It's a shame silent films are rarely shown anymore

Rating: 8/10 (12 April 2001)

Groningen's movie scene is always up to unusual and interesting things. I've seen La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc in a church (Martinikerk), with an organ and a latin choir providing the music to this silent film.
Jeanne d'Arc is played very emotional though very convincing by Maria Falconetti. Jeanne d'Arc was her only performance as an actress, but you can't see she hasn't done any acting before. She sighs, weeps silently and gazes beyond her questioners. You see her eyes wide open and staring into nothing. She does it all the time, and it might get a little irritating in the end.
The other actors too, are very good. Their looks perfectly match their characters, and in the many many close ups you can see through them by just looking at them. Very useful, because a lot of their dialogues do not appear in text screens.
Despite of a perfect Jeanne d'Arc and a very good crew of judges, clerks, priests and soldiers, the Oscar for best performance goes to the camerawork. Long and intense close ups, very modern framing and a few shots you can also find in Soderbergh's Traffic.
La passion de Jeanne d'Arc is a story with a very predictable ending: she dies. But it takes long before she finally gives up and I believe director Dryer has stretched the story a little too much.
It was a wonderful experience to watch a silent film in a church, accompanied by organ music and a choir. But even without those extra's, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc is a very worthwhile, if not a beautiful movie. It's a shame silent films are rarely shown anymore.