use of incessant close-ups and peculiar authenticity all may be attributed to Carl Th. Dryer. However, Renee Maria Falconetti is the reason this film indeed surpasses all attempts at reaching the Platonic form of brilliance. Her performance is breathtaking by all accounts. One can not help but remain mesmerized by her expressions. Yes Dryer's gift to us of so many wonderful close shots of Falconetti should be acknowledged. He must be praised for his relentless filming of scenes to produce the desired result. Yet to imagine anyone else in this timeless role (such as Lillian Gish who was said to have been considered) is to envision a less than perfect film. Unimpeded by the silent medium in which she worked, Falconetti's mere tilt of the head or gentle glance pierce the soul of the viewer. We see her speak in Jeanne's native tongue. We see her compelling portrayal of the anguish which the saint most certainly endured. It is almost as if we are watching what the director said he had found; the martyr's reincarnation! This actress presents to us her raw beauty unmarred by powders or makeup - thanks to a decision of Dryer. How bitter-sweet the fact that we have this once thought to be lost silent film and yet can not help now but to long for more Falconetti. And so we return to 'La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc' and with each of many tears and inaudible sighs marvel at the staggering accomplishment which is Renee Maria Falconetti's Jeanne.