If you have been interested in watching “The Passion of Joan of Arc”for the first time, it’s definitely an experience! May you be new to the Criterion Collection or a Criterion Collection owner who owned the original 1999 DVD, this new 2018 Blu-ray release from the Criterion Collection is absolutely magnificent and surpasses the older DVD release in every way! This is the definitive version to own! Highly recommended!
Image courtesy of © 1928 Gaumont. The Criterion Collection. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: The Passion of Joan of Arc -The Criterion Collection #62
YEAR OF FILM: 1928
DURATION: 81 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 1:33:1 aspect ratio, Black and White, Silent, French Intertitles with English Subtitles
COMPANY: Warner Bros./THE CRITERION COLLECTION
RELEASE DATE: March 20, 2018
Directed by Carl Th. Dreyer
Screenplay by Carl Th. Dreyer in collaboration with Joseph Delteil
Cinematography by Rudolf Maté
Edited by Marguerite Beauge, Carl Theodor Dreyer
Historical Consultant: Pierre Champion
Art Direction: Hermann Warm
Set Decoration: Jean Hugo, Hermann Warm
Production Design: Jean Hugo
Costume Design: Valentine Hugo
Starring:
Renee Jeanne Falconetti as Jeanne d’Arc
Eugène Silvain as Pierre Cauchon
André Berley as Jean d’Estivet
Maurice Schutz as Nicloas Loyseleur
Antonin Artaud as Jean Massieu
Gilbert Dalleu as Jean Lemaitre
Jean d’Yd as Nicolas de Houppeville
Louis Ravet as Jean Beaupère
Spiritual rapture and institutional hypocrisy come to stark, vivid life in one of the most transcendent masterpieces of the silent era. Chronicling the trial of Joan of Arc in the days leading up to her execution, Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer depicts her torment with startling immediacy, employing an array of techniques including expressionistic lighting, interconnected sets, and painfully intimate close-ups to immerse viewers in her subjective experience. Anchoring Dreyer’s audacious formal experimentation is a legendary performance by Renée Falconetti, whose haunted face channels both the agony and the ecstasy of martyrdom.
In 1928, the film “La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc” based on the trial o Joan of Arc was directed by Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film is considered a landmark in cinema and was released by The Criterion Collection back in 1999.
But its one thing to watch the powerful silent film starring Renee Jeanne Falconetti as it details the actual trial of Jeanne d’Arc (based on the actual court documents) and to hear the amazing music by Richard Einhorn’s “Voices of Light” accompanying the film. But what is equally amazing is the story behind-the-making of the film because there have been many different versions of Dreyer’s original film.
Right at the beginning of working on the film, the French nationalist campaigned against the film because it was directed by a non-French director, a non Catholic director and they simply felt he was not the right person to direct a film about the country’s icon hero Joan of Arc. So, the archbishop of Paris ordered changes to be made for the film without Dreyer’s input.
Then on Dec. 1928, the original negative of the film was destroyed during the fire at UFA studio in Berlin. All Dreyer had now was worn out copies that were distributed earlier at screenings. Heartbroken by what happened, Dreyer was able to create a new version of the film utilizing alternative takes and almost matched the original. But another fire took place at the labs of G.M. de Boulogne-Billancourt in 1929 and the second negative was lost.
But then a lost version of the film at 61 minutes without the intertitles was found in 1933 and featured a vocal narrative. In 1951, film historian Lo Duca found an intact negative in the vaults of Gaumont Studios that was based on Dreyer’s second negative and Lo Duca made major changes and included subtitles and a vocal narrative. This was released and infuriated Dreyer even more (who hoped that Lo Duca would release the original negative of the film instead of his “modernized” version). Then the Danish Film Institute went on to work on another film based on existing prints and utilizing another source print found in London which contained extra shots but also missing nearly 200 shots.
