The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer (as Carl Th. Dreyer)

Writers:

Joseph Delteil, Carl Theodor Dreyer

Stars:

Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley

Top Rated Movies #226 | 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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)

Storyline

Giovanna is taken to the Inquisition court. . After the accusation of blasphemy continues to pray in ecstasy . A friar thinks that Giovanna is a saint, but is taken away by the soldiers. Giovanna sees a cross in the shadow and feels comforted. She is not considered a daughter of God but a daughter of the devil and is sentenced to torture. Giovanna D 'Arco says that even if she dies she will not deny anything. The eyes are twisted by terror in front of the torture wheel and faint. Giovanna is taken to a bed where they are bleeding. Giovanna feels that she is about to die and asks to be buried in a consecrated area. Giovanna burns at the stake while devoted ladies cry.

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Plot Keywords:

trial | close up scene | martyrdom | teenage girl | restored film | 

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Taglines:

JOAN of ARC PICTURES Inc. presents

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Voted as the ninth greatest film of all time in Sight & Sound's 2012 critics' poll.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film when two rocks are thrown through what is supposed to be a leaded glass window it is clear from the way it breaks that it is just a regular pane of glass with lines drawn on it to simulate leaded glass.

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Quotes

Évêque Pierre Cauchon (Bishop Pierre Cauchon): So you think God hates the English?
Jeanne d'Arc: I don't know if God loves or hates the English; but I do know that the English will all be chased from France - except those that die here!

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Alternate Versions

A full restoration was made in 1985 by the Cinémathèque Française under the direction of Vincent Pinel, using the same Danish print in the Danske Filmmuseum in Copenhagen. Intertitles were translated from Danish to French by Michel Drouzy. It uses the score "Voices of Light" by Richard Einhorn and runs 82 minutes.

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Connections

Featured in The Image Book (2018)

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Soundtracks

Voices of Light
Written by Richard Einhorn
The score used in the 1995 version

User Reviews

Sensory Shift

This film almost leads one to believe that sound betrays the emotion the eyes capture. Just as the blind develop hearing far better than the average, the deaf develop a keen sense of sight. I am convinced that a lack of dialogue forces us to read the language of the face and body, a verbage unmatched in beauty and nuance. Though the accompanying musical piece (be careful not to identify it as a score), so deliciously inspired by the film, enhances the visual playground; it is the actors' faces that comprise this tour de force. Ms. Falconetti shifts from worry and doubt to unabashed conviction in a single shot, giving the viewer the luck of seeing one's thoughts in progress. She needs no response to the interrogation, it's all in her face. Renee is not superficially beautiful and the lack of make-up only reinforces how bare Joan is, but it is the uncanny ability of an incomparable stage actor to be a window into the soul that makes her so stunning, for the soul we see is one we only wish to attain for ourselves. The Church sees what we see, and they respond just as clearly to her unspoken protest with vehement pomp. The cinematography is so astounding for its time no comment could ever do it justice. Though many comments can be made, and are, surrounding the inspiration and detail for the set, it is at its core an incredible gift from Dreyer to the actors meant to inspire. It plays little part in the film, but to pull an inconceivable last drop of reality from the actors. A testament I can imagine will never be matched to the incredible power of silence.

Details

Country:

France

Language:

None French

Release Date:

25 October 1928 (France)

Also Known As:

The Passion of Joan of Arc

Filming Locations:

Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,408, 26 November 2017

Gross USA:

$21,877

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,877

Company Credits

Production Co:

Société générale des films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 88 min (1952 re-release) 82 min (restored DVD) 97 min (DVD) 96 min (Blu-ray) 60 min (synchronized sound reissue)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1