The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

Polyphemos · Mar 29, 2024

Jesus!

I’ve been watching Criterion classic films these past few weeks and as I’m listening to Churchill’s, History of the English Speaking Peoples, and he recommends learning about Joan of Arc, when I stumbled across the 1928 film, The Passion of Joan of Arc, I watched it.

The acting and cinematography are incredible, and the cinematography especially so given the film’s era. It’s a masterpiece, but it’s not for the faint of heart and it most certainly will not lift your mood. I highly recommend, The Passion of Joan of Arc, for film students, but boy-o-boy, watch out!

Polyphemos · Mar 29, 2024

Did you watch it, Ranger107? It not like watching a train wreck and being unable to look away, it’s like being in one for almost two hours.

As an antidote I recommend the 1954 movie, Hobson’s Choice. An excellent story, well told, great acting, very funny, and safe for the grandkids.

Singed · Mar 29, 2024

I think 90 minutes of close-ups might just kill me.

Seems like video therapy in A Clockwork Orange.

I hope that doesn't make me a cultural Phillistine.

D.L.Ruth · Mar 29, 2024

Is it streaming anywhere?

Singed · Mar 29, 2024

If I'm not mistaken I found a link on Wikipedia to the Danish version in full, didn't find a translated version.

Correction:

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

D.L.Ruth said:
Is it streaming anywhere?

I watched both, The Passion of Joan of Arc and, Hodgson’s Choice on Max. They are both part of the Criterion collection of films.

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Singed said:
If I'm not mistaken I found a link on Wikipedia to the Danish version in full, didn't find a translated version.

Correction:

That’s the one, black and white film, with subtitles. There is no sound beyond the music score as the film was made during the silent film era.

Some consider Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s portrayal of Joan of Arc to be the greatest acting ever captured on film. Watch it on a big screen TV if you can. The transformation of her countenance as she begins to comprehend that her judges are there to trap and condemn her is remarkable. Her dialogue, and that of the theologian judges was taken from the recorded transcripts of her trial.

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Singed said:
I think 90 minutes of close-ups might just kill me. Seems like video therapy in A Clockwork Orange.

I hope that doesn't make me a cultural Phillistine.

The close-ups won’t kill you, but the pathos might.

Bud Savoie01 · Mar 30, 2024

Joan of Arc has always been a heroine of mine (one of my daughters took the name Jeanne d'Arc as her Confirmation name). It is amazing how this uneducated, almost illiterate peasant girl made fools of this gang of scholars and bullies, who could not convict her fairly, so they just declared her anything they wanted without proof and burned her at the stake. I'm a retired lawyer, so any miscarriage of justice is an outrage to me.

Ranger107 · Mar 30, 2024

Polyphemos said:
Did you watch it, Ranger107? It not like watching a train wreck and being unable to look away, it’s like being in one for almost two hours.

As an antidote I recommend the 1954 movie, Hobson’s Choice. An excellent story, well told, great acting, very funny, and safe for the grandkids.

Did not. Isn't available for streaming on our carrier. Doesn't sound like something I would enjoy.

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Ranger107 said:
Did not. Isn't available for streaming on our carrier. Doesn't sound like something I would enjoy.

It’s definitely not for everybody, and it’s not entertainment in the popular sense. There are genre of film that, while they may be excellent, I’m uncomfortable viewing. JOA was at times a challenge.

For film buffs, note the incredible b&w filming that provides an optical contrast and resolution I believe remains unrivaled today. Everything else seems mushy in comparison, but JOA must be watched on a large high-resolution to realize the effect. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything like it in b&w or color.

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Bud Savoie01 said:
Joan of Arc has always been a heroine of mine (one of my daughters took the name Jeanne d'Arc as her Confirmation name). It is amazing how this uneducated, almost illiterate peasant girl made fools of this gang of scholars and bullies, who could not convict her fairly, so they just declared her anything they wanted without proof and burned her at the stake. I'm a retired lawyer, so any miscarriage of justice is an outrage to me.

You and your daughter might be interested in Mark Twain’s book on Joan of Arc:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Recollections_of_Joan_of_Arc

Twain considered it his best and most important work, and it was well received in his time. Some modern critics are less favorable, though I have my doubts about the sagacity of a few of them. Here’s an example of one of the critics mode of reasoning:

"By the time Twain is writing Recollections, he's not a believer. He is anti-Catholic, and he doesn't like the French. So he writes a book about a French-Catholic-martyr? Ostensibly, it doesn't make a lot of sense."

All’s I can say to that is, Oy! (forehead slap implied).

