My Take: The Passion of Joan of Arc

Lately, I have been hyperfixated on movies. I have been watching one film a day and logging each one on Letterboxd. Recently, I came across an immortal classic: Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc, a silent-era film that feels way ahead of its time. I was left speechless after watching it, so I wrote a short review and thought I would share it here. I hope you enjoy it.

Renée Falconetti’s acting was both captivating and enlightening. Unlike most films in the silent age, this movie did not use any makeup and featured some of the most intimate close-up scenes ever done, which made the viewer almost absorb Falconetti’s face, helping communicate Joan’s emotions in their rawest form. Even with the lack of dialogue, she managed to communicate the suffering, fears, and devotion of her character. She made the viewers believe she was touched by an otherworldly being. Her performance should be a blueprint for actors in our age of cinema. Besides the extraordinary acting, the film was a perfect depiction of the mockery of justice, as Joan’s trial never truly felt like an attempt to determine her innocence or guilt, but rather an attempt to force her into giving the answers her judges had already decided they wanted.

I went in expecting to watch an old silent film, but what I found was something deeply human and moving. I can honestly say I now understand why this film is considered an immortal classic.

Side note: Two movie-related posts in a row. I promise I have interests outside of cinema. Hopefully...