Look at the sequence that begins with Joan’s hair cut off, and ends with the bishops leaving her alone with the dark-haired monk and his friend. Explain the importance of this sequence to the film (see above for instructions). Then answer this question: The director, Dreyer, once said “I feel that throughout all time it is the human face which has fascinated men the most – to see what goes on in the face of another person.” Do you agree that the faces in this sequence are interesting enough to justify Dreyer’s approach? In this sequence The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) Joan’s hair is cut off and she is left alone with two priests, it takes place in the last 30 minutes of the film, which are usually the climax and resolution of the film. …show more content…
This scene was emotionally draining for the character and that is visible in her face, the sequence is her finally breaking down and making the decision to tell the priest that she had denied God to save her life and that she only confessed now because she was afraid to be burned. This is an aspect of Joan that the audience had not seen yet was her more vulnerable side. Throughout the film Joan has been shot with tears on her face, however after her hair is cut and she is telling the priests that she lied because she was afraid to die, her face conveys the emotion of fear. Up until now Joan has not been shown as scared. This sequence is very important as right after Joan is burned to death, without this sequence giving the audience the inside look into Joan’s emotional side would leave the audience feeling empty at the end of the …show more content…
The close-ups also gave the audience the opportunity to focus solely on the characters, as there was rarely anything in the background to distract our eyes. The director said “I feel that throughout all time it is the human face which has fascinated men the most - to see what goes on in the face of another person.” This is extremely true and relevant to this film, the close-ups really make the film, trying to imagine it without them would mean an emotional