Jeanne d'Arc

The first half is a bit ridiculous because the film obviously doesn't have a budget. The trial part is more interesting and makes me want to see other films on the subject.

Mediocre is a word that sums up this film well. Finally to summarize, is there really something going on in this movie??? Battle scenes are some ride arena and boring shootings. After the amazement to see Jeanne of Arc played by a cute 10-year-old girl, you would think why not, she can be a real virgin! However, the result is very disappointing. If the director displays his will to shoot a film without "professional" actors, the acting of the protagonists is really bad. The Marshal of France is a pre-pubescent teenager with his first beard, with a castrated voice to make the best gay bars totally hysterical. The protagonists come and go as in a theatre play, the new characters being "announced" by those already present. Let's forget the locations Cathedral of Rouen is now the one of Amiens, the Parisian countryside is now dunes of sands of the north of France, and medieval castles are now WWII! German Bunker or stone on the ground... Let's forget the music, it has been written by the successful seventies French singer Christophe who also get lost in translation, the producers probably asked him to write something about the voices in the head of Joan, and it ended in some long 5 minutes scenes of the young actress almost getting paralyzed listening to the singer rhythms and songs. With so many nominations and a win, we can think the result would be amazing, this is just a disastrous movie because this is pure sick intellectual and they have found 1.5 M euros to finance it. Les Cahiers du Cinema wrote that this is one of the Top5 French films, it is probable, given the box office, one of the Top5 most boring and crappy film made about Joan of Arc!!!

The film Joan of Arc starts with some ambition. And metaphorical shots which probably were meant to add to the movie, in a way or two, which failed drastically and I was almost flabbergasted with all that happened there after. The editing, the shots, the directtion, everything fell apart. Critiques claim, this might be a breakthrough, in filmmaking, or a big fail! Let's see.

Earlier films by Bruno Dumont had some experiments, but to this level, well, okay, we'll have to wait and watch. There is a predecessor to this film, which has the same approach, and the lead actor, which are unprofessional, but that's completely fine, if other ends are fulfilled. But lacking in that part, the film totally falls apart for me.

I found this film ultimately exasperating: not quite funny enough to be funny, or serious enough to be serious, or passionate enough to be about the passion of Joan of Arc. Dumont has produced such brilliant work in the past, and Joan of Arc could well have value as a way station to something else - a work in progress, a career evolution towards a new, tonally complex film-making language. But this film is opaque and unrewarding.

Even though Joan of Arc screened at the Cannes film festival, I don't find a point of passing this through the jury and if so, i don't see a valid reason behind this.

The production seemed tight in budget, the set design and even the actors, let's exclude the child actors the whole cast's acting died for me as they proceeded.

Even the cinematography was okay, probably, there was nothing outstanding in the film, for me.

This incredibly, well-paced french film with an ego-less perspective set during the middle ages perfectly captures the story of Joan of Arc. It felt holy, symbolic and absolutely beautiful.

If you're not a fan, at least you've experienced a contrasting perspective to your every day experience!

Wholesome and intelligent.

I liked the fact that this adaptation wasn't your typical overblown rubbish with gratuitous sex scenes that are churned out of Hollywood. Other than the one overacting blusterous priest that wouldn't shut up. I found this play like structure rather enjoyable.

I see that there are reviewers who were expecting a George Lucas Star Wars type of production full of glamorous but wooden actors. I feel that this young actress did a fantastic portrayal of Joan of Arc and the absent of sex in this film tends to place more focus on the actual story being told.

There are plenty of ways in which a director and script writers can go when putting together a historical production such as this. I for one prefer art over sex appeal, and talent over exposed flesh.