Realized Mysticism in The Passion of Joan of Arc
By November 08, 1999
The virgin of Orleans and those matters that surrounded her death began to interest me when the shepherd girl’s canonization in 1920* once again Read more »
- France
- 1928
- 82 minutes
- Black and White
- 1.33:1
SYNOPSIS: With its stunning camerawork and striking compositions, Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc convinced the world that movies could be art. Renée Falconetti gives one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film, as the young maiden who died for God and France. Long thought to have been lost to fire, the original version was miraculously found in perfect condition in 1981—in a Norwegian mental institution. Criterion is proud to present this milestone of silent cinema in a new special edition featuring composer Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, an original opera/oratorio inspired by the film.
Cast & CreditsOpen
Cast
| Jeanne d'Arc | Maria Falconetti |
| Bishop Pierre Cauchon, Supreme Judge | Eugene Sylvain |
| Jean d'Estivet, Counsel for the Prosecution | André Berley |
| Nicolas Loyseleur | Maurice Schutz |
| Jean Massieu | Antonin Artaud |
| Jean Lemaître | Michel Simon |
Credits
| Director | Carl Th. Dreyer |
| Screenplay | Carl Th. Dreyer |
| Cinematography | Rudolph Maté |
| Editing | Carl Th. Dreyer |
| Art director | Hermann Warm |
| Costumes | Valentine Hugo |
Disc Features
- Gorgeous new transfer of the original version, with digital restoration
- Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light: A choral and orchestral work performed by vocal group Anonymous 4 soloist Susan Narucki and the Radio Netherlands Philharmonic and Choir
- Audio essay by Casper Tybjerg, a Dreyer scholar from the University of Copenhagen
- An extensive production design archive
- A history of Passion’s many versions, with clips
- Audio interview excerpts with the star’s daughter, Hélène Falconetti
- An essay by Richard Einhorn on Joan of Arc and Voices of Light, plus a video essay on the music’s production
- Voices of Light libretto booklet, including the medieval texts used in Einhorn’s composition
