The legendary story of Joan of Arc’s trial and conviction is powerfully retold in Robert Bresson’s minimalist masterpiece.
Working from the official transcript of the 15th century trial, Bresson shoots Joan’s ordeal with a serene simplicity that reveals her vulnerability and her resilient faith.
A transcendent and moving evocation of human suffering and spiritual liberation, The Trial of Joan of Arc remains a powerful exploration of religious virtue with one of cinema’s most haunting and poignant finales.
Extras
Presented in High Definition
An Introduction to Robert Bresson (2022, 29 mins): film writer and programmer Geoff Andrew discusses Bresson's oeuvre in this talk presented at BFI Southbank
Newly recorded audio commentary by filmmaker and writer Kat Ellinger
Women’s Work in Wartime (1918, 8 mins): a propaganda short looking at the acceptable roles for women at a time of war
Masculinity in Modes (1931, 1 mins): a cinemagazine item showcasing the more masculine trends in Parisian couture
The Legend of Joan of Arc ballet (1958, 2 mins, extract): an item from the cinemagazine USSR Today showing a Nikolai Peiko’s ballet performed in Moscow
Original theatrical trailer
Stills gallery
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with new essays by Lillian Crawford and Richard Combs and full film credits
