La Passion De Jeanne D'Arc
Director: Carl Theodore Dreyer
Starring: Maria Falconetti
Talk about a powerful film. This is far and away the best silent film I have ever seen. I don't know how to put it into words. It was so powerful and so beautiful.
This movie is not about Joan of Arc the warrior saint. This is about Joan faithful teenage girl. The film has no battle scenes and really doesn't even mention the Hundred Years War. The film is all about her heresy trial. There is not context given to previous events. The script is based on the actual notes form Joan's trial.
The camera techniques were very innovative. This threw out all the rules about shot transitions or composition. Almost every shot of the movie is a facial close-up. These shots are from various angles, often from a slightly tilted or skewed perspective. The gritty black and white shows off every wrinkle on the judges faces and the purity of Joan's. The blackness and contrast of the lighting is just so awe inspiring. These closeups really drive home the emotions of Joan's character.
Joan here is a teenage girl who has found herself way in over her head. She is faithful and strong in her visions, but has no idea how to communicate them to her judges. We see her internal conflict about answers to various questions as she struggles to stay true to herself. To say that Falconetti's performance is good is an understatement. She gave one of the best performances I have ever seen. She has the ability to say more with her eyes than any string of dialogue could ever say. She has a celestial, haunting quality to her face, her eyes almost constantly blazing forward, brimming with tears. She was beyond perfect. I want to watch it again just to see her performance and attempt to feel her internal struggle.
The film did not need sound to tell its story. Words on the screen were used sparingly, always to great effect. The inquisition of this poor girl was powerfully captured by a great cast and great direction. Watching this movie was an otherworldly experience. The whole film has a dreamlike quality to it that I cannot describe. I was never sure just how to feel about Joan. The film seems to keep her at a distance, alienating her from the audience like she was alienated from the world.
An excellent bit of film history. I'll probably show clips from this when teaching the Hundred Years War next year.
Lesson learned: There is a fine line between coming off as holy and as insane.
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