That Male Attire

Rating: 9/10 (5 April 2010)

For those who have seen Ingrid Bergman and later on Jean Seberg play the maid of Orleans in other interpretations of the Joan Of Arc story you might well do to take a look at what the French themselves have with their national heroine. The Passion Of Joan Of Arc made at the tail end of silent films give an actress normally associated with comedy a chance to give an astonishing interpretation of the maid. It also gives us the only recorded performance of Maria Falconetti to treasure.
Directed and written by Carl Dreyer, the sets are a bare basic item in this film, there only to establish a time and place. We see none of Joan's deeds of heroism, this film only concerns us with her trial and execution. And in an interesting and successful technique the entire film is told in closeups, more closeups than I've ever seen used before in any film. As she's interrogated by the Bishop of Cauchon who was in the pay of England's ally the Duke of Burgundy. The film cuts back and forth to closeup shots of the interrogators and then to Falconetti. Her expressions and her tears even without dialog create the image of the frightened and pure saint like girl just trying to do the right thing and stand by her conviction that she's been singled out to save France.
At least to my eye Falconetti bore more than a slight resemblance to Anna Magnani and I'm betting if talkies had been available she would have sounded like her as well.
There have been modern interpretations that Joan Of Arc might well have been a lesbian. What was really bothering her accusers was the fact that she was in male attire. Now leaving the question of sexual orientation aside, even if all that Joan was, was a symbol just getting around a battlefield might require the clothing that a soldier might wear. It wouldn't be practical to be wearing a farm dress. And certainly if one was participating in the battle it would be foolish.
But the male attire seemed to be what got the accusers going. They harped on it constantly during the interrogation. If this was proof that the Maid was a lesbian, than surely she was in league with satanic forces.
Depending on your point of view it could range from Joan actually hearing the voice of God to some hallucinatory ramblings from some kind of native intoxicant. Whatever it was she was convinced they came from heaven and more importantly she convinced others. It's why she remains France's national heroine and why she's such a challenging role for so many actresses. Maybe Meryl Streep will try that one next.
Until then Maria Falconetti takes her place alongside Ingrid Bergman and Jean Seberg. Watch them all and compare.