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Joan the Maid, Part 1: The Battles
8.0
/10
509 Ratings

Synopsis

Jeanne the Maid leaves her childhood home in Domremy after hearing what she is certain is the voice of God. She believes that she can help lead France to victory on the battlefield, and she persuades Charles, the Dauphin of France, to allow her to guide his troops.

Our take

Casting the great Sandrine Bonnaire as his titular heroine, Jacques Rivette diverges from the stark expressionism of Dreyer and transcendent asceticism of Bresson for a rich and expansive six-hour, two-part epic. A singularly human and complicated character study, seen here in a new restoration.