Reely Bernie Faves: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

What if the guise and artistic direction of a movie was entirely dependent on the face of its lead actress? Stripped down to its most minimalistic form, that is The Passion of Joan of Arc. And, with each long-held close-up of Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s face as she portrays Joan in agony, you do not need action or dialogue. You need a box of tissues.

Viewing this black-and-white silent feature is a religious experience. Director Carl Dreyer called it “realized mysticism.” Either way, this is film’s closest connection to sacrifice, sainthood, and miracles.

The first miracle is found in the fact that even though Dreyer’s original footage was accidentally destroyed, he was able to salvage pieces of outtakes and patch them together to form the initial version. And, in its disjointed “editing,” the dramatic intention ends up more effective. There are moments when the ruthless judges of the encapsulated 18-month trial ask a question, and instead of a spoken response, Dreyer flashes to Falconetti in solemnity, providing no words—just sullen eyes. Then, there are moments where she will respond via intertitles, but we stay on Falconetti and not the judges. The judges are not worth a look. We know they are riddled with disbelief. Dreyer stays on Falconetti.

The second miracle would have to be Falconetti’s casting in general. Before playing Joan, she was a beautiful, amateur comedian with a permanent smile. Dreyer saw something in her and offered her a challenge to take off the makeup, surrender self-preservation, and play the patron saint of France. The performance is haunting and simultaneously uplifting.

The third miracle occurred in 1981 when an employee at the Dikemark Hospital mental institution in Denmark found canisters of the master negative of Dreyer’s uncut version before the Archbishop of Paris censored particular scenes. This was the version that was restored by the Criterion Collection, and it can be viewed today via Amazon Prime.

I’m intrigued by all the different original compositions that have complemented the images and title screens since the 1980s. The Criterion Collection copy includes composer Richard Einhorn’s oratorio, “Voices of Light,” which coincides beautifully with the screen.

My favorite interpretation is a 2003 Norwegian electronic music accompaniment I watched online, but I can no longer find the video.

German Expressionism and French avant-garde exploded in 1928, and its artistic discord and psychological explorations run rampant in The Passion of Joan of Arc. It is astounding that most of the film’s power comes from the expression of a face—a face of a brave woman portraying an even braver woman.

A staple for all film connoisseurs.

Have you seen The Passion of Joan of Arc? Please let me know if you have!

Reely Bernie Faves:

1. Amadeus (1984)

2. Magnolia (1999)

3. Poltergeist (1982)

4. Pulp Fiction (1994)

5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

6. The Godfather Part II (1974)

7. Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)

8. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

9. Goodfellas (1990)

10. Nosferatu (1922)

11. Pollock (2000)

12. Kicking and Screaming (1995)

13. Jaws (1975)

14. Fargo (1996)

15. Citizen Kane (1941)

16. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

17. The Endless Summer (1966)

18. Back to the Future (1985)

19. Angel Heart (1987)

20. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

21. The Goonies (1985)

22. Trainspotting (1996)

23. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)

24. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

25. Bambi (1942)

26. The Paradise Lost Trilogy (1996-2011)

27. Psycho (1960)

28. Parenthood (1989)

29. Swingers (1996)

30. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

31. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

32. Smoke (1995)

33. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

34. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

35. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

36. City of God (2002)

37. 1917 (2019)

38. Black Swan (2010)

39. School of Rock (2003)

40. Mulholland Drive (2001)

41. Groundhog Day (1993)

42. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

43. The Greatest Showman (2017)

44. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

45. The Florida Project (2017)

46. Cinema Paradiso (1988)

47. So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

48. Shadowlands (1993)

49. Steve Jobs (2015)

50. ¡Three Amigos! (1986)