The Passion of Joan of Arc is a
silent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially spoken dialogue. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with...
produced in France in
1928-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 31 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's mascot Leo the Lion roars for the very first time, creating one of the most popular American film logos....
. It is based on the
trialIn law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a formal setting, usually a court, before a judge, jury, or other designated finder of fact, in order to achieve a resolution to their dispute....
records of
Joan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII...
. The film was directed by
Carl Theodor DreyerCarl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish born film director of Swedish descent. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:...
and stars
Renée Jeanne FalconettiRenée Jeanne Falconetti , sometimes credited as Maria Falconetti, Marie Falconetti, Renée Maria Falconetti, or, simply, Falconetti, was a French stage and film actress, notable for her role as Joan of Arc in Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 silent film, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc.Born...
and
Antonin ArtaudAntoine Marie Joseph Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
. It is widely regarded as a landmark of cinema.
The film details the last hours of the life of Joan of Arc and takes place after she was captured by the English. It depicts her trial, imprisonment, torture, and execution much as a
passion playA Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Christ: the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition.-The Easter play:...
would.
Written on her confession, Joan is referred to as
Jehanne appelée La Pucelle, or "Joan, called The Virgin".
What especially stood out at the time when
Passion was made was the film's
camera-workThe movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film. In contrast to a still camera, which captures a single snapshot at a time, the movie camera takes a series of images, each called a "frame". This is accomplished through an intermittent...
and emphasis on the actors' facial features.
The Passion of Joan of Arc is a
silent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially spoken dialogue. The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with...
produced in France in
1928-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 31 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's mascot Leo the Lion roars for the very first time, creating one of the most popular American film logos....
. It is based on the
trialIn law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a formal setting, usually a court, before a judge, jury, or other designated finder of fact, in order to achieve a resolution to their dispute....
records of
Joan of ArcSaint Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII...
. The film was directed by
Carl Theodor DreyerCarl Theodor Dreyer, Jr. was a Danish born film director of Swedish descent. He is regarded by many critics and filmmakers as one of the greatest directors in cinema.-Life:...
and stars
Renée Jeanne FalconettiRenée Jeanne Falconetti , sometimes credited as Maria Falconetti, Marie Falconetti, Renée Maria Falconetti, or, simply, Falconetti, was a French stage and film actress, notable for her role as Joan of Arc in Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 silent film, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc.Born...
and
Antonin ArtaudAntoine Marie Joseph Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
. It is widely regarded as a landmark of cinema.
Story and style
The film details the last hours of the life of Joan of Arc and takes place after she was captured by the English. It depicts her trial, imprisonment, torture, and execution much as a
passion playA Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Christ: the trial, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition.-The Easter play:...
would.
Written on her confession, Joan is referred to as
Jehanne appelée La Pucelle, or "Joan, called The Virgin".
What especially stood out at the time when
Passion was made was the film's
camera-workThe movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film. In contrast to a still camera, which captures a single snapshot at a time, the movie camera takes a series of images, each called a "frame". This is accomplished through an intermittent...
and emphasis on the actors' facial features. Dreyer shot a great deal of the film in close-up and did not allow his actors to wear makeup, the better to tell the story through their expressions—this choice was made possible through use of the recently developed
panchromaticPanchromatic film is a type of black-and-white photographic film that is sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light. A panchromatic film therefore produces a realistic image of a scene. Almost all modern photographic film is panchromatic, but some types are orthochromatic and are not sensitive...
film.
Falconetti was commended for her multifaceted performance as Joan, which was her second and last film role.
Cast
- Maria Falconetti — Jeanne d'Arc
Saint Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII...
(as MlleMademoiselle may refer to:* The French-language equivalent of "miss" * "Mademoiselle Juliette", a 2007 song by French singer Alizée...
Falconetti)
- Eugène Silvain — Évêque
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Pierre CauchonPierre Cauchon , bishop of Beauvais. A strong partisan of English interests in France during the latter years of the Hundred Years' War, his role in arranging Joan of Arc's downfall led most subsequent observers to condemn his extension of secular politics into an ecclesiastical trial...
- André Berley — Jean d'Estivet
- Maurice Schutz
Maurice Schutz was a French film actor.He starred in some 91 films between 1918 and 1952.-Selected filmography:* Vampyr * Return to Life * La Symphonie fantastique...
— Nicolas Loyseleur
- Antonin Artaud
Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
— Jean Massieu
- Gilbert Dalleu — Jean Lemaître
- Jean d'Yd
Jean d'Yd was the stage name of Jean Paul Felix Didier Perret. He was a French actor and comedian, and was born in Paris in the on 17 May 1880...
— Nicolas de Houppeville
- Louis Ravet — Jean Beaupère (as Ravet)
- Michel Simon
Michel Simon , was a Swiss actor. The actor François Simon is his son.-Early years:...
— Judge
Music
Dreyer intended the film to be watched in complete silence with no musical accompaniment. However, several scores have been composed later.
