Line #28 Film/JoanOfArc


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeanne_darc_1899.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:It's a DownerEnding]]
3
4	''Joan of Arc'' is a 1900 film by Creator/GeorgesMelies.
5
6	It is the story of [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc the Maid of Orleans]], French heroine of UsefulNotes/TheHundredYearsWar. In ten minutes the film manages to hit the high points of Joan of Arc's life, including:
7
8	* Joan having visions of St. Margaret and St. Catherine, and then the Archangel Michael, which inspire her to take up the cause of France against the English invaders.
9	* Her encounter with Robert de Baudricourt, captain of Vaucouleurs, who gets her an audience with would-be French King Charles VII.
10	* A triumphal procession following Joan's liberation of Reims, itself followed by Charles's coronation.
11	* Joan's capture by the Burgundians at Compiègne, her trial, her execution, and her ascent into Heaven.
12
13	This ten-minute film was, believe it or not, unusually long for films of the day, and featured elaborate costumes and sets that were more typical of stage shows than experimental early cinema. It was something of a step forward for Méliès, who before this had mostly made "trick" films in which he used the camera to show seemingly impossible stunts and magic tricks.
14
15	----
16	!!''Joan Of Arc'' contains examples of:
17
18	* ArchangelMichael: Gives Joan a job.
19	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: The last scene shows Joan's soul ascending into heaven, where she's greeted by a crowd of angels.
20	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Charles VII being crowned king of France at Reims, a pretty impressive ceremony which involved bishops, trumpeters, and an anointing with oil.
21	* {{Biopic}}: Possibly the first one ever made.
22	* BurnTheWitch: Joan's fate, after being convicted of heresy.
23	* CreatorCameo: Georges Méliès plays seven different roles in the production, from Joan's father to a wood-carrier at her execution.
24	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Inverted. This is not a black-and-white film. Méliès and his crew hand-colored ''the whole movie'' frame-by-frame. Even with only a ten-minute run time, that's more than 200 meters of film.
25	* DiedHappilyEverAfter: At the very end of the movie, Joan appears in Heaven.
26	* {{Dissolve}}: Used for scene transitions. Probably invented by Georges Méliès for movies like this one.
27	* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Joan looks cute and feminine in this adaptation. In real life, she [[SweetPollyOliver looked more masculine]].
28	* InMediasRes: You can't waste time in a ten-minute movie, which is why Méliès opens the film with Joan immediately having her visions.
29	* LadyOfWar: Joan, a slip of a girl, in armor on a horse leading men in battle.
30	* MissionFromGod: Visions from angels lead Joan to fight against the English.
31	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The film shows a victory parade after the highlight of Joan's career, the liberation of Orleans--which is not shown. Presumably there was no way Méliès, who was working on a tiny stage, could reproduce a great battle.
32	* PublicExecution: Joan is executed in front of a crowd.
33	* TheSiege: The siege of Compeigne. Joan is captured when Burgundian soldiers jump out of the gate, yank her off her horse, and pull her inside the walls.
34	* StormingTheCastle: Attempted by Joan's men, who are shown mounting the walls with ladders while the Burgundians pour down debris from atop the walls. Apparently the attempt failed, as the film cuts to Joan in a cell, still imprisoned.
35	* VirginInAWhiteDress: Significantly, innocent Joan is dressed in a pure white gown for both her trial and her execution. Doubles as a WhiteShirtOfDeath, since she dies in that dress.

Context Film / JoanOfArc