The Aesthetics of Passion and Betrayal In The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Theodor Dreyer uses the visuality of spatial relationships in each shot with the human face and its ability to convey unspoken emotion in his portrayal of the demise of Joan of Arc. Unlike most film, the message is almost entirely told by just the eyes and expressions of the actors. There is very little reliance upon props and background. The camera angles and close-up shooting accentuate emotions and reactions. The editing style is almost methodic in keeping the emotional pace; it is much like an argument, alternating images of Joan’s tenacity, and the judges’ contempt. The artistic elements of the film are found in the subtle elements of the setting in contrast with the story that is realized by looking into Joan’s eyes as she witnesses her lifelong beliefs condemned and destroyed by her martyrdom.The stylistics of Dreyer’s vision in The Passion of Joan of Arc are unique in that they cannot be characterized by one particular conventional style or definition. Joan’s beliefs and character are often described as being transcendent. Transcendental style came about in the artistic world as a way to portray that which is considered “Holy” on a more elevated level. In many cases, especially in film, transcendental style can leave a film slow in pace, and create a lack of empathy for the characters and their plight. Dreyer therefore must not be concentrating on the transcendental style alone since the film is methodic in pace and the audience easily feels the grief Joan is experiencing.There are at least 2 other major stylistic influences at work in The Passion of Joan of Arc. According to Paul Schrader, “Each of Dreyer’s individual film “styles” is, to be more accurate, a synthesis between three basic and opposing styles at work in his films. In order to define Dreyer’s aesthetic, one...
