Joan The Maid

So many films have been made about Joan of Arc, yet none of them are quite like Jacques Rivette's 1993 historical epic "Joan the Maid." The life and death of the Maid of Orl�ans is at its core a story about religious faith, yet Rivette trades that in for a narrative about faith through conviction. The film is less about God speaking to a chosen one than it is Joan of Arc struggling to speak to herself and others during her life. Sandra Bonnaire's commanding performance anchors it all and Rivette's aesthetic is so lush with detail that you almost believe this was shot in the fifteenth century. The fully restored director's cut of the film, split into two parts titled "Joan the Maid: The Battles" and "Joan the Maid: The Prisons," is nothing short of a huge cultural achievement and the new Blu-ray from the Cohen Film Collection should be purchased posthaste because of that.

"Joan the Maid: The Battles" follows Joan as a young woman struggling to make the journey to the Dauphine, Charles VII (Andr� Marcon), then to Orl�ans where her greatest military triumph awaits. "Joan the Maid: The Prisons" is naturally about the imprisonment and ultimate execution of the saint.
The testimonials from people Joan touched were originally excised from the theatrical cut and are now included in the new release. This approach breaks the classic period epic format in ways I've yet to see similar films accomplish. It's less a documentary and more of a straightforward approach to understanding Joan's influence on whomever she met. Even most of the battles take place off-screen, forcing the viewer to witness the emotional aftermath and world-weariness brought on by Joan's military feats.

Sandra Bonnaire's central performance is incredible because of the many situations that Rivette puts her into. Joan wasn't always a strong woman leading an army. She was a precocious and pious teenage girl, then she was a bit of a politician. Only after these multiple stages did we see her become the leader she was born to be. And when the film delves into her time in prison, Bonnaire adapts once again. It's an incredibly reflexive performance that will have you believing in the character not because of her faith in God, but because of her growing faith in herself.
.
The new 4K restoration of "Joan the Maid" is done great justice by this new Blu-ray from the Cohen Film Collection. While there are no supplemental features to speak for aside from some trailers, this remains an important home entertainment release because the film is so important. To peer into the past is to reckon with ourselves, and that idea is visualized with incredible beauty here.

"Joan the Maid"
Cohen Film Collection Blu-ray
$34.98
http://cohenmedia.net/Details.aspx?id=c6d4667b-e0b2-e911-949a-0e563b5fb261