- In 1988 the Dutch composer Jon van den Booren wrote a modern score for symphony orchestra.
- In 1994 composer Richard Einhorn
Richard Einhorn is a modern classical composer.Graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University in 1975, studied composition and electronic music with Jack Beeson, Vladimir Ussachevsky, and Mario Davidovsky....
wrote an oratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
based on the film, entitled "Voices of LightVoices of Light is a 1994 musical composition by Richard Einhorn. It was inspired by the silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc , which is also accompanied with a live performance...
". This piece is now available as an optional accompaniment on the Criterion Collection's DVD release of the film.
- In 1999, American
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer/songwriter Cat PowerCat Power is the stage name of American singer/songwriter Chan Marshall . She is known for her minimalist style, sparse guitar and piano playing, and breathy vocals.-Biography:...
provided musical accompaniment at several screenings of the film in the U.S.
- In 2003, Norwegian electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
act UgressUgress is an electronica project from Bergen, Norway. The man behind this project is Gisle Martens Meyer.Ugress has released four albums: Resound, released in 2002, climbed to the second place on the official Norwegian chart board. A second album, Cinematronics, was released two years later. It...
released a limited edition CD entitled "La Passion De Jeanne D'Arc: Soundtrack to a silent movie.
- On April 16, 2008, neo-classical
Neoclassical Dark Wave refers to a music genre within the Dark Wave movement. It is characterized by the use of ethereal atmosphere and angelic female voices but also adds strong influences from classical music...
/martial electronica group In The NurseryIn The Nursery are a neo-classical/martial electronica band, known for their cinematic sound. As a result, the duo has provided soundtracks to a variety of TV programmes and films, and is known for its rescoring of silent films.- Career :...
premiered a new sound track for the film at Sheffield Cathedral.
- Danish composer Jesper Kyd
Jesper Jakobson Kyd is an acclaimed video game and film score composer.He combines sounds of dark ambient, electronic and symphonic music and has won many awards...
was commissioned by Danish Film Festival founders Christian Ditlev Bruun and Lene Pels Jorgensen to provide a new score for the Danish Film Festival: Los Angeles.
Responses and legacy
Pauline KaelPauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career she was published by City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
wrote that Falconetti's portrayal of Joan of Arc "may be the finest performance ever recorded on film." However, it was banned in
BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
for its portrayal of crude English soldiers who mock and torment Joan in scenes that mirror biblical accounts of Christ's mocking at the hands of Roman soldiers. The
Archbishop of ParisThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris is one of twenty-three archdioceses of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created in the 3rd century by St. Denis and corresponded with the Civitas Parisiorum; it was elevated to an archdiocese on...
was also critical, demanding changes be made to the film. Whether or not this request was honored in any way is unknown.
The original version of the film was lost for decades after a fire destroyed the master negative. Dreyer himself attempted to reassemble a version from out-takes and surviving prints, but he died believing his original cut was lost forever. In one of the most important discoveries in cinema history, a virtually complete print of Dreyer's original version was found in 1981 in a janitor's closet of an Oslo mental institution. This version is now available on DVD.
Scenes from
Passion appear in
Jean-Luc GodardJean-Luc Godard is a French and Swiss filmmaker and one of the founding members of the Nouvelle Vague, or "French New Wave"....
's
Vivre sa Vie (1962), in which the protagonist Nana sees the film at a cinema and identifies with Joan. In
Henry & JuneHenry & June is a 1990 film. It was directed by Philip Kaufman and stars Fred Ward, Maria de Medeiros, and Uma Thurman. It is loosely based on the book Henry and June by the French author Anaïs Nin, and tells the story of Nin's relationship with Henry Miller and his wife, June.- Plot :The story...
Henry MillerHenry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
is shown watching the last scenes of the film and in voice-over narrates a letter to
Anaïs NinAnaïs Nin was a Cuban-Catalan-French author who became famous for her published journals, which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death...
comparing her to Joan and himself to the "mad monk" character played by
Antonin ArtaudAntoine Marie Joseph Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud was a French playwright, poet, actor and theatre director...
.
The Passion of Joan of Arc has appeared on
Sight & Sound's top ten films poll three times:
- 1952: #7
- 1972: #7
- 1992: #10 (Critic's List) and #6 (Director's List)
It placed 31st in the 2002 Director's Poll and 14th on the Critic's Poll. Maria Falconetti's performance was named the 26th greatest film portrayal of all time in
Premiere Magazines 100 Greatest Performances of All Time
giving her the highest ranking silent performance on the list. The film is currently sixteenth on the "1000 Greatest Films" of They Shoot Pictures Don't They? (a ranking based on votes by more than 1,600 critics, filmmakers, and film scholars). It was named by Art and Faith, an online group of critics, one of the "Top 100 Spiritually-Significant Films". The Village Voice ranked it the eighth of the twentieth century in a 2000 poll of critics.
External links