The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc • 1h 21m
Directed by Carl Th. Dreyer • 1928 • France
Starring Renée Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André Berley
Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy come to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent masterpieces of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the hours leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques—expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, painfully intimate close-ups—to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom.
Up Next in The Passion of Joan of Arc
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC Commentary
This audio essay by Carl Th. Dreyer scholar Casper Tybjerg was recorded in August 1999.
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: About the...
The advent of sound cinema standardized film playback at 24 frames per second, but silent films were played at various speeds, sometimes differing from reel to reel within the same film. In this audio essay, recorded in 2017, Danish film scholar Casper Tybjerg explores the debate over the proper ...
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: Gregory a...
This version of THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC plays at 24 frames per second. The film was initially accompanied by various pieces of live music, but there is no evidence that director Carl Th. Dreyer chose a definitive score for it. Here, the film is accompanied by a 2017 score by Will Gregory and A...
