The Silence of Joan (2011) User Reviews

Joan,the prisoner

[dbdumonteil · 6/10 · 9 October 2012]

A strange movie about a well-known heroine ,dealing (the title is right) with Joan Of Ark's dark hours ;historically,it's true that Joan tried to escape from Jean De Luxembourg's fortress but was there a nice doctor to sweeten her fate with a honey pot? little by little,it seems that the movie moves away from its heroine,concentrating on supporting characters such as the doctor,the duke ,the monk and finally simple people:it is revealing that the scene of the stake is seen through the eyes of people who do not really care (one should note that Joan 's ashes were not thrown into the Seine in the country,but from a bridge in Rouen town;you can see a commemorative plaque there;it's minor quibble).It could not be less spectacular.

Most of the time,the historic facts are reduced to lines on the screen.

The movie ends on a scene of two naked young people making love as the ashes are floating on the waters;the connection with the story escapes me,I fear...unless the message (ahead of its time)is "make love not war".

Strange but fascinating.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 16 November 2011]

A typically french film made with a tiny budget, but which gets even with a solid atmosphere where the audience dives into the deep of the famous french female middle aged warrior's soul: Joan Of Arc. We don't know most of the actors, but their characters are convincing, although the whole picture is rather raw, rough, minimalist, reduced to essentials for many viewers. A really strange film but worth for anyone interested by history. There is no lead in this movie, even Joan. And that makes it more interesting, unusual. Many people could find it boring, actionless, flat, and I can understand that. It's not Luc Besson's film, made in 1999, more spectacular and entertaining.

I don't know which of the two features is the more close to real Joan Of Arc history.