THE PIOUS FANATISM and PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
Joan of Arc has come down to us through centuries of European wars and memory as the liberator of France, later martyred and canonized as the nation’s Patron Saint. At just nineteen, she led armies that inspired France to victory against the English, only to be condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake by the French Inquisition — a tribunal that judged her under English occupation, exposing the hypocrisy of her own countrymen. Joan claimed direct conversation with God, receiving instructions that guided her mission. What she accomplished in so brief a life remains extraordinary—an achievement that borders on the miraculous. And yet, in our own time, those who hear voices and act upon them are often dismissed as schizophrenic.
Three films, each distinct in style and vision, attempt to capture her era, her trial, and the paradox of a young woman who became both saint and symbol.
The first film I present is Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent masterpiece, The Passion of Joan of Arc. Through powerful close-ups and expressive faces, Dreyer captures Joan’s intense piety and fanaticism, though at times her subdued, almost absent-minded rage seems less convincing to me. Robert Bresson’s The Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) does not differ greatly from Dreyer’s vision. In both films, Joan appears as a pious, subdued, yet strong-willed teenager — still with some fight left in her.
It was Luc Besson’s The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), however, that revealed the Joan I had been searching for: a figure torn by voices, visions, and doubt, rendered almost schizophrenic in her intensity. Milla Jovovich’s performance was mesmerizing. She embodied the girl-woman so convincingly that I felt as if I were witnessing her presence firsthand. For me, this film brought Joan’s paradox to life in a way that was both unsettling and unforgettable.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (French: La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) is a 1928 French silent historical drama based on the actual record of Joan’s trial. Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti in her legendary performance, the film is widely regarded as a landmark of cinema. Dreyer’s stark direction and Falconetti’s haunting portrayal are often cited among the finest achievements in film history. The story focuses on Joan’s captivity under the English, culminating in her trial and execution. Wikipedia
WATCH THE FILM THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928) BELOW
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (original title) Language: French Storyline Giovanna is taken to the Inquisitio
The Trial of Joan of Arc (French: Procès de Jeanne d’Arc) is a 1962 French historical drama written and directed by Robert Bresson. Florence Delay stars as Joan of Arc, undergoing her trial for heresy in 1431 during the Hundred Years’ War. On its original release, the film was not warmly received by critics and for a long time was regarded as a minor work in Bresson’s oeuvre. (Source: Wikipedia) Wikipedia
WATCH THE FILM THE TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC (1963) BELOW
Procès de Jeanne d'Arc Robert Bresson 1963 eng subs
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d’Arc) is a 1999 English-language French epic historical drama directed by Luc Besson. Characterized by Milla Jovovich as Joan of Arc, alongside John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, and Dustin Hoffman, the film combines Besson’s vision with a screenplay co-written with Andrew Birkin and an original score by Éric Serra. Wikipedia
WATCH THE FILM THE MESSENGER, THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC (1999) BELOW.
The.Messenger.The.Story.Of.Joan.Of.Arc.1999.1080p.BluRay.x264-[YTS.AM]
Closing Reflection
Taken together, these three films trace the paradox of Joan of Arc across cinema. Dreyer’s Passion confronts us with the spiritual intensity of a martyr, Bresson’s Trial pares her story down to austere testimony, and Besson’s Messenger thrusts us into the psychological turmoil of a visionary torn by voices and doubt. Each director, in his own way, reveals a different facet of Joan — saint, heretic, liberator, condemned — and reminds us that her story is never settled, but continually reimagined. Through these portrayals, Joan of Arc endures not only as a figure of history, but as a mirror for our own questions about faith, fanaticism, and the fragile line between inspiration and madness.
