The Passion of St. Jeanne D'Arc - A Life in Twelve Scenes

On this day, May 30, over five hundred years ago, Jehanne la Pucelle - better known as Joan of Arc to those not of French ancestry - was burned alive at the stake in Rouen, France after her rigged trial at the hands of French collaborators working for the benefit of the English, who had long regarded her as a thorn in their side. Despite the end of the Maid's life and work, the French went on to defeat the English in the Hundred Years War. The only French territory left to the English was Calais, which was held until 1558. The English would not renounce their claims to the throne of France until 1801.

In honor of the anniversary of the death of Joan of Arc, the young and inspirational woman who fought to save France from the invading English, I present to you this short film from the early years of the twentieth century (when cinema was just starting out, mind you) that depicts her life from her beginning as a lowly French peasant girl to her end as the martyr in whose blood was written France's future liberation. She serves as a symbol of French bravery against the ludicrous claims that the French "surrender" all the time, as if Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles de Gaulle, and others hadn't disproven that belief enough already.

For those seeking spiritual nourishment, even those who aren't Christian, especially of the Catholic variety that Joan of Arc features prominently in, you may find something to reflect on with her story. You may find that Joan speaks to you. I find that she has always inspired me in my life.

Whether you believe her to be a martyr or not, she lived an extraordinary life. Here was a woman who could not read nor write and yet could lead armies to victory at Orleans and to helping the King of France to attain the ability to have himself coronated at Rheims in the tradition of his forefathers. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare (Henry VI, Part 1), Voltaire (La Pucelle d'Orléans), Schiller (Die Jungfrau von Orléans), Verdi (Giovanna d'Arco), Tchaikovsky (Орлеанская дева), Mark Twain (Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc), Jean Anouilh (L'Alouette), Bertolt Brecht (Die heilige Johanna der Schlachthöfe), George Bernard Shaw (Saint Joan), and Maxwell Anderson (Joan of Lorraine). Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance. Almost five hundred years after her death, Joan was canonized by the same church that tried her, and today the common peasant girl who knew neither "A from B" is prayed to around the world as the holy Saint Joan. To Catholic France, Joan is a warrior-virgin. To the western world she is a great, tragic figure, the embodiment of French nationalism. Centuries after her death, various Frenchmen have invoked her memory for their causes. The place where she was born and raised still stands today in her home village, now known as Domremy-la-Pucelle in honor of her memory.

Joan of Arc: Her Story by Regine Pernoud is the definitive book about this extraordinary woman. I'd recommend it for anyone seeking information about this peculiar character of history. This film was created by Georges Méliès, a French director of the early years of cinema who made several innovations. He accidentally discovered the stop trick, or substitution, in 1896, and was one of the first filmmakers to use multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color in his films. This film is a historical reconstruction of Joan's life containing twelve scenes, starring Jeanne d'Alcy as Joan. The film has been hand tinted for color. The music used here was my own addition. It is a rendition of the invocation to Jesus sung or recited during the fraction of the Host, the bread used in Communion.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Joan
• of
• Arc

[longstre]

could you tell me where I could find the music playing for this video. It is beautiful.

[TheCanadianPrairies]

@longstre

I used Audioswap and can't remember the name of the composition now.

[StThereseMartin]

Excellent video! Thank you for putting together such a touching memorial!

[TheCanadianPrairies]

@StThereseMartin

To be honest, it isn't that much. Surely not as much as I would hope to have made, were my video making skills better than they are, but it is the thought that counts. When I imagined the end product in my mind, I felt so at peace - it reminded me a lot of what I imagined Joan's life was like.

[StThereseMartin]

@TheCanadianPrairies Well, well done on any account. I have seen the footage, but the music you have is truly delightful. I like your write up as well. Very thoughtful. Joan is a jewel with a multitude of beautiful angles. My genre in honoring her is through my Catholic faith, but you bring out well how her influence spans beyond any single genre.

[TheCanadianPrairies]

@StThereseMartin

Oh, of course. That is what I see as the true power of the Maid. It is the power we see in any heroic person. It is the power of inspiration. Through Joan of Arc's life, we have been blessed, if not by a stronger faith in something rooted in religion, then in ourselves for even the secular person can find worth in the study of Joan's life. As for the music, it is merely stuff from Youtube's audioswap library. It was the best fit for the video, I thought.

[madjack18]

Pernoud's book is brilliant, she really brings out Joan's uniqueness and her humble, immensely strong personality; I hated knowing how her story ended, and I feel ashamed to be part of a nation who murderered this incredible young woman

[JOOODYJOOODY]

dammm ..... beyond amazing .... speechless

[SukkaPunch321]

Excellent film, I don't understand why this doesn't have more views. The soundtrack works with the film very well. Very moving.

[ThunderSooner2835II]

Sad that she was burned at the stake. She rocks.