Google
 

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC / Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928)

July 19th, 2007 by Scott Marks

joan1.jpg

Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, La (1928)

Directed by: Carl Theodor Dreyer

Written by: Joseph Delteil, Carl Theodor Dreyer

Genres: Drama, History

Cast: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley, Maurice Schutz, Antonin Artaud, Jean d’Yd, Louis Ravet, Armand Lurville, Jacques Arnna, Alexandre Mihalesco, Léon Larive, Michel Simon

Aspect Ratio: 1.33 : 1

Running Time: 82 min.

Simply put, one of the half-dozen greatest achievements in the history of cinema. When he was finished editing, Dreyer was informed that the master print had accidentally been destroyed. Lacking the funds required to film retakes, the director was forced to re-assemble the movie with the alternate footage that was left over. For years it seemed as though the only extant prints of this film were edited down dupes. Thought lost, the complete version was discovered in the eighties in, of all places, a mental hospital in Oslo, Norway! The Criterion DVD is a revelation, but I must warn you that this difficult film is not for all temperaments. This was stage actress Maria Falconetti’s one and only screen appearance.

Rating: ★★★★★

Tags: ,

Filed Under DVD, Reviews