Jeanne d'Arc

This is a classic tale of a true figure in French history, who paid a price for her beliefs. She is heroic as she fends off those that would have her take the easy way out. This film is hand painted and has brilliant color throughout. Also, the images are sophisticated. I have always thought that this story ranks with the best. Was Joan a hero or was she mad? Any way you look at it, she had the entire courage of her convictions.

For 1900, this is an epic in many respects: its sheer length (10 minutes), the mythical/historical subject, and number of sets (12). It also attempts to seem like a cast of hundreds by having its actors parade across the screen, then circle back off-screen and parade by again. Obviously when viewed today, this kind of scene is pedestrian (no pun intended) and lacks the impact it may have had at the time. Overall, it's also a pretty straightforward depiction of the story of Joan of Arc, simply marching through chapters of her life in long shot. Perhaps this film and the many other representations of her in the arts played a role in getting Joan of Arc sanctified twenty years later. Regardless, the real miracle is how old this film is, and the fact that it survives.

Joan Of Arc (1900)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

aka Jeanne d'Arc

Breathtaking version of the classic story tells the life and death of the one and only Joan of Arc. This film is unique for many different reasons including the fact that it runs ten minutes long, which certainly wasn't common for the day. Another unique factor is that the entire film was hand colored and this is where the true beauty of the movie comes into play. The colors of the film are downright brilliantly done and makes other color films from this period look quite poor. The red colors of the dresses and the bright lime colors are beautiful to look at. The story is also told through narration and this is another plus as it's able to tell us a lot about what we're watching and it also points out the various roles being played by Melies. This film holds up incredibly well today and is one that would probably be enjoyed by plenty of kids who wouldn't normally watch a film from 1900.

It's only befitting that one of the most venerable pioneers of French cinema should have addressed himself to portraying one of his nation's great national heroines. By some miracle his version has survived complete with the original tinting.

As usual with Melies the characters saunter back and forth with little sense of urgency before finally engaging the English, while Joan herself is depicted playing no part in the hostilities, her hair for once not shorn.

During her trial the use of tinting adds emphasis to the brazier containing hot coals soon to be applied by a torturer dressed in satanic red prior to her final burning at the stake.

Without a word uttered and being only ten minutes this was better than Milla Jovovich starred "The Messenger."

Knowing the story of Joan of Arc would help immensely in watching this short. She is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Stating that she was acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France.

I'm sure that's very hard to capture in a ten minute video with no dialogue, but for the time this was the best you were going to get.