Woman, Warrior, Saint: Joan of Arc Onscreen April 6-12 at the Quad

In anticipation of Bruno Dumont's Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc, opening exclusively at the Quad April 13, we survey onscreen depictions of this enduring historical figure from Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc to Rossellini's Joan of Arc at the Stake to—yes—Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

For more than six centuries, Joan of Arc has stood out among women in the historical record. Throughout the last century of cinema, she has been brought to the screen multiple times; her larger-than-life story would seem almost tailor-made for the movies, what with its humble beginnings, triumphant middle, and martyred end. Her lifespan was a mere 19 years and yet any telling of her story yields fascinating disparities, largely because she defied definition. The latest filmmaker to explore Joan’s life is countrymen Bruno Dumont; his musical drama Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc, starring Lise Leplat Prudhomme, opens at the Quad on April 13th. To complement his take on Joan, we present a range of depictions, many with celebrated directors guiding stellar actresses through individualized interpretations of the icon. While Joan may forever loom too large for a definitive cinematic statement, these films all enhance an appreciation—and the eternal resonance—of her legend.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Stephen Herek, 1989, U.S., 90m, 35mm
Joan of Arc at the Stake Roberto Rossellini, 1954, It/France, 80m, 35mm
Joan the Maid: The Battles Jacques Rivette, 1994, France, 160m, 35mm
Joan the Maid: The Prisons Jacques Rivette, 1994, France, 176m, 35mm
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Luc Besson, 1999, France/Czech Republic, 148m, 35mm
The Passion of Joan of Arc Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928, France, 88m, DCP
Saint Joan Otto Preminger, 1957, U.S./UK, 110m, 35mm
The Trial of Joan of Arc Robert Bresson, 1962, France, 65m, 35mm

Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc

Opens Fri April 13—Exclusive New York engagement

Bruno Dumont, France, 105m, DCP
Joining the ranks of several renowned filmmakers to tackle the story of Joan of Arc, Bruno Dumont (director of Quad premiere Slack Bay) opts to focus on Joan’s adolescence—with a wild stylistic twist. No stodgy historical biopic, Jeannette takes the form of a heavy metal musical to tell the story of the famed young 15th-century shepherdess encountering her destiny. The result is a true tour de force, one of the most original cinematic visions in years. A KimStim release

Official Selection: Directors Fortnight, Cannes

“Visionary.” —The New Yorker