The Passion of Joan of Arc

Rating: 10/10 (22 May 2011)

The Passion of Joan of Arc is about a woman who is put on trial. Religion and corruption run amok in this classic movie, with Joan being a religious fanatic and The Church ironically putting her up for trial for that very reason. What unravels is a meticulously paced film that, hopefully, should delight viewers.
The film is completely silent and black and white, unless you listen to it with Voices of Lights, a orchestra that performed just for this movie. I have not watched Joan of Arc with it, but it is highly acclaimed. Renée Falconetti is the leading woman and gives one the most amazing performs, despite not talking. This is because the film is shot in almost all close ups, and she portrays such brutal emotions throughout the movie. By now most people know how this film ends, but it still comes has a shock, and so does the whole movie.
Joan of Arc will leave you speechless, and the director, Carl Th. Dreyer has made the movie equivalent to a classic painting. He has created the pinnacle of silent movies, and maybe movies in general. The suspense builds like a Hitchcock film and the sets won't let you walk away without thinking about the events that unwrapped in this magnificent tale.