The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc
A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.
Varun reviewedDecember 5, 2024
Maria Falconetti is absolutely brilliant in this movie. Giving an arresting performance with purely close up shots is no easy task, the emotions on display are mesmerising. Sadly I do think there were many shots that lingered for way too long. The pacing of the trial also gets slow midway, and unfortunately I was dozing off to sleep in the last 20 mins which is a very rare occurrence for me. The focus is mostly on the trial and not on the history of Joan so you won’t be informed on much, but for a silent movie almost 100 years ago, I really appreciated it’s themes of individual vs the collective, critique of patriarchy and religious persecution, martyrdom, steadfastness in faith/mystical delusions, etc. The score Voices of Light was pretty powerful. Overall it was quite a brutally sad watch that you will never forget.