Powerful silent era drama

Rating: 8/10 (3 April 2017)

The trial and execution of Joan of Arc.
Powerful drama. Starts rather tamely, and it seems like the movie could just be a back-and-forth dialogue between Joan and the judges / priests. However, the dialogue is spot-on, and the verbal jousting is wonderful to behold.
Great direction by Carl Theodor Dreyer. His use of close-ups is a masterstroke, giving a great intimacy with and engagement to the character of Joan. Quite gritty, realistic direction too. Very graphic for 1926 - the last few scenes are incredibly harrowing.
What makes the movie is the performance of Maria Falconetti in the lead role. Superb, conveying vast amounts of emotion and thought without saying a word. Surely one of the greatest physical drama performances in all of cinema.