Known for his intense films and even more daunting personality,Werner Herzogisn’t the kind of man you’d expect to be moved by much. His career spans over six decades and includes major achievements like 20 feature films, 34 documentaries, and even some out of the blues acting gigs inThe MandalorianandJack Reacher. All in all, the filmmaker has built himself quite the formidable reputation. His icy cold stare and bonkers set stories — like the rumored gun standoff withKlaus Kinski— have all contributed to this perception.
These days, Herzog has directed his attention todocumentaries, in the process taking viewers into the depths of some pretty wild and remote places. He’s done everything fromGrizzly Man— the heartwrenching story of a man who’s become one with the bears — toEncounters at the End of the World, where he documents the lives of researchers living in Antarctica. Overall, it is clear that Herzog is tough and is also generally drawn to extreme environments and the human struggle. But for all the things he’s seen and filmed, there’s still something that makes the fearless Herzog feel woozy. It’s the 1928silent filmThe Passion of Joan of Arc, and for some reason, it rattles him like nothing else.
Werner Herzog’s Fascination With the Gritty Truth of ’The Passion of Joan of Arc’
As it’s already been established, Herzog is pretty much known for being an extreme force to be reckoned with. So, it’s wild to think thatThe Passion of Joan of Arccould make him faint. Packed with emotional and psychologically gruesome scenes, it’s one scene in particular that gets to him.The moment Joan’s elbow is cut and the blood gushes out repeatedly grips himin a way he can only express by passing out. As he revealed in aninterview with Filmmaker, “I do not cry in movies, I laugh in movies. But I do faint. I keep fainting in Dreyer’sThe Passion of Joan of Arc, the wonderful great silent film. There’s a moment where they cut the elbow vein of Joan and blood is spurting out, and that’s when I faint.”
Errol Morris & Werner Herzog Planned To Dig Up a Serial Killer’s Mom’s Grave for a Film
This unmade film remains a big miss for cinema.
Sure, he’s come face to face with and filmed plenty of raw, gritty life hardships in his day; however, it’s clear whyThe Passion of Joan of Archits on a different level. The silent movie itself was directed byCarl Theodor Dreyer, and rather than exploring the ins and outs of the titularmartyr’s life, it hones in, particularly, on her trial and execution. It leans into each scene with a brutal honesty that’s borderline too intense to watch.The Passion of Joan of Arcisn’t your run-of-the-mill linear narrative as it doesn’t just portray Joan’s tormentors as over-the-top villains. The main focus here is the gruelingly slow and methodical way the judges attempt to break her spirit, even when they know she’s not guilty. As the suffering continues, the audience is drawn deeper into the nightmare that is her extremely tangible pain. At the end of the day, this doesn’t sensitize the viewer. If anything it takesthe intensityto a level that even Herzog, a man who captures real-world struggles in his own films, finds overwhelming.
The Performance That Made ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ an Unforgettable Classic
It’s not hard to see whyThe Passion of Joan of Arcis regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. From its premise to the cinematography, the production offers a masterclass in film-making and, dare we say, storytelling as a whole. Perhaps the crowning element here is the compelling performance by Renée Jeanne Falconetti (often credited as Maria Falconetti), the actress who stepped into the shoes ofJoan of Arc. The film may be completely silent, butit’s not difficult to feel the character struggling as she faces incredible odds. Even more, Falconetti makes the struggle feel personal and tangible.
They say an actor can practically make or break a role; in this case, Dreyer made the right pick as he recognized Falconetti’s talent from the start. In his own words,she embodied a “martyr’s reincarnation.”This perfect casting set the stage for a gripping tale based on the actual transcripts of Joan of Arc’s trials. The realism that Falconetti brought to the table was as much acting as it was… well, real. A “fun” piece of trivia fromThe Passion of Joan of Arctrivia is that the film was shot in sequence, andFalconetti was genuinely worried about cutting her hairfor the final scenes. That sentiment poured into her onscreen performance and added that extra layer of authenticity.
While some of thebiggest names of the silent film erainclude the likes ofCharlie Chaplin,Theda Bara,andBuster Keaton, Falconetti’s performance delivered a depth that earned her a place among those greats. She conveyed a wealth of information on screen without muttering a word, then never acted in another movie again. Perhaps that adds to the allure of her performance, which was both mesmerizing and disconcerting.
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc chronicles the trial of the 15th-century French heroine Joan of Arc, focusing on her intense interrogation by church officials. As she faces severe psychological and physical pressures, the film explores themes of faith and conviction, culminating in her eventual martyrdom.
The Passion of Joan of Arcis currently available to stream on Max in the U.S.
