Movie Can Be Art Too!
Finally, after years and years of ordeals, Carl Th. Dreyer's masterpiece can finally by viewed in awe by a new generation! Like the title states this movie weaves the tale of the legendary Joan of Arc; however we see her "not in armor, but simple and human." She is stripped away bit by bit until we see the real Joan of Arc, facing harsh judges on her trial that will lead to her her burning at the stake- all of it recorded in a book Dreyer used for the film. Joan, played by the powerful Renee Falconetti ( who, strangely, never made another film) is shown throughout this film as many things: brave, fearful, saintly, clever, and tragic. That is all thanks to the movie's intense, famous close ups that capture every detail: saliva flying fiercely out of a judge's mouth, Joan crying in utter despair, a deceitful judge ominously blocking the shadow of a cross, and even Joan's pain and agony as she burns on the stake and the riot it causes. Add to this movie the fitting Voices of Light, an original opera/oratorio inspired by the film, and you are watching a milestone in film history that will surely stay in your memory after other movies have faded into obscurity.