Intense!

Rating: Null/10 (30 November 2000)

While viewing this film on video, I wondered, where are the battles, where is the King, etc.? Then it dawned on me: the Passion of St. Joan. . .. This was a different film, this truly was a film about The Passion as in The Passion of Christ. It was at times excruciatingly difficult to watch due to the incredibly believable, brilliant acting of Marie Falconetti. I was so drawn in by the image of her torment that I often found myself not breathing. The score accentuated the images, and was never overbearing or morose. An unexpected surprise and joy for me was the appearance of Antonin Artaud, the French actor/writer/director who formed his own school of acting. I'd only seen pictures of him and read his books. This was the ultimate "buckshee."