"Joan the Woman" was Producer/Director Cecil B. De Mille's first epic and as far as I know, his first film dealing with a religious theme, a genre he would revisit many times over the course of his lengthy career. It's the story of the rise and fall of Joan of Arc told in two parts and running over two and a quarter hours, in an era when most features were running at an hour or so. D.W. Griffith had started the epic ball rolling with his classics, "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916).
The story is sandwiched between two WWI segments. The first has British soldier Eric Trent (Wallace Reid) volunteering for a suicide mission in which he is sure to be killed. In his bunker, he digs up an old sword which as it turns out, once belonged to Joan of Arc who waged battle on the very ground upon which this battle is raging.
In an apparent dream, Joan (Geraldine Farrar) appears to him and demands justice for his forbear's betrayal of her. Next, we are transported back to the 15th century where Joan's story begins. Joan is a peasant girl who encounters the first Eric Trent (Reid again) in her village when he and his troops arrive to pillage her village. She saves his life after a French deserter knocks him out. An attraction between the two begins.
Joan hears voices she believes come from God that ask her to take up arms and lead the French army against the English. She goes to the deposed King Charles (Raymond Hatton) to gain his support. She demonstrates that she in fact does possess extraordinary powers to gain the confidence of the King and his court.
Joan leads the French army to a resounding victory at Orleans capturing Trent in the process. Several more victories follow and the people begin to worship her as a Queen.
King Charles becomes worried when he hears of this from L'Oiseleur the "Mad Monk" (Tully Marshall), however he grants Joan two wishes as a reward for her service, tax-exempt status for her village and the freeing of Eric Trent. Trent professes his love for Joan but she replies that she can love only...France. Later against his wishes, Trent is ordered to capture Joan and he reluctantly does so.
The Mad Monk convinces the Bishop, Cauchon (Theodore Roberts) that Joan is a witch bent on taking over the throne. In the end, Cauchon convicts her of witchcraft and orders her execution.
De Mille with his proverbial cast of thousands stages some impressive action sequences. The siege at Orleans is spectacular as is Joan's burning at the stake. And not to forget his opening shot of Joan standing before the "fleur de lis" first with hands raised in victory and second as a crucified martyr.
Geraldine Farrar, though a little old for the part, makes an excellent Joan nonetheless. A famous opera singer of the day, she brings all the emotion and vulnerability necessary for the role. She would appear in several other films for De Mille during her short five year film career. Wallace Reid was emerging as one of the first matinée idols at this time however, his role here is secondary to that of Farrar. Raymond Hatton whose career spanned 60 years or so, is probably best remembered as the grizzled old sidekick in scores of "B" westerns of the 30s and 40s. Oddly enough, Theodore Roberts who plays Joan's evil adversary, Bishop Cauchon, would soon play the biblical figure Moses in De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" (1923).
One of De Mille's best and most ambitious productions of his early career.
The story is sandwiched between two WWI segments. The first has British soldier Eric Trent (Wallace Reid) volunteering for a suicide mission in which he is sure to be killed. In his bunker, he digs up an old sword which as it turns out, once belonged to Joan of Arc who waged battle on the very ground upon which this battle is raging.
In an apparent dream, Joan (Geraldine Farrar) appears to him and demands justice for his forbear's betrayal of her. Next, we are transported back to the 15th century where Joan's story begins. Joan is a peasant girl who encounters the first Eric Trent (Reid again) in her village when he and his troops arrive to pillage her village. She saves his life after a French deserter knocks him out. An attraction between the two begins.
Joan hears voices she believes come from God that ask her to take up arms and lead the French army against the English. She goes to the deposed King Charles (Raymond Hatton) to gain his support. She demonstrates that she in fact does possess extraordinary powers to gain the confidence of the King and his court.
Joan leads the French army to a resounding victory at Orleans capturing Trent in the process. Several more victories follow and the people begin to worship her as a Queen.
King Charles becomes worried when he hears of this from L'Oiseleur the "Mad Monk" (Tully Marshall), however he grants Joan two wishes as a reward for her service, tax-exempt status for her village and the freeing of Eric Trent. Trent professes his love for Joan but she replies that she can love only...France. Later against his wishes, Trent is ordered to capture Joan and he reluctantly does so.
The Mad Monk convinces the Bishop, Cauchon (Theodore Roberts) that Joan is a witch bent on taking over the throne. In the end, Cauchon convicts her of witchcraft and orders her execution.
De Mille with his proverbial cast of thousands stages some impressive action sequences. The siege at Orleans is spectacular as is Joan's burning at the stake. And not to forget his opening shot of Joan standing before the "fleur de lis" first with hands raised in victory and second as a crucified martyr.
Geraldine Farrar, though a little old for the part, makes an excellent Joan nonetheless. A famous opera singer of the day, she brings all the emotion and vulnerability necessary for the role. She would appear in several other films for De Mille during her short five year film career. Wallace Reid was emerging as one of the first matinée idols at this time however, his role here is secondary to that of Farrar. Raymond Hatton whose career spanned 60 years or so, is probably best remembered as the grizzled old sidekick in scores of "B" westerns of the 30s and 40s. Oddly enough, Theodore Roberts who plays Joan's evil adversary, Bishop Cauchon, would soon play the biblical figure Moses in De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" (1923).
One of De Mille's best and most ambitious productions of his early career.