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Trial Of Joan Of Arc (The)
R0 - Australia - Accent Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Shahir Daud (14th January 2006). |
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The Film
 Joan of Arc has proven to be an elusive figurehead. She’s long been an enigmatic vision whose image has become the symbol of French nationalism, and then further appropriated into the folds of modernity, feminism and modern sexuality. Her upbringing, religious conviction, strategic prowess and even her beauty have been hotly debated over the years by historians, but like any symbol, she has continued to draw hordes of fans who project their own beliefs onto her. Robert Bresson follows the mould set by Carl Dreyer‘s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), focusing only on her trial, but strives for absolute authenticity, restricting his dialogue only to the preserved transcripts and as with his other films, employing non-actors in central roles. Ordinarily, such a preoccupation with verisimilitude would threaten to strangle the life out of the screen, condensing it with the boredom of ‘real life’ which doesn’t make for good cinema. Thankfully then, Bresson has always chosen the most intriguing stories to focus his attention, stripping away the tragedy (Mouchette, 1967), exaggeration (Pickpocket, 1959), irony (L’argent, 1983), and in the case of Joan of Arc: religious affirmation. Bresson interrogates Joan (Florence Deley) as severely as her accusers, holding surprisingly invasive mid shots which linger on Joan’s steely gaze, eventually exposing her inner contradictions. When she is finally forced to recant her claims of guidance from Saints, Bresson maintains his steadfast observational style, even while his heroine’s credibility begins to falter. The effect doesn’t invalidate Joan’s sainthood; in fact, it makes her more human and far more worthy of devotion. By eschewing embellishment, Bresson foregrounds Joan’s humanity. Her burning at the stake becomes an odd revelation, both cementing her place in history, and silencing any ongoing contribution to it. This isn’t so much a revolution from Dreyer’s film, but rather an expansion of ideas. While Dreyer directed Maria Falconetti to a heartbreaking performance, Bresson ensures Florence Deley never strays emotionally from the text, only rarely breaking her icy veneer. Joan posed a serious threat to the Catholic faith, which on the one hand demanded the belief in its symbols, but condemned Joan’s visions as heresy. Politically Joan’s death was seen by the English as a potential catalyst for the end of the hundred years war. Cinematically she continues to be re-imagined as warrior/feminist/saint/icon, depending on the filmmaker (incidentally, there has recently been a confirmation of yet another Joan of Arc project, to be helmed by Gods and Generals (2003) director Ronald F. Maxwell who judging by past history, will most likely evaluate her strategic role). With only an hour long running time, Bresson’s film is brisk and concise, and effectively renders Joan as a true human being, who enraptured a nation and became something far more complex and compelling: a symbol who even in Bresson’s meticulous hands still manages to shine as a beacon of faith and religious affirmation. Something I’m sure Bresson intended to show, without having to fake it.
Video
Much like their other films in the Works of Robert Bresson series Accent have provided a very good transfer. Presented in the film’s original theatrical ratio of 1.66:1, this anamorphic widescreen image is generally sharp, the film does have some inherent grain, this adds a vintage charm to the overall image (a total clean up of the grain would have resulted in an un-naturalistic plastic feel, something Bresson himself would scoff at!). Additionally the black and white holds excellent contrast, with greys coming out a bit soft in tone and not as deep as I would have liked. Overall Accent has done a fine job with this film.
Audio
Accent have included the film’s original French Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track here. As this is a predominantly dialogue based film don’t expect any sound depth or state-of-the-art sound effects. What we get here is a distortion free track that presents the dialogue clearly, and that’s really about it. The track does the job no more, no less. Accent has included optional English subtitles for this release, I found the subtitles to be easy to read and free from grammatical or spelling errors. I also liked the fact that they are presented on-screen long enough to read in entirety without going too quickly and having to stop and rewind.
Extras
All the video extras presented here are in French and include subtitles in English. The first extra we have is an interview with Florence Deley, who played Joan of Arc in this film. Deley visits the original location where part of the film was shot and discusses aspects of the production and reminisces about certain memorable scenes from the film. She shares her experiences in working with the director. Deley also talks about the character of Joan, her motivations that led her to do the things that she did as well as touch on the director’s style and most importantly what he envisioned the film as being. The interview runs for 20 minutes. Next up we have two other interviews with Robert Bresson, which runs for 9 minutes 4 seconds. The first is a broadcast interview, here Bresson talks about why he wanted to make this film considering it’s a story that has had so many different interpretations over the years by various filmmakers. He also discusses his sources for the film’s dialogue (being original trial transcripts), casting the pivotal role of Joan and his use of non-actors among other things. The second clip features Bresson along with philosopher Jean Guitton, this interview takes place after a screening of the film and they discuss the film’s release, as well as its characters portrayed and the relevance of it. Following that we have an episode of the TV series Burning Issues of History this TV clip focuses on Joan of Arc and runs for 39 minutes 18 seconds. It provides a concise background of the historical figure and her journey from birth to death. The clip also looks at various films that feature the character. Anyone interested in the historical side of the iconic figure will enjoy this feature. Next we have an audio speech by then Minister of Cultural Affairs Andre Malraux and runs for 27 minutes 18 seconds. This speech was conducted on May 8th 1961 in the town of Orleans, celebrating the 532nd anniversary of the death of Joan of Arc (Although it's a premature celebration, she died on May 30th). The audio runs over a still photograph of Mr. Malraux. In his speech Malraux emphasizes what Joan meant to France, her legacy and what she ultimately stood for. We also get the film’s original theatrical trailer that runs for 2 minutes 15 seconds as well as bonus trailers for Sunrise that runs for 1 minute 44 seconds, Persona for 2 minutes 34 seconds, Pickpocket at 1 minute 53 seconds, Fritz Lang’s M for 2 minutes 10 seconds, A Heart in Winter runs for 1 minute 59 seconds, La Belle Noiseuse for 1 minute 12 seconds, Fanny and Alexander runs for 2 minutes 40 seconds and Scenes from a Marriage that runs for 48 seconds. Rounding out the extras are some liner notes with an essay Prisoner by film critic Adrian Martin.
Overall
The Trial of Joan of Arc is an excellent film, anyone interested in the character or the films of Bresson should not miss this. Accent’s DVD presents the film with a great transfer and a suitable soundtrack, the extras are informative and interesting, however a commentary would have been a nice touch.
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