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FINE ACTING, EXTRAORDINARY TECHNIQUE AND NOVEL PHOTOGRAPHY ARE IN FRENCH FILMProbably the most unusual film which has ever been shown on the campus, “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” a French film in which extremely unique technique is seen, will be given in the Assembly Hall on Thursday evening at 8 o’clock. The fine acting of Mile. Maria Falconetti, in the part of Joan, and the directing of Carl Dreyer, of the Societe Generate des Films, make this picture totally different from American films.Chiefly through the technique of close-ups, “The Passion of Joan of Arc” portrays the last six hours of the life of the Saint, starting with her trial in the ecclesiastical court, and ending with her burning. There is no action, there are no lively captions; but the eloquent facial expressions of Mile. Falconetti, her eyes, her tears, her lips, her gestures—all of these make each close-up of Joan a portrait i of human suffering or of human exaltation.That “The Passion of Joan of Arc” is “slow” might be the conclusion reached from the knowledge that the burning of the Maid of Orleans takes GOO feet of film, did not the brilliant performance of Falconetti make it more moving and more beautiful than dozens of talkies which claim to bemasterpieces. While it takes several seconds for her to answer “yes” or ' “no” to one of the bishop’s questions, the emotional struggle depicted on her face completely overcomes the element of time.A curious technique, also, is displayed in this passion film. Dreyer, the director, has used the very effective device of fantastic angles throughout almost the whole picture. Seldom does he show Joan or any of the judges from the usual straightforward, level angle of photography. Instead, the psychological effect of a judge, a soldier, or a cocconer, or Joan is marvelously portrayed by weird views showing all chin in one case, all nose in another, and so on. This is something quite new in movie technique, and something worth attention.i “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” which was suppressed in England and later judged to be one of the four greatest films of all time by the American National Board of Review, is being shown here Thursday by the dramatic council and will not be seen in any commercial house in the future. Tickets are on sale for seventy-five cents j at the A.S.S.U. office and at Sherman, i Clay Company in Palo Alto.
Newspaper Details
Stanford Daily
Stanford, California, US
Wed, Nov 13, 1929
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 18 Jan 2019
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