The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

The critic hails Dreyer's film as a transcendent masterpiece centered on Falconetti's unparalleled performance as Joan, captured through intense close-ups that convey spiritual suffering and conviction. He praises the director's radical use of fragmented space and editing to focus solely on the human and emotional core of the trial.

The critic calls the film a deeply moving masterpiece whose power comes from Dreyer's intense focus on Falconetti's performance and innovative close-ups and editing during the trial scenes. It remains one of the most inspired and purely cinematic films ever made.

Dreyer's most universally acclaimed masterpiece remains one of the most staggeringly intense films ever made. It deals only with the final stages of Joan's trial and her execution, and is composed almost exclusively of close-ups, especially Falconetti's face which evinces physical anguish and spiritual exaltation palpably.

The critic describes the film as one of the greatest ever made, a riveting tragic retelling based on Joan's trial transcripts, with unforgettable close-ups and Falconetti's performance cited by some as the greatest in film history. She notes the masterful photography by Rudolph Mate and the film's restoration history.

The critic deems it a hermetically sealed masterpiece that distills Joan’s trial and execution into 80 minutes of sustained sensation via close-ups and balanced montage, singling out Maria Falconetti’s raw, pore-exuding performance as the essential element that conveys panic, pain, and empathy.

The critic calls the film an indisputable masterpiece of the silent era whose original negative was nearly lost, praising its claustrophobic intensity through extreme close-ups of the trial and Maria Falconetti’s expressive performance as Joan facing church authorities.

The critic calls the film a stunning, uncompromising silent masterpiece whose power scorches the screen through painterly close-ups, especially of Falconetti's agonised, Christ-like face. It transcends early cinema technically and spiritually, though the re-issue's bland organ score is a minor flaw.

The critic calls the restored film a transcendent masterpiece of silent cinema, highlighting its innovative close-up style and Falconetti's intense, unparalleled performance as Joan confronting her inquisitors. He notes the film's basis in trial transcripts and its focus on spiritual anguish over historical spectacle.

The critic calls the film a revelation and a demonstration of silent cinema at its peak, far from typical melodrama. They highlight the intense close-ups contrasting Joan's features with those of her interrogators and praise Falconetti's extraordinary performance capturing her faith and fear.

The critic praises the film's intense close-ups and Falconetti's iconic performance, highlighting how it immerses the viewer in Joan's trial and emotional struggle. He notes its transcendent montage of the execution and its enduring power as a depiction of spiritual integrity.

The critic praises the film's enduring power as a silent classic based on Joan's trial records, highlighting Renée Falconetti's monumental, human performance and the innovative close-ups that capture emotional intensity. They note its influence on later cinema and timeless relevance.