Jeanne la Pucelle II - Les prisons
1994 History / Drama   
 
Credits
  • Director: Jacques Rivette
  • Script: Pascal Bonitzer, Christine Laurent, Jacques Rivette
  • Photo: William Lubtchansky
  • Music: Jordi Savall, Guillaume Dufay
  • Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire (Jeanne d'Arc), André Marcon (Charles, Dauphin de France), Jean-Louis Richard (La Trémoille), Marcel Bozonnet (Regnault de Chartres), Patrick Le Mauff (Jean Bâtard d'Orléans), Didier Sauvegrain (Raoul de Gaucourt), Jean-Pierre Lorit (Jean d'Alençon), Bruno Wolkowitch (Gilles de Laval), Romain Lagarde (Nicolas), Florence Darel (Jeanne d'Orléans), Pierre Baillot (Jacques Boucher), Germain Rousseau (Le confesseur du Dauphin), Emmanuel de Chauvigny (Gros-Garrau), Mathias Jung (Jean Pasquerel), Mathieu Bisson (Louis de Coutes), Jean-Pierre Becker (Jean d'Aulon), Quentin Ogier (Raymond), Stéphane Boucher (La Hire), Xavier Maly (Xaintrailles), Vincent Solignac (Pierre)
  • Country: France
  • Language: French
  • Runtime: 176 min
  • Aka: Joan the Maid 2: The Prisons
 
 
 
Summary
After her defeat at the battle of Orleans, Joan of Arc has been arrested and sent to prison.  In two separate trials, she is tried for heresy and impersonating a man.  If she does not confess, she will be sentenced to death.

Review
In this second part of Jacques Rivette’s epic six-hour long film adaptation of the Joan of Arc story, Sandrine Bonnaire continues her moving and forceful portrayal of Joan of Arc.    Whilst the first part of the film showed how Joan’s faith led her to achieve some remarkable victories in battle against the English, this second part homes in on Joan’s inner personal struggle to hold onto her faith when all appears to be lost.

Despite the compelling performances and masterful cinematography, this part of the film feels slow and laboured compared with the first.  However, together, the two parts of the film offer a fairly impressive account of the Joan of Arc story.

© James Travers 2002


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