Needless to say, within the next 60+ years, people who have seen the film have seen different versions. The original 1928 film was burned in the fire and the true version would never be seen by moviegoers…until 1981 when a workman in Oslo, Norway who was cleaning out a closet at a mental institution found film canisters. The canisters were given to the Norwegian film Institute and it was discovered that the canisters were the original print of the film from 1928.
Immediately the film was restored and remastered. In 1999, the Criterion Collection DVD would feature the first definitive edition of “The Passion of Joan of Arc”.
Fastforward to 2018, and not only do we get this wonderful film with a 2K digital restoration of the film by Gaumont, but now we get the film presented in 24 and 20 frames per second. And also, this version we get three scores and more special features, making this the current, definitive version of “The Passion of Joan of Arc” to own!
For those not familiar with Joan of Arc, she is a national heroine of France and post-posthumously named a Catholic saint. As an illiterate peasant girl from France, she started hearing voices in her head and that it was from God. Jeanne d’Arc at 17-years-old was responsible for leading the French Army (disguised as a man but later revealed as a woman) and winning victories during the Hundred Years’ War against the English. She was feared by the Burgundians and the English and was eventually captured and put on trial.
The silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc†takes place during the trial based on actual transcripts of Jeanne d’Arc being put on trial for heresy. She was interrogated and each answer she gave, she would surprise the court and the court would try to scare her in order to get her to be sentenced in someway or manner. We see the entire trial and also her execution and the aftermath of her execution.
Although a silent film, it’s the acting of Renée Jeanne Falconetti that captures the attention of the viewer. No sound or words are needed to understand the fear in her eyes, her belief in God. The court is also well captured as their expressions tell you their frustration but also their cold, calculating ways of trying to get Jeanne d’Arc to answer their questions.
Accompanied by the Voices of Light soundtrack, we are greeted with one of the earliest and more powerful silent films that has been regarded as one of the top films of all time and on various polls of the top films of all time, “The Passion of the Joan of Arc” is easily in the top 10.
VIDEO:
“The Passion of Joan of Arc” is featured in black and white (1:33:1 aspect ratio). Considering what had taken place with the film for over 70 years, this footage found in 1981 and restored for the The Criterion Collection DVD is fantastic. Not perfect but compared to the VHS blurry copies that people have had for many years, the quality on this DVD is awesome for a film that is over 80-years-old. You do see a bit of scratches and dust but with all the work that went in to correct many frames from warping and acid and massive dust, the picture quality is very good. According to Criterion, the digital transfer was created at 24 frames a second from a 35mm fine-grain master positive made from the restored negative. The transfer was restored utilizing the MTI Digital Restoration System.
According to the Criterion Collection, “This new digital restoration by Gaumont and the Centre national du cinema et de l’image animee was created in 2K resolution from a duplicate negative made from an original positive print held by the Danish Film Institute, which also provided the original Danish intertitles presented in the 20-frame-per-second version”.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
As for the lossless audio, when “The Passions of Joan of Arcâ€Â was released by the Criterion Collection in 1999, I commented on how the silent film included Richard Einhorn’s “Voices of Light” is fantastic.
I absolutely loved the soundtrack, but with the Blu-ray release, the Criterion Collection now offers three scores: Richard Einhorn’s “Voices of Light”, Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory and Portishead’s Adrian Utley and another by composer/pianist Mie Yanashita.
According to the Criterion Collection, “The recording of Richard Einhorn’s ‘Voices of Light’ presented here, from 1995, features performances by Anonymous 4, soprano soloist Susan Narucki, the Radio Netherlands Philharmonic and Choir, and other musicians, conducted by Steven Mercurio, Grace Row produced the recording”.
“Adrian Utley and Will Gregory’s score, produced with the support of Colston Hall and Watershed in Bristol, england, and Hauser & Wirth Somerset, is a combination of live recordings from two 2016 performances, one at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London and the other at Wells Cathedral in Somerset. The twenty-piece ensemble conducted by Charles Hazlewood features an eight-piece choire, a brass quintet, and five electric guitars, as well as synths, percussion and three medieval harps. Special guest Jonsi Birgisson is featured as a vocal soloist”.
