n her final hours, shots of the gathering crowds are placed between the shots of Joan in an effort to show that she is not truly alone in her beliefs. She will not die without leaving an influence. The shots of the crowd are unique because they are viewed running upside-down into the square from high above on an arch. This view sets up the futility the people will face as Joan as burned as they fight back saying “You have killed a saint!”Whether or not something is considered art is highly dependant upon the point of view of the observer. Art can be defined as the use of skill and creativity to produce aesthetic works. Carl Theodor Dreyer was not conventional by any means in creating The Passion of Joan of Arc. He melded transcendental and expressionist styles, as well as mise en scene elements to create a film that not only tells a story, but also engenders emotional involvement in the viewer. His technical methods were also different with an erratic editing style to generate tension and the anomalous placement of the characters and objects in the shot. He also defied the conventions of the time by using actors with natural faces unchanged by makeup, and extreme close-up shots for a realistic feeling of the power in the portrayal. Art often comes from a looking at things in a different way or from a different angle. Dreyer did exactly this in his portrayal of the trial of Joan of Arc.For me The Passion of Joan of Arc was artistic because it was powerful emotionally, and accurate in its distinctive approach to the story of a saint. The oppression displayed by the judges made anger an easy emotion to feel. The emotions can also encompass the ideals the judges represent. I found it easy to feel anger towards religion as a whole, but it also made me think about Joan’s plight and what might have been done to accept her. In my opinion that is what art does best; it makes you think about your own ideals and how...
