"Joan the Woman", Cecil B. DeMille's attempt at a Griffith-esque epic has its moments, but, overall, it's overly theatrical and tiresome. Dropping the tacked-on romance with the Englishman would've helped cut down the running time. Additionally, the present-day framing thread somehow linking the story of Joan of Arc to the Great War is absurd. As far as historical inaccuracy, DeMille was on par with D.W. Griffith. I don't particularly care, or expect, that a film be historically accurate, but there's no excuse for the historical misinterpretations to lack even logical sense. For example, I don't see why the bishop must go to the trouble of forcing Joan to repent as a means to kill her for being a relapsed heretic when, in reality, the original heresy was enough.
At least, this is the last film I'll see that stars Geraldine Farrar; she's slightly more tolerable here than in "Carmen", but her gesticulation and obvious maneuvering for the camera's view are still annoying. As I said, the film does have its moments, though. It looks nice, as do most films by DeMille. The Battle of Orléans is the worthwhile part. DeMille didn't yet have a grasp on direction of large-scale battles that Griffith did, but he makes up for it with some good camera angles and brisk editing.
At least, this is the last film I'll see that stars Geraldine Farrar; she's slightly more tolerable here than in "Carmen", but her gesticulation and obvious maneuvering for the camera's view are still annoying. As I said, the film does have its moments, though. It looks nice, as do most films by DeMille. The Battle of Orléans is the worthwhile part. DeMille didn't yet have a grasp on direction of large-scale battles that Griffith did, but he makes up for it with some good camera angles and brisk editing.