Saint Joan (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Saint Joan |
| Original title | Saint Joan |
 | |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1957 |
| length | 110 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Otto Preminger |
| script | Graham Greene |
| production | Otto Preminger |
| music | Mischa Spoliansky |
| camera | Georges Périnal |
| cut | Helga Cranston |
| occupation | |
| |
Saint Joan is a US-British period film from 1957 based on the drama of the same name by George Bernard Shaw . The film premiered on April 12, 1957 in Paris. The performance was part of a charity event for victims of polio . The film first hit German cinemas on September 27, 1957.
action
France in 1456. King Charles VII is haunted by Joan of Arc in his dreams . The young woman was the commander of his army 25 years ago and was burned at the stake for heresy . In his dreams he tells Jeanne that the death sentence was overturned and her trial was annulled because the judges were corrupt.
The king remembers how he met the young woman as a Dauphin . Jeanne was a simple 17 year old farm girl. She had visions of Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret . The visions said that they would lead the French army in Orléans to victory over the English and thus enable the Dauphin to be crowned King of France. She is able to convince the fortress commander of Vaucouleurs , Robert de Baudricourt , of her visions. The commandant then sends them to the Dauphin.
In the Chinon Palace , Jeanne notices that the Dauphin is a weak child with no ambitions to fight. After successfully averting the allegation of insanity in court, she is able to convince the Dauphin of her visions. She is given command of his armies. With the help of Jean de Dunois , Jeanne takes Orléans. Shortly afterwards, she witnessed the coronation of the Dauphin by the Archbishop of Reims .
Jeanne is popular with the population. However, through her confidence, beliefs, and energy, she has made many enemies in influential positions. The king, who no longer needs her services, sends her back to her father's farm. Jeanne tries to persuade the king to retake Paris from the English. But Karl would rather make peace with his enemies than fight. Dunois also refuses to seek a confrontation with the English. The archbishop warns Jeanne not to put her personal views above the divine ones.
Nevertheless, Jeanne appeals to the population to pull against the English. She marches towards Paris, but is captured by the Burgundians, who are waging their own civil war, and handed over to the English. To prevent the young woman from fighting England again, the Earl of Warwick, the commander of the English troops, has her extradited to the Catholic Church. She is interrogated for four months by the Inquisitor, de Courcelles and Frater Ladvenu. The earl and his chaplain, John de Stogumber, are annoyed by the delay. They urge the Bishop of Beauvais , Pierre Cauchon , to begin the process. The religious fanatic de Stogumber hates the French and does not believe in Jeanne's condemnation.
At the beginning of the process, Jeanne refuses to recognize the church's omniscience. Ladvenu wants to get her to confess. She is to plead guilty of heresy, riot, idolatry, disobedience, and false pride. Jeanne signs the confession in the belief that she will regain freedom. But when she learns that it will keep her imprisoned for life, she destroys the document. Now she believes that God wants to bring her to his side by her death at the stake.
Jeanne is expelled from the church. Warwick, who is now unnerved by the length of the trial, has Jeanne arrested by his soldiers. They take her to the marketplace where she is to be executed. The inquisitor does not think of preventing the English from doing so, since he hopes that it will benefit himself later. After the execution, the eyewitness de Stogumber had a remorse.
In Karl's dream, he and Jeanne meet other people from their lives. Cauchon was excommunicated after his death. The dream visits have tired the king. He tells Jeanne that he has dreamed of her long enough and returns to his bed.
Reviews
The international film's lexicon about the film: “Graham Greene's script focuses on the conflict between law and church and leaves Shaw's pessimistic dialectic out of play. The result was a film that was seriously endeavored, but too theatrical. It is set in a world in which all values have gone to the dogs and communication between people is no longer possible. "
AH Weiler of the New York Times criticizes the shortening of the three-and-a-half hour play to 110 minutes. This would only result in abstracts of the bombastic speeches that would hardly move the viewer. The cast of the inexperienced and unconvincing Jean Seberg as Jeanne d'Arc was rated negatively, although found brave.
The Variety also rates Seberg's choice as unfortunate, but emphasizes the brilliant performance of Widmark, Todd, Walbrook and Aylmer.
Trivia
During the shooting of the stake scene, a large fireball suddenly developed due to leaking gas pipes, which seized Seberg and caused burns, which left her with scars for the rest of her life. The director Otto Preminger found the recording so realistic that he did not have the scene shot again. The beginning of this disaster can be clearly seen in the final version of the film.
background
The film was shot in Shepperton Studios in England.
The future director and Oscar winner Saul Bass worked on the opening credits for this film . For Jean Seberg it was the film debut.
The drama, for which George Bernard Shaw received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 , has been staged as a play on several occasions. Directed by Otto Preminger, among others.
Web links
- Saint Joan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ St. Joan. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=2&res=9B03E6DB1338E73ABC4F51DFB066838C649EDE
- ↑ Variety Staff: Saint Joan . In: Variety . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ on the 30th anniversary of death: Death and the film girl . Gerhard Pretting, THE STANDARD. August 24, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
- ↑ Documentation: Jean Seberg - American Actress . Tre Valli Filmproduktion GmbH. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
