The Passion of Joan of Arc
Criterion Collection Edition #62
Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy come to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent masterpieces of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the hours leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques—expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, painfully intimate close-ups—to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom.
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The Passion of Joan of Arc
Directed by Carl Th. Dreyer • 1928 • France
Starring Renée Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André BerleySpiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy come to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent masterpieces of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the hours leading up...
Extras
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC Commentary
This audio essay by Carl Th. Dreyer scholar Casper Tybjerg was recorded in August 1999.
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: About the Frame Rates
The advent of sound cinema standardized film playback at 24 frames per second, but silent films were played at various speeds, sometimes differing from reel to reel within the same film. In this audio essay, recorded in 2017, Danish film scholar Casper Tybjerg explores the debate over the proper ...
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: Gregory and Utley Score
This version of THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC plays at 24 frames per second. The film was initially accompanied by various pieces of live music, but there is no evidence that director Carl Th. Dreyer chose a definitive score for it. Here, the film is accompanied by a 2017 score by Will Gregory and A...
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: Mie Yanashita Score
This version of THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC plays at 20 frames per second. The film was initially accompanied by various pieces of live music, but there is no evidence that director Carl Th. Dreyer chose a definitive score for it. Here, the film is accompanied by a piano score composed and perform...
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About “Voices of Light”
Richard Einhorn composed the oratorio “Voices of Light,” inspired by Carl Th. Dreyer's THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, in 1994. In this 2017 interview, Einhorn discusses his extensive research into the life of Joan of Arc.
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Adrian Utley and Will Gregory on THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
Adrian Utley, of the band Portishead, and Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory composed their score for THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC in 2010. This conversation between the two was filmed at Utley’s home in Bristol, England, in 2017.
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Helene Falconetti on THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
Richard Einhorn conducted this audio interview with Helene Falconetti, the daughter of star Renee Falconetti, in 1995. She is the author of “Falconetti,” a biography of her mother.
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: Version History
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THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC: Production Design
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Mary Karr on THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
