i came across the idea of liveblogging by reading the ESPN sports guy. which i am truly and humbly embarrassed by, as the sports guy skirts the line of misogny so perilously that i don’t know whether to hate him or offer him a dry shoulder to cry on and the chance to talk about how his mother didn’t love him when he was little. regardless of the issue at hand, his liveblogging has really got me through some dark hours of boston sports history. it’s also fun to read streaming text from somebody’s mind. since i was set to re-watch one of the epics of cinema, the passion of joan of arc, i figured that writing my own streaming thoughts might distract me from the overwhelming (and amazing) sense of dread that rightfully permeates the entire movie. the verdict? i wasn’t so distracted by it. but that’s probably a good thing.
the passion of joan of arc
directed by carl theodor dreyer
starring renee falconetti as joan
1928 – silent, with optional music score written specifically for it in 1994
french text with english subtitles
the passion of joan of arc deserves its crown as one of the most moving – and most ambitious – films of all time. what may be the most amazing aspect of the film is its physical journey: its master negative was believed to have been lost to a fire for 50 years. dreyer attempted to assemble a new cut based on remaining footage that he had, yet he died in 1979 believing that hi original cut was lost forever. not the case! most amazing of all, a preserved copy of this film was found in a janitor’s closet at an insane asylum in oslo in 1981. thus this jewel is preserved once again. renee falconetti rightfully deserves her title as creating one of the best performances on screen of all time. its quick shots and humanistic graininess all contribute to a festival of emotion that you can’t stop poring over. i attempted humor at the start of this liveblogging – i obviously failed by the end, when i was clinging to the screen like a sad puppy.
8:55 pm – pinot grigio, mushy strawberries are a GO. this movie was LOST for 50 years, only to be found in the closet of a mental asylum. can you believe that?
9:00 pm – already the close-ups of the crafty and misogynist priests are captivating me. supposedly dreyer tortured falconetti with ice cubes, etc. to get what he wanted from her in terms of anguish. sounds like the predecessor of lars von trier. yet with talent.
9:05 pm – i wish that st. michael would appear to ME. in the form of some to-be-named benevolent animal. a fox? a narwhal? the narwhal might be difficult re: getting myself to the sea.
9:06 pm – the priests in this movie are out for sinfully desired (and fixed) results in the same bloodthirsty way as david stern’s NBA front office commish.
9:07 pm – is it dreyer’s use of monotone light or did people just have more character in their countenances in 1928? i vote the latter.
9:11 pm – we wonder if these actors are primarily theatre actors. will research. (edit: yes, in fact, they are. falconetti discovered by dreyer performing on french stage)
9:21 pm – fuck the english. for all time. basically. england: wreckin’ decent humanity since 1431 (at least!)
9:22 pm - i can’t decide if falconetti is the most beautiful or gruesome human being i’ve ever seen. interesting problem to have.
9:22 pm - fly on her eye! i wonder if that fly was a paid actor – impeccable timing.
9:28 pm – “you are satan’s creature!” how many times have i heard that one before, especially from the folks genetically linked to me.
9:30 pm – i bet ingmar bergman must’ve been wild about this film. find it odd that i don’t know for sure. yikes torture chamber! with spikes and wheels. and a strangely meek little man running the show.
9:35 pm – the best part of this film, honestly, is how there are about 30 different agendas that vaguely interlap and you get to watch the chaos build into a hurricane.
9:40 pm – gratuitous bloodletting scene for a person weak with illness. can’t watch so i’m blabbering to you!
9:42 pm – “misguided lamb” – that should’ve been my blog’s name.
9:50 pm – “if you do not sign, you will be burned alive.“
9:55 pm – the peasant scenes approximately 1 hour into the movie are unreal. a flowing montage of semi-pious circus freaks. carnival atmosphere outside her jail as the rest of her hair is shorn. homegirl is never without tears dolloping her pretty eyes.
10:01 pm – my lower eyelashes totally clump together the same way when i’ve been crying too much. soul sisters!!
10:05 pm – she gets full strength and opens her eyes fully for the 1st time at 70 mins, 30 seconds. when she knows she’s going to the stake. amazing.
10:10 pm – omgg lengthy torturous stake scene. count on a dane to bring the suffering home.
10:11 pm – reminds me of this bosch painting:
and there you have it. i know the vast majority of the world would prefer to watch sex and the city: the movie. or maybe indiana jones. but i know that there must be some real souls out there who will appreciate my blood sweat and tears review. give it a chance and watch it.
