Passion of Joan of Ark, The

[e_dog]

remarkable film. directed by Carl Dreyer, German filmmakers working with a French production company, in the mid-late 1920s. based on supposedly original trial documents. in the persecution of this young heroic nationalist anti-imperialist feminist fanatical Jesus-freak.

stunned to see the name of Antonin Artaud in the opening credits, but there he is in the film playing some sort of sympathetic monk. No wonder Breton kicked him outta the surrealists! The film ends, at least the version i saw, with an inspirational moral about Joan ascending to heaven and providing strength to the French nation.

the lead, title-role actress is reported by some to have given one of the best performances in all film which is an intriguing claim b/c 90% of the shots containing her are close-ups of her face in various expressions of fear, shock, saintly ecstasy, pain, etc. it is a facial cinema -- physiognomic acting. but in no way superficial.

the soundtrack, retroactively added in this Scandanavian editing job, allegedly inspired by the film, is musically quite good accompaniment but would do better as instrumental without opera singing voices which for those like myself that are not latin speakers raises suspicions about its relavence and consistency with the plot elements.

anyway worth seeing, plan to watch it again more carefully, close reading.

[stilltrucking]

I look forward to reading more about it.

[Arcadia]

yes!, it´s a little incrustacion in Henry & June!!