Roger Ebert once said that "to see Falconetti in Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc" is to look into eyes that will never leave you." I cannot find a better statement for this miracle of a silent masterpiece. What has been mastered here is a view, taken from historical record, and put under a microscope figuratively and literally on screen to dive into the spiritual essence of destiny. This film is in a class by itself, and had a profound impact on this viewer.
The film begins during the 100 Years War in France. In its battle against its enemy England, a commoner rose through the ranks to lead France to many great victories. This great warrior was peasant girl Joan of Arc, not even 18 years old but commanded a presence among her peers and a reputation impressed upon her enemies. Joan has been promised French deliverance from the mouth of God himself. Captured and put on what is essentially a mock trial for the whole film (she would have most likely been executed anyway) she must stand firm against the cacophony of priests who at first spit at her and call her a demon who cries blasphemy. Soon however, when she is given the chance to free herself at the expense of her devout belief in God and refuses, the film becomes a tragedy of the rest form, a good person making the ultimate sacrifice to something bigger than anyone in this film can possibly imagine.
The mastery of this film's narrative is in its reliance on the extreme close-up, which i can only estimate takes up 95% of the film. Director Dryer and cinematographer Rudolf Mate take a radical approach to the film, which has stood the test of time as one of the most daring films ever made. Joan's face as well as the other characters fill the frame, and what was not normal for the silent films, the actors do not wear any make-up at all. What this gives is confinement in the audience, as wee are as locked in this small blank room as Joan is, thus helping us feel the emotions of the scenes and care for the main character in a unique way. We cannot look away from the faces, especially that of Joan's astonishingly beautiful eyes.
What stands out in this film is the central performance of Maria Falconetti as Joan of Arc. When she enters the picture, she does not look like a common heroine. She has short hair, no make-up, and no soft lighting to make her "gorgeous." In this way, Falconetti must communicate a visceral reaction and emotions through her facial expressions, and since she is always in close-up, this cannot escape and she cannot cheat. With this said, this is a truly flawless performance, in fact one of the greatest films I have ever seen in Cinema history. When she does stumble and ultimately does the "morally right" thing, I broke down in tears, quite rarely have I ever had so much respect and heartbreak over a person I never knew. This is a bravura performance that I cannot praise enough.
The Passion of Joan of Arc is a miracle, and when given again the fact that it was made in the 1920s, this is even more astonishing. Please see this film and judge for yourself.
Note: I am sorry I haven't written in a long time. College and work is murder and time must be put elsewhere quite a lot. But I intend to write more and this film helped me rekindle the flame that git me to doing this in the first place - Theflyace"
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