“The Mie Yanashita score was recorded at the Lutheran Ichigaya Hall in Tokyo on July 11 and 12, 2005, by producer Fumiaki Kimura and recording engineers Masaru Usui and Miho Arima”.
French Intertitles with English Subtitles
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“The Passions of Joan of Arc” comes with the following special features:
- About the Frame Rates – (11:48) Danish film scholar Casper explores the debate over the proper frame rate for “The Passion of Joan of Arc”. This release presents the film at two different speeds: 24 fps and 20 fps.
- About Voices of Light – (11:09) Featuring a new interview with Richard Einhorn, who composed the oratario “Voices of Light”.
- Adrian Utley and Will Gregory – (15:24) Adrian Utley and Will Gregory discuss creating their score for “The Passions of Joan of Arc”.
- Audio Commentary (for 24FPS version) by Casper Tybjerg – Audio essay by Dreyer scholar Casper Tybjerg record on Aug. 1999. A very indepth commentary by Caper Tybjerg who evaluates the shots on the film.
- Audio interview excerpts with Helene Falconetti – Richard Einhorn’s audio interview from 1995 with Helene Falconetti, daughter of Renne Falconetti.
- Version History – (10:29) A featurette discussing the variety of versions of “The Passion of Joan of Arc” that were released in theaters.
- Production Design Archive – (3:51) Featuring photos taken on the set of “The Passion of Joan of Arc”.
EXTRAS:
“The Passion of Joan of Arc -The Criterion Collection #62″ comes with a 42-page booklet featuring the essays: “The Face of Truth” by Mark Le Fanu, “Realized Mysticism in the Passion of Joan of Arc” by Carl Theodor Dreyer and “Voices of Light Libretto”.
Powerful, emotional and important. Carl Th. Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc” was a film that had to go through so many challenges. If it’s one thing to have so many versions, so many cuts and so much controversy, the film also had to contend with the move away from silent films to film with sound.
Regardless of the controversy, the fact is that Dreyer’s original print after 60 years has been found, restored and we are being given the opportunity to see this film the way it was mean to be seen.
I feel that in this day and age, many viewers are familiar with Joan of Arc through films such as Luc Besson’s “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” or Christian Duguay’s mini-series “Joan of Arc” or even whatever they learned through the PSP video game “Jeanne d’Arc”. But the story of Jeanne d’Arc is not as easy one to tell in 90-120 minutes. Also, instead of focusing on the protagonist fighting in various wars or in battle, “The Passion of Joan of Arc†is nothing like any of these newer incarnations of the story of Joan of Arc.
What we have with “The Passion of Joan of Arc” is a true Dreyer masterpiece not realized until after 1981. A powerful performance over 80-years ago by an actress captured on film. The visual composition is amazing, the set design (which was very expensive despite not being utilized in the film all that much) and that final moments are just incredible to see. This was made in 1928 and here we are 90-years later and this film just holds up remarkably well.
As for the Criterion Collection 2018 Blu-ray release, if you thought the original DVD release in 1999 was fantastic, what we have is a complete overhaul. Now we get a 2K restoration, the film presented in 24 and 20 frames-per-second, three very different scores, new special features (the old DVD has numerous text-based features) and even the essays on the original booklet have been replaced.
There are Criterion Collection releases that are released and aside from the restoration and new lossless audio soundtrack, sometimes the special features remain the same. But lately, the Criterion Collection are now including much more. And fortunately, “The Passion of Joan of Arc” is like a complete overhaul and surpasses what was considered at one time, the definitive version. That title now belongs to this Blu-ray release, which is magnificent!
If you have been interested in watching “The Passion of Joan of Arc” for the first time, it’s definitely an experience! May you be new to the Criterion Collection or a Criterion Collection owner who owned the original 1999 DVD, this new 2018 Blu-ray release from the Criterion Collection is absolutely magnificent and surpasses the older DVD release in every way!
This is the definitive version to own! Highly recommended!