Passion of Joan of Arc, The (France)

A poster for Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent French classic, The Passion of Joan of Arc. Based on actual records of the trial, the film depicts Joan of Arc’s imprisonment in England and subsequent trial and execution for heresy. Dreyer employed frequent use of extreme close-ups of actress Renee Jeanne Falconetti (in her only major film role) to convey the agony of her experience. This poster echoes this as it centers her haloed face nearly consumed by flames as her accusers look on in judgment. As the poster indicates, this 1933 re-release of the film features recorded English narration and dialogue by David Ross instead of intertitles.