La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc
1928 History Drama
|
Credits
|
|
|
Summary
Joan of Arc is put on trial for alleged treason. Once glorified as her nation's saviour,
she has become a mere pawn in a game of political intrigue. Her sacrifice would appear
inevitable...
Review
Unquestionably the best film version of the Joan of Arc story ever made. A masterpiece
of visual poetry which captures not just the brutality of Joan's betrayal and sacrifice,
but the tragic humanity of those involved. Write
a review for this film...
When you see a movie about a well-known subject, you don’t expect to be surprised anymore. One of these movies is La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928). This is what happened with this movie: I knew every scene, every line that would follow. But, in this case, maybe it is better this way, because I could concentrate more on the images and the two actors: Maria Falconetti and Antonin Artaud. I was thinking... Well, maybe in our time, the role played by Maria Falconetti could seem a little too dramatic, or maybe pathetic, for few: a Jeanne that cries all the time. But for that time I think it’s really unbelievable how she plays her role, and the gestures are telling everything, that there is no need for the inserted texts, that are explaining the action. The movie can be one about Maria Falconetti, an acting exercise, maybe. She manages so well to pass from one state to another, from ecstasy to interior peace, even resignation. Jeanne is a Christ, which experiences all the moments of the passions, from the well-known judgment, to the injury and, finally, death. I liked Dreyer’s way of representing the group of the so-called judges, in a Daumier-esque, caricatured way, but at the same time very representative for that society, with its unstable structure. Antonin Artaud seems to be like a child, in a confused situation, not knowing what to do or to believe. His enlightenment takes place in the moment of Jeanne’s death; he plays his small role wonderfully. Laura Greere, Romania See also: Ordet (1955) 
Write a review for this film... |
|