Singed · Mar 30, 2024

Polyphemos said:
It’s definitely not for everybody, and it’s not entertainment in the popular sense. There are genre of film that, while they may be excellent, I’m uncomfortable viewing. JOA was at times a challenge.

For film buffs, note the incredible b&w filming that provides an optical contrast and resolution I believe remains unrivaled today. Everything else seems mushy in comparison, but JOA must be watched on a large high-resolution to realize the effect. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything like it in b&w or color.

I agree, the technical expertise is outstanding. Clarity, lighting, framing are all excellent with a few exceptions most likely related to set dimensions. This is not a grainy silent movie.

Bud Savoie01 · Mar 30, 2024

Polyphemos said:
You and your daughter might be interested in Mark Twain’s book on Joan of Arc:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Recollections_of_Joan_of_Arc

Twain considered it his best and most important work, and it was well received in his time. Some modern critics are less favorable, though I have my doubts about the sagacity of a few of them. Here’s an example of one of the critics mode of reasoning:

"By the time Twain is writing Recollections, he's not a believer. He is anti-Catholic, and he doesn't like the French. So he writes a book about a French-Catholic-martyr? Ostensibly, it doesn't make a lot of sense."

All’s I can say to that is, Oy! (forehead slap implied).

Yes, I've read Twain's book---he said it was his best and was the only one that required extensive research. The tone of it is very different from Twain's other works. It is a great read, and my reaction to the quoted critic is the same as yours!

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Singed said:
I agree, the technical expertise is outstanding. Clarity, lighting, framing are all excellent with a few exceptions most likely related to set dimensions. This is not a grainy silent movie.

It is most certainly not a grainy silent film movie. I think that’s the first of its attributes that caught and held my attention. I’ll bet the technical details describing the film, cameras, etc., are very interesting. Undoubtedly superb equipment.

Polyphemos · Mar 30, 2024

Bud Savoie01 said:
Yes, I've read Twain's book---he said it was his best and was the only one that required extensive research. The tone of it is very different from Twain's other works. It is a great read, and my reaction to the quoted critic is the same as yours!

Churchill wrote in, The History of the English-Speaking Peoples, that the life of Joan of Arc should be studied by ever soldier, and he knew something about soldiering. His first hand account of his participation in conquest of Sudan between 1896 and 1899 is very interesting and well written. He was a front line soldier first, and a politician later. Worth a look or a listen via audiobook.

Armen · Apr 1, 2024

Polyphemos said:
Jesus!

I’ve been watching Criterion classic films these past few weeks and as I’m listening to Churchill’s, History of the English Speaking Peoples, and he recommends learning about Joan of Arc, when I stumbled across the 1928 film, The Passion of Joan of Arc, I watched it.

The acting and cinematography are incredible, and the cinematography especially so given the film’s era. It’s a masterpiece, but it’s not for the faint of heart and it most certainly will not lift your mood. I highly recommend, The Passion of Joan of Arc, for film students, but boy-o-boy, watch out!

Thank you for the heads up. I've been wanting to subscribe to Criterion, but only when I could sit down at least a couple of times each week to watch their channel.

Polyphemos · Apr 2, 2024

Armen said:
Thank you for the heads up. I've been wanting to subscribe to Criterion, but only when I could sit down at least a couple of times each week to watch their channel.

Many streaming service carriers stream Criterion films. Go to the search bar of whichever carrier you have and type in, “Criteron”. You might get lucky.

YouTube also carries many classic films, but there it helps to search for the title of the film you’re interested in.

Armen · Apr 2, 2024

Polyphemos said:
Many streaming service carriers stream Criterion films. Go to the search bar of whichever carrier you have and type in, “Criteron”. You might get lucky.

YouTube also carries many classic films, but there it helps to search for the title of the film you’re interested in.

That’s good info! Thank you but I dumped all my streaming services in 2019 and rarely ever watch tv. That’s why I was so interested in subscribing to just this one channel wanna ever find the time to sit in front of the TV again.

Christopher9jackson · 2024-11-19T04:28:28-0500

I’ve been diving into classic films lately, and while listening to Churchill’s History of the English-Speaking Peoples, he recommended learning about Joan of Arc. That led me to the 1928 masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc. The acting and cinematography are absolutely stunning—especially impressive for its time. It’s an incredible work of art, though definitely not an easy watch. It’s intense and emotionally heavy, so don’t expect it to brighten your day. Highly recommend it for film enthusiasts or students—it’s a must-see—but be prepared for a deeply impactful experience!

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

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