The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

johnny_ultimate

We don't tend to get a hell of a lot of discussion about silent or even classic film around these parts - curious to see if we can get some discussion started on this one.

I've only really had a keen interest in silent cinema in the last year or two, probably after having the opportunity to see Sunrise, Metropolis and Potemkin in the cinema. But it's remarkable how fresh and exciting it can be to see what the great masters of early cinema achieved with their limited technology. When I saw Passion of Joan of Arc make it into the S&S top ten earlier this year I added it to my to watch list, but decided to wait it out when I saw Masters of Cinema were planning a Blu-Ray release.

Sat down to watch said (gorgeous) HD transfer last night and it's absolutely magnificent, effortlessly withstanding nearly a century of subsequent cinema. Directed by Carl Theoder Dreyer, this is a non-traditional interpretation of the Joan of Arc story - purposefully far removed from the typical armoured goddess portrayal, the film intensely focuses on the trial and subsequent burning of Jeanne (played here, with startling wide-eyed intensity by Renée Falconetti). It's a surprisingly frank critique of religious dogma and how it can terrifyingly sway seemingly sympathetic individuals to persecute people who share the same basic beliefs.

The film has very considered pacing - a handful of sets utilised over 90 minutes or so (a tad shorter if you go for the 24 FPS version) - but it's consistently engaging and unsettling. While Dreyer successfully creates a very emotional and humanistic film (even allowing the 'villains' to be painted in shades of grey rather than a typical portrayal of 'evil'), it is undeniably uncomfortable even today. ('spoilers' for an 85 year-old film follow ) Joan is put through a series of physical and mental humiliations, with Falconetti having her hair shaved off in one of the film's most unsettling scenes. It all builds up to what might be one of cinema's most remarkable endings - a vividly edited and masterfully shot sequence where the public riot against (and are promptly put down by) the authorities for condemning their heroine to death. Meanwhile Joan burns in astonishingly brutal detail - resilient and faithful to her very last and this time fatal public humiliation.

The film is famed for its frank close-ups - indeed, few films if any have managed to recapture the sheer intensity of emotion Dreyer manages in his almost constant focus on faces. But even apart from the close-ups the film is full of inventive, still impressive cinematography - whether it's the tracking shots of the opening scenes or the disorientating and surreal compositions that help enhance the sense of dread and brutality in the film's closing minutes.

The Blu-Ray is stunningly clear given the age of the source material - minor scratches as is, but a helpful comparative special feature illustrates the massive improvements that have been made from the severely damaged source material. The film and its several alternative versions have had a very complex history - elaborated upon in a fascinating, in-depth and lavish 100-page booklet included with the Masters of Cinema release. The film is therefore impressively presented with a range of viewing options. The optimal viewing format is suggested to be 20FPS with no sound at all, but it's also presented in 24 FPS version, with both coming with separate optional music scores. A fifth version is also included - another alternate version (using different takes after the original negative was supposedly destroyed) of the film that was for much of the twentieth century until a print of Dreyer's preferred original cut was discovered in a psychiatric hospital closet (!).

Anyway, I've rambled on a bit, but if anyone else has any thoughts, insights or opinions on the film I'd be very interested in hearing them For anyone who hasn't, this new release is a great opportunity to see a genuinely special and unique film in a beautiful restored form. I know many viewers don't see much appeal in silent cinema, but films like Passion of Joan of Arc are as involving and memorable as they were decades ago.

mike65

I haven't seen this but every time I see clips from it I think I really should do, ditto Nosferatu and few others, of the "classics" I've only seen Potemkin (with the classical music score) and some comedy's like The General and Safety Last.

I don't have interest in collecting DVDs and TV tends not to be interested in silents of course.

krudler

Keep meaning to watch this, silent stuff I've watched in the last few months were Nosferatu, Metropolis and The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. All worth watching, Metropolis especially.

johnny_ultimate

mike65 wrote: »

I don't have interest in collecting DVDs and TV tends not to be interested in silents of course.

I'd probably see about 2% of the films I want to if I stuck with TV

krudler wrote: »

Keep meaning to watch this, silent stuff I've watched in the last few months were Nosferatu, Metropolis and The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. All worth watching, Metropolis especially.

Do watch it. All of the famed silent classics are worth watching in my experience (plus probably plenty of lesser known ones that are inevitably much harder to track down). While I do love all the others, there's something about the raw emotions and vivid stylisation of Passion of Joan of Arc that makes it absolutely stand out from both the peers of its era and contemporary cinema. Comparing it and Metropolis would be like trying to compare Tree of Life and Serenity (and do not for a second consider than an attack on the genius that is Serenity :P). Both wonderful films, but for entirely different yet equally thrilling reasons.

Lennonist

I saw this in a film club many years ago. Really excellent film, surprisingly in the way that it openly questions and challenges the social mores of the time and undoubtedly of the era when the film was made. Visually and technically one of the best films of any era that you will see.

Catcher7791

Saw it in April when the IFI did their Dreyer season, with live musical accompaniment. Falconetti's face on the big screen was unforgettably intense.

kitakyushu

I'd go as far to say if you only ever watch one silent era movie then this should be the one. The use if close-ups alone makes the film almost seem contemporary.

Da Shins Kelly

It's an amazing film. Falconetti gives a performance unlike any I've ever seen. Her eyes are just incredible, full of sadness and innocence. It's really captivating.

It's miraculous that we even get to see this film given the trouble around it, with censorship and the originals being lost in fires, and then all the chopping and changing that people did with the film over the years. Then years later suddenly another original copy shows up in a Norwegian mental hospital. It's like some kind of divine intervention!

Given when it was released, and the fact that Joan of Arc herself was way ahead of her time (she'd only been canonized a few years before its release), it's quite a confrontational film, as far as the church goes. To make a film that really makes the church out to be the bad guys at such a time was a pretty brave step.

Technocentral

If Joan of Arc had a heart would she give it as a gift?

Sad Professor

I watched this years ago, in my late teens, and probably didn't appreciate it as much as I would now. Planning to pick up the MoC Blu-ray when I have the funds.

losthorizon

I'm a great fan of cinema fullstop. I watch a load of classic films and some seem to age and some dont. For me this particular film just didnt do it. It didnt hold my attention like Sunrise which is possibly the most beautiful film ever made or Nosferatu. Joan of Arc seemed to drag and go on for too long. However, I will say the final few scenes are very unsettling and painful to watch. My wife had to leave the room instead of watching what was happening to Joan.

Halliwells Film Guide from 2008 or earlier with his list of three and four star films will keep you occupied for ever with brilliant films down through the ages.