I would be the first to admit that this film by Gustav Ucicky is difficult to like. Does one have to like a film however in order to appreciate its qualities?
It is after all as dark, as bleak and as brutal as the times it depicts.
It is extremely effective as a piece of propoganda and is surprisingly overlooked in Ian Garden's excellent book 'The Third Reich's Celluloid War'.
The French in particular are shown as monsters of duplicity and treachery but has any version of St. Joan shown them to be otherwise? Neither are the English shown in a favourable light courtesy of Erich Ponto whose portayal of Lord Talbot is the epitome of cruelty and venality.
There are some excellent scenes and once again the production values of UFA are on display. Stunning cinematography by Gunther Krampf, stirring score by Peter Krauder and superlative production design as always by Rohrig and Herlth.
The Duke of Bergundy as played by Heinrich George is a drunken buffoon and Gustaf Grundgens as Charles VII is more pragmatic politician than monarch. Both actors are superb.
Although almost a secondary character in this, the title role is beautifully played by Angela Salloker and her first meeting with the King is highly effective. Very well lit by Krampf to emphasise her saintliness. The dunce's hat that she is obliged to wear at the stake inscribed with the Latin phrase 'Heretical by the co-operation of the Devil' adds to the scene's pathos.
Graham Greene in his critique in 'The Spectator' has quite rightly highlighted its historical inaccuracies and the similarities between France in the late 1480's and Germany in the mid 1930's but his judgement of the film as 'dull and noisy' is totally unjustified. Judge for yourselves.
