Joan of Arc ** (1948, Ingrid Bergman, José Ferrer, George Coulouris, Francis L Sullivan, Gene Lockhart, Ward Bond, John Ireland, Hurd Hatfield, Cecil Kellaway) – Classic Movie Review 4805

Garish spectacle and the authentic playing of stars Ingrid Bergman and José Ferrer (as St Joan and the Dauphin) are the pluses in the 1948 historical biopic Joan of Arc.

Director Victor Fleming’s 1948 historical biopic Joan of Arc is a remorseless, over-reverential adaptation of Maxwell Anderson’s biographical play Joan of Lorraine, retelling the famous story about the French farm girl turned great martyr of Orleans in 15th century France.

The film was nominated for seven Oscars and won two, for best colour cinematography (Joseph A Valentine, William V Skall, Winton H Hoch) and best colour costume design (Dorothy Jeakins, Barbara Karinska). It was the first film to win the colour costume design Oscar.

In Anderson’s screenplay (with Andrew Solt), young Joan starts experiencing visions at 13, and goes on to head her countrymen’s troops against the English in battle. But she is tried as a witch and dies torched on a bonfire, in an unbearably disgusting climax.

Some moments of garish spectacle are a plus, as is the authentic playing of stars Ingrid Bergman and José Ferrer (as St Joan and the Dauphin), as well as some interesting character acting, plus the spectacular colour cinematography and costume design. But these assets are insufficient to give enough lift this turgid, stodgy melodrama from under its cluttered, wordy weight.

It is notable as one of Bergman’s more famous roles, and she is good enough to be Oscar nominated as Best Actress, and so is Ferrer as Best Supporting Actor. There were three other nominations – for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Colour (Richard Day, Casey Roberts, Joseph Kish), Best Film Editing (Frank Sullivan) and Best Music (Hugo Friedhofer).

Producer Walter Wanger swung an Honorary Academy Award ‘For distinguished service to the industry in adding to its moral stature in the world community by his production of the picture Joan of Arc.’

Also in a fine cast are George Coulouris, Francis L Sullivan, Gene Lockhart, Ward Bond, John Ireland, Hurd Hatfield, Cecil Kellaway, Shepperd Strudwick, John Emery, George Zucco, J Carrol Naish, Selena Royle, Robert Barrat, Jimmy Lydon, Rand Brooks and Roman Bohnen. They are a splendid bunch, though not all ideally cast here.

Joan of Arc proved to be Fleming’s last film, dead of a heart attack at 59 on 6 January 1949. He won an Oscar as Best Director for Gone with the Wind (1939).

Bergman enjoyed seven Oscar nominations, with three wins, for Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956) – both Best Actress – and Murder on the Orient Express (1974) as Best Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), The Bells of St Mary’s (1945), Joan of Arc (1948) and Autumn Sonata (1978).

Director Luc Besson remade the story in his equally stodgy 1999 film Joan of Arc with Milla Jovovich and Dustin Hoffman.

The story is also told in Saint Joan (1957) with Jean Seberg. Plus The Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) and The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4805

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