By Jorge Barajas
It is May 30, 1431, and the place is a fortified castle in Rouen, France. Joan of Arc, after leading French military forces in four decisive battles against the English, has been captured and is being tried for heresy. Her judges, French clergymen loyal to Britain, want Joan to disavow her claim that God has commanded her to drive the English from France. Threatened with being burned at the stake, Joan signs a confession, but then regains her courage and recants. Dressed in a sackcloth, with her head shaved, she is led to the place of execution and burned as soldiers struggle to put down crowds of rioters. Joan is probably 19 years old.
This day in history is the subject of Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” which The New York Times calls a “transcendent masterpiece.” Sight and Sound, the magazine of the British Film Institute, has listed it for decades as one of the 10 greatest films ever made. New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael wrote that French stage actress Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s portrayal of Joan of Arc “may be the finest performance ever recorded on film.”
The film, in a spectacular high-definition restoration, with intertitles in Spanish and English, will be shown at Miguel Malo theater on the second floor of Bellas Artes, on Hernandez Macias, on Wednesday, April 20, and Thursday, April 21, at 7pm.
“The Passion of Joan of Arc” has no definitive musical soundtrack, and over the decades, numerous composers, from classical symphonists to indie rock musicians, have provided scores. The two showings at Bellas Artes will feature live classical music arranged and conducted by Malcolm Halliday, artistic director of Chorale San Miguel, and a noted recording artist. Halliday, playing organ and keyboard, will lead an all-star chamber ensemble whose members will include Yamel Domort, soprano and Mexican opera star; Eleanor Weingartner, principle clarinetist of Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional—Mexico’s premiere symphony orchestra; Roxana Mendoza, cellist and doctorate from University of Minnesota; and Felicia Moye, acclaimed concert violinist currently living in San Miguel de Allende.
Halliday has chosen sacred and dramatic music of Bach, Albinoni, Faure, Poulenc, Vivaldi, Mozart, and other composers to create a thrilling and evocative musical tapestry that will make the presentation of Dreyer’s film an unforgettable experience. There is no better way to experience this movie masterpiece.
All tickets are 500 pesos and can be purchased from Boleto City on the ground floor of Mercado Sano, Ancha de San Antonio 123, Monday through Saturday, from 11am to 5pm, or online at boletocity.com.
Movie and Concert
“The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928, dir. Carl Dreyer)
With live music, Malcolm Halliday Chamber Ensemble
Wed and Thu, Apr 20 and 21, 7pm
Miguel Malo Auditorium, Bellas Artes
Tickets: 500 pesos
Boleto City, Mercado Sano, Mon. to Sat., 11am to 5pm
Online etickets: boletocity.com
