Approximately 90% of The Passion of Joan of Arc consists of close-ups. Dreyer abandoned landscapes, establishing shots, and even most sets. The faces—of Joan, the judges, the guards—become the landscape. In standard definition or low-bitrate streams, Falconetti’s tears, the flecks of plaster on her cheeks, and the trembling of her lips dissolve into a digital blur.
In the pantheon of cinema history, few films are as revered, analyzed, and emotionally devastating as Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 masterpiece, The Passion of Joan of Arc (French: La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc ). For modern viewers encountering the film through high-definition releases—specifically the Criterion Collection’s 1080p Blu-ray restoration—the experience is nothing short of a revelation. It is a testament to the power of the medium that a silent film, composed almost entirely of close-ups of a crying face, can remain one of the most terrifying and moving portraits of human resilience ever committed to celluloid. The Passion of Joan of Arc -1928- Criterion 108...
If you are searching for (likely shorthand for the Criterion Blu-ray’s 1080p AVC encoded image), you are about to discover why this particular release is not just a home video upgrade, but a religious experience in digital form. Approximately 90% of The Passion of Joan of