[Reviewed by: Eric Raymer]
Carl Theodor Dreyer / 1928 / "You say that you are sent by God?"
If you’ve ever shyed away from silent films or doubted that they can carry the emotion or depth of a modern feature, The Passion of Joan of Arc will gladly shatter your preconceptions. This is undoubtedly one of the most emotionally powerful performances ever put to film, and is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
The film’s director, Carl Dreyer, was given a relatively large budget and could have likely produced a grand historical epic if he chose. Instead, he focused on solely the trial and execution of Joan, and based his script on the historical transcripts from the trial. The focus here isn’t the plot – little to nothing is told of Joan’s time with the French army or her capture. The spiritual and emotional journey of Joan are what drive this film. You can ponder whether she was truly divinely inspired or somewhat delusional, but more than anything you’ll find yourself drawn in by the humanity of her plight as she struggles with maintaining her faith, even to her death. (more…)
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