Passion of Joan of Arc, The (1928)

Express yo'self

Here it is, my first five star rating. This film represents everything I love about the medium. I am a relative late comer to silent cinema but the deep spiritual emotions this film provoked purely through the facial acting of Renee Jeanne Falconetti and the haunting score is a rare feat for any film to achieve. This is not simply another film, but a piece of art that I cherish within a small group of only 20 or so others.

This film is almost single-location, that location being the terrified, expressive face of Joan of Arc as she is interrogated by English clergymen and eventually sentenced to be burned at the stake.

Legendary director Carl Theodor Dreyer centres his camera around Falconetti's face, using extreme close-up's for 90% of this film to portray Joan's pain, anguish and most importantly faith. I myself am not religious but found myself moved by the overt religious connections in this film, Joan's unwavering belief in her God is evident in every frame of this film. Her faith is tested, she is broken down but comes out of the other side with her faith intact, even in death. Dreyer films Falconetti in extreme close-up with the lighting allowing every bit of her face to be seen, she looks almost divine, compare this to her accusors, who are filmed from below; ugly, persecuting, shouting down vitriol as they aim to break Joan.

BEST SCENE: This film plays out as one long scene - and it is all fantastic.

BEST CHARACTER: Joan of Arc - one of the greatest solo acting performances of all-time by Falconetti in her only known feature film.

BEST QUOTE: N/A

RATING:  ★★★★★ - As I said in the open, it is rare that a film is able to affect me so deeply and this was the first silent film to garner such a deeply personal response. This film will always be special to me and is a heavy five stars.

MOVIES WATCHED: 12
MOVIES REMAINING: 989