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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1562

The Passion of Joan of Arc

192882 minFrance
DramaBiography

Synopsis

Imprisoned and questioned by a court that demands she abandon her convictions, Joan of Arc faces a struggle fought through glances, pauses and carefully chosen answers. Carl Theodor Dreyer concentrates the trial around her isolation, with Renée Falconetti's face carrying the conflict between institutional power, physical fear and religious faith.

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Video edition
Internet Archive
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: French.
This copy runs
81:32
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: French. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Internet Archive · Carl Theodor Dreyer · Internet Archive source edition

Cast

DirectorsCarl Theodor Dreyer

Historical context

A Danish director working in France, Dreyer made the film after Joan had become an especially prominent national and religious figure. The drama concentrates on interrogation and punishment rather than military victories, bringing a public historical legend into an intensely personal space.

Inspirations

The surviving records of Joan's trial provided a historical foundation. Events are condensed for the screen: the film is a dramatic interpretation of her persecution, not an unedited transcription of the proceedings.

Behind the scenes

Close-ups, plain faces without theatrical makeup and disorienting angles reduce the distance between the audience and Joan. A substantial medieval set was built, yet faces and fragments of architecture often dominate the images.

Reception and legacy

Cuts, damaged materials and competing editions complicated the film's circulation. Its later recovery and restoration helped establish it as a landmark of silent cinema, particularly celebrated for Falconetti's performance.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and creditsCriterion — film and creditsImage: Artist unknown; Eloquent Press, N. Morgillo / Library of Congress / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 18, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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