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| Joan of Arc - the martyr |
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) is a historical personality who has
always fascinated me. The reason why I admire her is because of her
authenticity. While I may not share the same religious belief with her, I am
inspired by her courage to stand firm on what she truly believes in, even if
that will lead to her death. Because of her magnificent cult status, Joan of
Arc is a character that has been portrayed numerous times in different forms of
art, notably in cinema.
While her leadership during the battles of the Hundred
Years’ War is a subject that has been mentioned in many ‘commercial’ (and maybe
CGI-driven) films regarding herself, two of the most outstanding films about Joan of Arc are focused instead on
the subsequent trials against her, by the masters Carl Theodor Dreyer and
Robert Bresson. To me, it is not merely about being serious or arthouse-worthy.
Because the courage, wisdom and resourcefulness of Joan of Arc was most evident
in her ‘showdown’ against the corrupt priests and judges, who would resort to
bluffs, tortures, deceptions, and even death threats, to push the young Joan to
confess to all the guilty allegations against her.
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| Carl Theodor Dreyer |
My focus this time is Dreyer’s masterpiece ‘The Passion of
Joan of Arc’ (1928), a silent film back in 1928. This film is so wonderful that
it has captivated generations of audience, and it has stood the test of time.
It has featured on the Critics’ Top 10 list for 4 times in the ‘Sight and
Sound’ magazine, coming out as the 9th greatest film in the 2012
poll. It is important to note that, while both Dreyer and Bresson have been
categorized as ‘spiritual’ directors (akin to Schrader’s famous book), Dreyer’s
‘Joan of Arc’ is very different from that of Bresson. Even so, many will find
that Dreyer’s masterpiece on Joan of Arc is rather different from the style he
is usually identified with, like the long takes and mobile camera movements as
seen in his later works like ‘Ordet’ and ‘Gertrud’. Schrader has provided
wonderful insights on this issue, by stating that Dreyer’s style could be
attributed to 3 distinct, and even conflicting influences – the naturalistic
chamber plays, expressionism and of course transcendental ideas. It is in ‘The Passion
of Joan of Arc’ that these 3 styles battled each other the most fiercely for artistic
control, which resulted in a dramatic intensity that can still fascinate modern
audience, and the film stands alone as an iconic piece. Maria Falconetti,
merely using intense facial expressions, has delivered one of the most sublime
and fantastic performance ever in the history of cinema. The great dramatist,
Antonin Artaud, also starred in the film. Known for his faith on the ‘Theatre
of Cruelty’, you get the idea! Indeed, this masterpiece was almost lost in the
ashes of time, when a fire accident has likely damaged the negatives.
Miraculously (is that what Dreyer’s film is all about?), an original copy was
found in a mental hospital in Norway
(the most suitable place for it to be found), and modern audience can thus
appreciate this timeless masterpiece.
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| A frequent image - would Joan confess? |
The plot was based on historical facts, and it focused on
the trial of heresy against Joan of Arc. The priests and judges for the trials,
which supported Britain
at that time, were obviously biased and they could resort to all sort of dirty
tactics in order to nail Joan of Arc. Using rhetoric and bullying tactics, they
attempted to belittle the young Joan and tried to shake her belief that she had
a God-given mission to chase the British away from France , and thus confessed to the
allegations they have planned for her. Yet, the resourceful and strong-willed
Joan would not easily succumb to these threats. When bluffs failed, the
authorities decided to craft deceptions. They wrote a fake letter and dictated
it to Joan, claiming it was from the French King. Of course, the clever Joan
was not fooled by this. Sensing their carrot tricks were to no avail, they
decided to show Joan the torture chamber, which consisted of various sharp
objects, and a ferris wheel laden with sharp pins. Although disturbed by the possible
thrill that could arise from these ‘fun rides’, Joan again stated she would not
confess, before fainting and dropping onto the floor. The judges decided to
give the calling card – if Joan would not co-operate she would be burnt at the
stake. Joan eventually relented and signed the confession, and she was then
imprisoned. It was then Joan found that
she was not faithful to God. She put into action, by asking to change back to
men's clothes and retracted her confessions. The return to a tom-boy style, and
the fact that God was calling back, were, rather ridiculously, the 2 heresy
charges that would lead to Joan's demise. Nevertheless, believe in the power of
human wisdom! More and more people could identify with Joan's devotion and
therefore she was allowd for one final communion. More than ready to be a
martyr for her country, Joan was brough outside and she was burnt to death.
People felt bad for her, and a riot almost broke out. With her soul parting
from her body, she was finally alone - with God!
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| Joan experiencing God |
Dreyer has stated that he wanted to show a ‘landscape of
men’ in ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’. Natural landscape has been used as mental
allegory in many films, including those of
John Ford, Anthony Mann, and Nicholas Ray. In order to achieve this,
Dreyer employed stylized approaches. Many of these were expressionistic,
including the extensive use of extreme close-ups, high contrast lighting, and
low angle camera placement. This presented a threatening and confrontational
atmosphere, as if Joan was being cruelly inspected under the microscope and was
utterly alone in this battle against injustice. The emotional richness
displayed by all the character’s faces was unprecedented in the history of film,
and few subsequent films could capture such a plentitude of sentiments in such
a lucid manner . Indeed, this style was extremely important for Dreyer’s end
because his version of Joan of Arc was concentrated on the disparity / chaotic
nature of the trial, and the outcome that followed. Unlike Bresson or Ozu,
whose spiritual quests in their films would lead to a stasis stage – a kind of
peace of mind at the end – Dreyer has chosen not to end that way. Thus,
Bresson’s and Dreyer’s respective ‘Joans’ are different from each other.
Indeed, another high point of expressionism is the torture
chamber sequence, which ironically can provide ‘guilty pleasures’ for modern
audience (including myself) as the effects employed are certainly funny. With
the canted angles, abstract images of sharp objects, and distorted perspective,
this montage-style sequence was intercut with the elevating thrill displayed on
Joan’s face. The priest turning the ‘ferris wheel’ with sharp blades is legend
– he attempted a threatening stance by turning it slowly, and then faster and
faster (certainly an expressionistic effect from Dreyer, as it became over the
top at the end), thus while it could be fun to watch nowadays, it was certainly
emotionally thrilling!
(1/2)
(1/2)
I have to stop here, as that is quite a lot to say about
this great film. Falconetti’s monumental performance is so inspiring that there
is no point to treat this subject lightly. I am getting ready for my trip to Italy , so I
think I will continue with this next week when I am back. At the time, just go
for this film on the internet (inc. the ferris wheel scene, see below link), it will leave a lasting impression. Anyway, see
you next week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY4M8WyIOrE
by Ed Law
21/8/2015
Film Analysis - 53
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY4M8WyIOrE
by Ed Law
21/8/2015
Film Analysis - 53
