Now this is a Passion movie.
The Passion of Joan of Arc, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer in 1928, stars Maria Falconetti as the Saint herself. And sweet, merciful Jeebus is it a great film. The Criterion Collection DVD is scored by modern composer Richard Einhorn (it's a silent film) in what may be my favorite piece of movie music ever. The story is exactly what is sounds like, the trial and conviction for heresy of 15th century French warrior-saint-female icon, Jeanne D'Arc.Falconetti drifts across the screen in the single most haunting performance, the single greatest performance, ever committed to celluloid. Her eyes convey more pure emotion in her scenes before the tribunal of ecclesiactics than a thousand other actress have done with so many millions of words. One hates to even use such a cliche phrase as "haunting performance" but Falconetti creates the first true haunting performance: subtle, disturbing, empathetic, lovely, beautiful, heart-wrenching--all others but imitators. Her eyes look like they were painted on. And with her hair cut and she is given the crown and the arrow in mocking tribute to her status as warloard/martyr by the court that burns her she strikes the viewer as an image so iconic that it transcends recognition--in this as in all things, we realize that the visual language we work with everyday in movies and television and art was partially assembled by this movie. The sound of Einhorn's strings and woodwinds behind her is the music of the spheres bearing aloft the silent prayers of a martyr. Good God, you must go see this movie. Now. Go. Shut off the computer. Go to the library, they'll have it. Get it. If you're not affected by the story and the imagery then you are dead inside. Dead Inside.
posted by justin | 12:13 PM
3 Comments:
Clearly you have not seen Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Jeanne D’Arc is played by the wonderfully gifted Jane Wiedlin. Her performance is ripping in what is an instant cinema classic. I venture to say it is possibly the greatest performance in cinematic history. I have seen The Passion of Joan of Arc, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and I found it flat and quite contrived. There were no awesome air guitar solos. Nor was there a scene where Jeanne D’Arc leads an exercise class at a local mall. How could Dreyer leave out this critical historical fact? I postulate that it is because he was a hack. Steven Herek is a director with vision and clarity about who Jeanne D’Arc truly was. You want insight to her soul? Look no further than the scene where Jeanne D’Arc is praying for guidance and the telephone booth comes crashing down out of nowhere. Bill and Ted pop out and bring her to the future for their high school history presentation. The exchange is literally breath taking. I weep every time I think about it. You want to talk sound track? The Wild Stallions will rock you the entire movie. One can almost feel the echoes of their air guitars caressing the strings of the heart. If you are not affected by this movie, it is you sir that is dead inside. Dead!
Clearly you hate America. As everyone knows, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is communist propaganda. Our eponymous "heroes" defy the authority of police and military school to appropriate history in the service of their own political goals...which goals represent the end of merit and rigorous works and the beginning of spectacle and cultural/political ideas as the way that important resources (in this case an "A" in history) should be apportioned. Not a proper American message, eh, Comrade?
You can watch The Passion of Joan of Arc online here:
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