The Trial of Joan of Arc

1963 1h 2m FR

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 156

DramaHistory

Synopsis

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Rouen, Normandy, 1431, during the Hundred Years' War. After being captured by French soldiers from an opposing faction, Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orléans, is unjustly tried by an ecclesiastical court overseen by her English enemies.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Florence Delay
Jeanne d'Arc
Jean-Claude Fourneau
Bishop Cauchon
Roger Honorat
Jean Beaupere
Marc Jacquier
Jean Lemaitre
Jean Gillibert
Jean de Châtillon
Michel Herubel
Isambert de la Pierre
André Régnier
D'Estivet
Arthur Le Bau
Jean Massieu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Bresson
Writers: Robert Bresson
Languages: English, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

63 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Francis Seyrig. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Germaine Artus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Florence Delay and Jean-Claude Fourneau and Roger Honorat carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059616 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Bresson directs. Léonce-Henri Burel behind the camera. Francis Seyrig scores. Germaine Artus cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 62-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
263 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Robert Bresson, shot by Léonce-Henri Burel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Francis Seyrig. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Germaine Artus shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Florence Delay and Jean-Claude Fourneau and Roger Honorat carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0059616 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "warrior woman", "based on true story", "historical figure", "trial".

The technical file

Cinematography: Léonce-Henri Burel
Original score: Francis Seyrig
Editing: Germaine Artus
Production design: Pierre Charbonnier
Runtime: 62 min · 1h 2m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: FR
IMDB: The Trial of Joan of Arc (1963)

Also by

Robert Bresson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-11-10
★ 7/10
There is something especially evocative about the way in which this quite short film has been put together by Robert Bresson and Léonce-Henri Burel. In just over an hour, it offers us a startlingly bleak interpretation of the last weeks of Joan of Arc's life, imprisoned, manipulated and subjected to immense amounts of intellectual cruelty by a church and a state that was determined that she should burn - regardless of any guilt or innocence. Florence Delay is very effective in the tital role - probably the best characterisation of this woman I have ever seen. Jean-Claude Fourneau is also at the top of his game as the prosecuting bishop "Cauchon" offering us a vision of a man as devoid of any Christian kindness as it is possible to imagine. Given everyone knows what did happen to this tortured soul, Bresson still manages to elicit a considerable degree of optimism: might things end differently this time? The dialogue is bland. Not in any dull sense, but in a matter-of-fact, non-florid fashion. The photography is basic and almost rudimentary - indeed, that also adds a great deal to the authenticity of just what it might well have been like at the time. If you ever watch any films about this historical event, then this ought to be the one...

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