SIGN OF THE CROSSED
There are many points in our lives where we don’t know what to do. We get so spiritually lost that we ask God to guide us, to give us a sign. If only prayer can be upgraded into a more direct two-way communication? What if God can text us? Befriend us in Facebook?
But then, imagine if He indeed reached out to you. How would you go about convincing people that it did take place? Or let’s turn the tables. What if someone claims to have spoken to God? Would you believe him/her?
These are the questions that lingered with me after “The Passion of Joan of Arc.” And here I thought I would get, more or less, a history lesson about the famed French saint. The movie reenacts her trial in 1431, where she is questioned by religious authorities. She claims to have been approached by God with a mission to drive the English out of France.
Honestly, I would have been a skeptic too. Joan is an odd one – a teenager with a penchant for cross-dressing. Who is she to be chosen by God? What makes her so special? And yet, as you try to be critical of her, you begin to realize that it is really God you are questioning. Who are we to judge who God choses?
In actuality, Joan hardly presents any evidence of an holy alliance, but the movie truly dares you to discredit her. “The Passion of Joan of Arc” is astute in basing the screenplay from the actual court transcript. It not only lights Joan’s innocence but also muddies the judges’ sanity. You have to observe how these ugly mob of old men gang up, double cross, and trap this frightened, inarticulate girl. The psychological aspect alone makes it an engrossing historical drama. Pride, scheming, anxiety, and martyrdom are all in feverish display.
For an early 1920s film, this is indeed an impressive feat. Filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer is a visionary. He produces a riveting picture mainly assembled from angular facial close-ups, symbolic images, and back-and-forth editing. At its center you can find the wide-eyed, touching performance of Renee Maria Falconetti as Joan. The movie is a miracle of sorts, not only for its decades of survival, but also for its haunting and heavenly effect. I am quite surprised to be lauding such a silent film. Witness its power. Judge for yourself.
Grade: A-
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CAST Renée Jeanne Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André Berley, and Maurice Schutz Written by Joseph Delteil Carl Theodor Dreyer Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer The film is not rated. |
I Watched This Movie 
Hi there Darwin,
October 27th marked the one year anniversary of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Club. Our gracious host and originator of this club, TheAnswerMVP2001, has put the club on Hiatus since July. Today, four months later, I am messaging you, as one of the original members of the club, to see if you are still interested in continuing the tradition of the 1001 Film club. Lets pick up where we left off, selecting films from the extensive 1001 Movies list for the club members to review, and also occasionally review the films that other members have selected.
Long ago, I decided to make 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die the main focus of my website, and this club was a great way of reading what others had to say on the subject, and I miss it. I would be honoured if you would agree to continue our year-old tradition in the same fashion as TheAnswerMVP2001 ran it. I would be happy to host our discussions on my site at Filmsquish.com.
Please let me know if this is something you’d like to continue. If we get enough people on board, I shall pick up the torch and keep it running.
You can feel free to contact me through my site, or directly at drbantz@hotmail.com.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Squish
Hey Darwin,
The response has been really great, so i decided to pick it up where it left off.
On the week of November 29th to December 5th, 2010, I will be hosting an good old fashioned Blog-A-Thon to re-inaugurate the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Blog Club.
After months of waiting for it to start again, I decided to just host the Club myself, and I’d love to have you as a member once again. I am writing you today to invite you to contribute a post (or posters!), on the first film on the epic 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die List, George Méliès’ “A Trip To The Moon” (1902) aka “Le voyage dans la lune.” Since you’re an old club member, it would be great to see your contribution!
One of the many great things about “A Trip To The Moon” is that this short film is available everywhere for viewing. I’ve put a couple links for you of the complete film at the bottom of the page.
If you’re interested, drop me a link or a line through my site (www.filmsquish.com), and feel free to spread the word!
Un voyage dans la lune:
Alternate link:
http://www.archive.org/details/le_voyage_dans_la_luneE&feature=related
http://www.archive.org/details/le_voyage_dans_la_lune
Hi Darwin,
I wanted to see if you were still interested in contributing to the club. Doesn’t look like you’re blogging anymore. I see that you already reviewed The Passion of Joan Of Arc, and I’d love it if I could use that since it’s an upcoming assignment.
let me know if i can use it, and it would be great if you could keep contibuting. Your posts were so plentiful that I want you to pick the next film. Get back to me and I’ll give you more details. Thanks!
What a great post Darwin. Your description of the judges and their faces just makes me want to see this again for those stark images that were constant in the film.