To watch The Passion of Joan of Arc is to re-think much of what you know regarding the language of cinema. Carl Theodor Dreyer based his film on the actual transcripts of the trial of Jeanne d’Arc, but this is no traditional historical drama relying on scenery and action, instead resting almost solely on the face of Maria Falconetti (as Jeanne) who gives such an extraordinary performance – and almost entirely in close-up – that her face can’t help but be the lingering image you retain from the film. You can truly believe that this is a woman who has touched God, her
Read More