Movie Crush Monday: CT & The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
We decided to do Arthouse August because we love movies, and we love writing about our Movie Crush each week, but the game that we play linking movie to movie via their cast limits what we can talk about. And for movie buffs like us, that means that a lot of movies we love don't get talked about because they're hard to link back and forth. And in the spirit of Arthouse August, let's talk about a film that is preeeeetty much impossible to link.
Little known CT fact: I studied film history in college and spent an awful lot of time on early film and the silent film era. I love the history of filmmakers learning how to put together cinematic language, and the progression of storytelling styles. And by far, by faaaaar, one of my absolute favorite silent films is The Passion of Joan of Arc.
The film is based on the actual trial records of Joan of Arc as she was tried for heresy, leading up to her execution. Carl Theodor Dreyer, the director, spent more than a year researching her and the trial before he made the film. And the film was though to be lost for decades before a single copy was finally found in a mental institution in Olso! Film history is some crazy stuff, y'all.
The result is a gorgeous, challenging, moving piece. Maria Falconetti plays Joan, and her performance is deeply emotive. The film is full of these gorgeous close ups and you can see every atom of emotion cross her face. I've seen this movie so many times and she makes me cry every time. Those close ups were revolutionary at the time- it's one of the first films to focus so heavily on the actors' facial expressions, and it set a tone that we still follow today.
This is a startling film, and one that I'm pretty sure should be required viewing for anyone into film. Or anyone who has feelings. Basically for everyone. Everyone should see it.
Happy Watching!
CT
 |
| Image from IMDb |
Little known CT fact: I studied film history in college and spent an awful lot of time on early film and the silent film era. I love the history of filmmakers learning how to put together cinematic language, and the progression of storytelling styles. And by far, by faaaaar, one of my absolute favorite silent films is The Passion of Joan of Arc.
The film is based on the actual trial records of Joan of Arc as she was tried for heresy, leading up to her execution. Carl Theodor Dreyer, the director, spent more than a year researching her and the trial before he made the film. And the film was though to be lost for decades before a single copy was finally found in a mental institution in Olso! Film history is some crazy stuff, y'all.
 |
| Image from IMDb |
This is a startling film, and one that I'm pretty sure should be required viewing for anyone into film. Or anyone who has feelings. Basically for everyone. Everyone should see it.
Happy Watching!
CT
Comments
Post a Comment