Monday, July 10, 2023

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

 Carl Theodore Dreyer's 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' is the best known film from probably the best known film director to ever come out of Denmark, with the possible exception of Lars von Trier (you sickos). Concerning its self with the (then newly sainted) French Catholic martyrs trial and execution. Most of the dialog is taken from the actual 15th century court transcripts and the film is famously shot mostly in close up.

Renee Jeanne Falconetti who plays Joan has a wonderfully soulful and expressive face, ironically she had been a musical comedy star before this and never made another movie, she died by suicide in Argentina in 1946, age 54. The movie is innovative, an impressive piece of work way ahead of its time, we still don't make movies like this. I find that I appreciate it more then I enjoyed it, I hope to revisit sometime. Too iconic to not give ****

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