Rent Joan of Arc (2019)

Arty but unsatisfying - Joan of Arc review by CD

I had read the critics reviews and was prepared for a challenging and rather long film.  Hats off to the director for trying to be radical and the actors do their best, but the film is too fragmented and slow moving.  There is some interesting choreography such as using dressage to mimic a battle and the appearance of WW2 bunkers as prison cells.  I’m still awaiting the definitive film of “Joan” though and would only recommend this one if you want to see a radical and allegorical interpretation of a life.  2 stars rather than 1 star for courage of the Director and actors.

Tedium - Joan of Arc review by RD

It's quite an achievement to maintain the tedium of this film over the full length, and it is a very slow and tedious film.

For example we have the first twenty minutes set in the sand dunes somewhere, with various characters arriving and talking with each other, interrupted only by a fairly monotonous song that goes on for about five minutes accompanied by the camera and Joan staring at each other from different angles. It's a relief when the song finishes. Then we are treated to Joan, on a horse, surrounded by about a hundred cavalry who perform geometric trotting patterns around her for some considerable time. The aerial shots of the troops weaving around each other are attractive, but it reminds one of a cross between The Horse of the Year Show and the Royal Tournament. Again, this scene goes on and on for far too long, and I started to nod off at this point.

The film gains ground with the trial scene in Amien Cathedral, showing the superb architecture to it's best with some great photography, however the trial is long and drawn out with spurious medieval arguments that baffled this modern brain.

The acting is stilted and wooden throughout the film, and a storyline never really develops. Scenes just seem to be strung together.

A great sadness is that the core of the film, which is the sin that Joan was accused of and sentenced for, seemed to be absent. I got the impression it was heresy, but what she did or said to be accused of this didn't seem to feature in the film. I would have thought this was important enough to benefit from more than hints.

A novel approach to the prisons was to use what look like 20th century concrete pillboxes left over from WW2.

Well I do feel like I ran a marathon, as I watched the film right until the un-climactic ending, although I did nod off a couple of times in the middle which is understandable given the appalling tedium of this film.

Avoid!

A philosphy course - Joan of Arc review by CSF

Trying to be sober or basic, the director attempts to go to the essential but as slowly as possible. The cinema is not made for that. No emotion, incredibly slow and sometimes exasperating.

The Joan of Arc's story is everything except that. It is the story of an unusual passion: the passion of one's country and God. Even today it is difficult to understand what's happened and this film. By wanting to be intellectual, it bored me to death. All the films made before about Joanne of Arc are very good, especially the one with Ingrid Bergman.

In my opinion, the catholic Church is more guilty than the English for burning her and no film showed this ambiguity. The best part of her life, for a film, would be her trial. This must be read. That film doesn't bring anything new to the story and, most unfortunately, is offputting. Johan of Arc deserves so much better.