La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

Director:

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Writers:

Joseph Delteil (writer)
Carl Theodor Dreyer (writer)

Release Date:

21 April 1928 (Denmark)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

A chronicle of the trial of Jeanne d'Arc on charges of heresy, and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Trial | Torture Chamber | Suffering | Heresy

Cast

Maria Falconetti	...	Jeanne d'Arc (as Melle Falconetti)
Eugene Silvain	...	Évêque Pierre Cauchon (Bishop Pierre Cauchon) (as Eugène Silvain)
André Berley	...	Jean d'Estivet
Maurice Schutz	...	Nicolas Loyseleur
Antonin Artaud	...	Jean Massieu
Michel Simon	...	Jean Lemaître
Jean d'Yd	...	Guillaume Evrard
Louis Ravet	...	Jean Beaupère (as Ravet)
Armand Lurville	...	Juge (Judge) (as André Lurville)
Jacques Arnna	...	Juge (Judge)
Alexandre Mihalesco	...	Juge (Judge)
Léon Larive	...	Juge (Judge)

Also Known As:

The Passion of Joan of Arc (USA)
La pasión de Juana de Arco (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A Paixão de Joana d'Arc (Portugal) [pt]
Die Passion der Jeanne d'Arc (Germany) [de]
Die Passion der Jungfrau von Orléans (Germany) [de]
En kvinnas martyrium (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Ioanna tis Lorrainis (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Jeanne d'Arc (Greece) [el]
Jeanne d'Arc's Lidelse og Dod. (Denmark) [da]
Jeanne d'Arcin kärsimys (Finland) [fi]
Johanna von Orléans (Austria) [de]
La passione di Giovanna d'Arco (Italy) [it]
Meczenstwo Joanny d'Arc (Poland) [pl]
Sabakaruru Jannu (Japan) [ja]
To pathos tis Jeanne d'Arc (Greece) (reissue title) [el]

Runtime:

110 min | France:88 min (1952 re-release) | USA:114 min | 82 min (restored DVD version) (24 fps) | Denmark:96 min

Country:

France

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1988) | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-16 (1954) | Norway:16 (1928) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (2003 re-rating) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company:

Société générale des films

Trivia:

Much of the project's budget was reserved for the expensive sets, although, Dreyer used so many close-ups, very little of the actual sets are seen.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The soldiers wear helmets with modern chin strap fasteners (likely WW1 British infantry helmets). Those helmets could be a deliberate anachronism though.

Quotes:

Juge: How old are you?
Jeanne d'Arc: [counts on her fingers] Nineteen... I think.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea (2004)

Soundtrack:

Voices of Light

Falconetti is amazing!

A certain amount of credit must surely be paid to the director for the genius of 'La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc.' The daring camera angles, use of incessant close-ups and peculiar authenticity all may be attributed to Carl Th. Dryer. However, Renee Maria Falconetti is the reason this film indeed surpasses all attempts at reaching the Platonic form of brilliance. Her performance is breathtaking by all accounts. One can not help but remain mesmerized by her expressions. Yes Dryer's gift to us of so many wonderful close shots of Falconetti should be acknowledged. He must be praised for his relentless filming of scenes to produce the desired result. Yet to imagine anyone else in this timeless role (such as Lillian Gish who was said to have been considered) is to envision a less than perfect film. Unimpeded by the silent medium in which she worked, Falconetti's mere tilt of the head or gentle glance pierce the soul of the viewer. We see her speak in Jeanne's native tongue. We see her compelling portrayal of the anguish which the saint most certainly endured. It is almost as if we are watching what the director said he had found; the martyr's reincarnation! This actress presents to us her raw beauty unmarred by powders or makeup - thanks to a decision of Dryer. How bitter-sweet the fact that we have this once thought to be lost silent film and yet can not help now but to long for more Falconetti. And so we return to 'La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc' and with each of many tears and inaudible sighs marvel at the staggering accomplishment which is Renee Maria Falconetti's Jeanne.