Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
Joan the Maid - The Battles/The Prisons (1994) [2-Disc Set]
A Films by Jacques Rivette
2xDVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC 4:3 | 01:52:20 + 01:55:40 | 4,06 Gb + 4,17 Gb
Audio: French AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English hardcoded
Genre: Historical Drama | France
A Films by Jacques Rivette
2xDVD5 | ISO+MDS | NTSC 4:3 | 01:52:20 + 01:55:40 | 4,06 Gb + 4,17 Gb
Audio: French AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subtitles: English hardcoded
Genre: Historical Drama | France
In these two extraordinary companion films French New Wave director Jacques Rivette offers a fresh, brilliant reinterpretation of one of the great historical figures of the millennium, Joan of Arc. Named one of the year's ten best films by Cahiers du Cinema. THE BATTLES: An amazing portrayal of Joan of Arc's life, from her birth to her efforts to convince the French that she has been sent by God and can defeat the English, to the defeat of the English at Orleans. THE PRISONS: The second portion of Rivette's masterful Joan of Arc saga depicts Joan's occupation of Compeigne, her desertion by her men, and her subsequent imprisonment and death sentence.
Joan the Maid 1.: The Battles - Jeanne la Pucelle I - Les batailles - IMDB
Joan the Maid 2.: The Prisons - Jeanne la Pucelle II - Les prisons - IMDB
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
"Jeanne la Pucelle 1. Les Batailles[Joan the Maid: the Battles]" begins with Joan's efforts to obtain permission to see the Dauphin in Chinon and ends with his coronation. It starts off badly with an actress hamming it up as the Mother of Joan and telling what a perfect child she was. Most of the early scenes come directly from the rehabilitation hearings where she was portrayed as a faultless saint in keeping with the newly restored French government. Many of the actors in this beginning section seem to pose and speak directly to the camera rather than to each other like they were in a tableau or an elementary school Passion play. It may have been deliberate, but it didn't work for me. What did work was the great attention to detail and the settings. Jacques Rivette went out of his way to stay with documented facts and to take advantage of the true French landmarks and countryside. I loved the way he played each scene out regardless of what happened with the horses, props, or men, letting the accidents happen as part of the action.
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
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"Jeanne la Pucelle 2. Les prisons[Joan the Maid: the Prisons]" stayed with documented facts, using a fade-to-black after every scene, to give a flawless view of Joan and the people she encountered. Sandrine Bonnaire was outstanding in every respect. Her interpretation of Joan did honor to both the warrior saint and the human girl caught up in a tragedy. The prison and trial sequences worked in every respect because the director did not do more than let each character speak his or her mind. I especially loved the early prison sequences where Rivette contrasted the world of women with the world of men, again, giving each character a full and believable voice. It is the best historical treatment I have seen in a long time and by far the best Joan.Customer Review, amazon.com
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
This two-part film on two DVDs is the first picture from the great Jacques Rivette to make it to the new format, while most of his films are still not available on video at all. Rivette, of course, was one of the original "Cahiers du Cinema" writers-turned-filmmakers, keeping company with Jean-Luc Godard and Franncois Truffaut. He is among the most patient and thoughtful of filmmakers, forgoing any concern for length in favor of depth.
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
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Though the Joan of Arc story has been filmed many times before, most recently in Luc Besson's dreadful The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, Rivette's four-hour epic Joan the Maid ranks near the greatest of them all, Carl Dreyer's 1928 The Passion of Joan of Arc, though it couldn't be more different from that silent masterpiece.
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
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Sandrine Bonnaire, with her iron jaw and soft eyes, embodies Joan with brilliance, strength and dignity and deserves comparison with Maria Falconetti in Dreyer's version (often considered the greatest film performance of all time). Rivette's camera always stays wide open, filming spacious locations with smooth pans and few cuts, making itself an unblinking eye. The film concentrates on the day-to-day of Joan's life, beginning with Joan charging off to battle and ending with her life in prison. He uses few close-ups and very little incidental music. The battles are played out matter-of-factly and without fanfare (they look exhausting). Likewise, Joan's inquisition is performed with no heroism, just a simple demonstration of faith and stubbornness. This Joan shows fear when it comes time to die, but we never question her faith, as we do in Besson's The Messenger, when Joan's spirits come to visit her in the form of Dustin Hoffman(!).
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
Special Features:
- Filmography
- Film Info
- Historical Timeline
Jeanne la Pucelle (1994)
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