JOAN OF ARC

HISTORY & ORIGIN• Peasant girl born in 1412.

• Began having visions of God when she was 12.

• Led the French Army into victories in the Hundred Years’ War -> led to Charles VIII being crowned.

• Kidnapped by the Burgundians, given to the English in exchange for money.

• Put on trial with the bishop Pierre Cauchon, and charged with “insubordination and heterodoxy”, then burned at the stake.

• Declared a martyr by Pope Callixtus III after 25 years.

CULTURAL DEPICTIONS: FILMS

JEANNE D’ARC (1900)

A 10 minute silent film directed by George Méliès starring Jeanne d'Alcy. One of the first colour films.

JOAN THE WOMAN (1916)

Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Geraldine Farrar, with a framework set in the trenches of World War I.

FALL JEANNE D’ARC, DER (1966)

TV movie directed by Paul Verhoeven, and starring Kathrin Schmid.

BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (1989)

Directed by Stephen Herek where Joan of Arc is transported into 1980s Southern California.

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928)

Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of the silent era, it was initially banned in Britain.

A chronicle of the trial of Jeanne d'Arc on charges of heresy, and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.

JOAN OF ARC (1948)

Directed by Victor Fleming, starring Ingrid Bergman, based on the Maxwell Anderson play Joan of Lorraine

In the Fifteenth Century, France is a defeated and ruined nation after the One Hundred Years War against England. The fourteen years old farm girl Joan of Arc claims to hear voices from Heaven asking her to lead God's Army against Orleans and crowning the weak Dauphin Charles VII as King of France. Joan gathers the people with her faith, forms an army and conquerors Orleans. When her army is ready to attack Paris, the corrupt Charles sells his country to England and dismiss the army. Joan is arrested, sold to the Burgundians England and submitted to a shameful political trial in Rouen castle.

THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC (1999)

Directed by Luc Besson, starring Milla Jovovich

JEANNE (2011)

An experimental feature film directed by Shahram Varza. Premiered at the São Paulo International Film Festival 2011.

CULTURAL DEPICTIONS: TELEVISION

CLONE HIGH

2002 – 2003 (1 season)

Canadian-American animated sci-fi/comedy

The great minds in history have been cloned and are now attending high school.

JOAN OF ARCADIA

2003 – 2005 (2 Seasons)

CBS series theme inspired by Joan of Arc.

Follows a teenage girl who speaks to God and does good deeds in her community based on his influence.

WONDERFALLS

2004 (1 season)

Fox TV series with the theme inspired by Joan of Arc

CULTURAL DEPICTIONS: VIDEO GAMES/COMICS

VIDEO GAMES• Wars and Warriors: Joan of Arc (2004): PC game, title

character

• Jeanne d’Arc (2006): PSP game set in a fantasy that’s loosely based on the historical story

• Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War (2007): PS3/Xbox 360 game with Joan of Arc as the main characters and leader of French Army

COMICS/ANIMATION• D’arc: Histoire de Jeanne D’arc (1995-1996): Two volume

retelling of the story.

• Top 10: Forty-Niners (2005): One of the officers is based on Joan of Arc, dressing in chainmail and using holy powers.

• Drifters: Appears as part of villainous group of fallen historical figures that wish to destroy the world. Joan is an insane warrior who exchanged her humanity for the ability to control fire.

• Histeria! (1998-2000): WB series parodying figures from history. Joan of Arc is constantly shown extinguishing fires and speaks with a Valley Girl accent.

CULTURAL DEPICTIONS: ART

LE CHAMPION DES DAMES

Artist: Martin Lefranc

Painted: 1450

JOAN AT THE CORONATION OF CHARLES VII

Artist: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Painted: 1854

Attempted to make her appear more

feminine

JOAN OF ARC STATUE

Artist: Maxime Real del Sarte

Sculpted: 1928

Located a few inches from

execution place

JEANNE D’ARCHETYPEFictional character inspired by Joan of Arc. Always female, considered an ‘Action Girl’ who’s been thrust into leadership and danger by a greater cause. Possibly a sub trope of Magnetic Hero.

EXAMPLES:

• Mulan

• Xena

• GI Jane

• Buffy

• Princess Leia

• Sarah Connor

• Katniss Everdeen

WHY IS JOAN OF ARC SO GREAT?• A symbol of feminism and politics during the

Renaissance.

• Rejected societies idea of what women were supposed to do.

• Led the French Army to win a few victories in battle.

FILM PITCH

Set in modern day L.A, where a police officer in her late twenties is suspended from her job as a gang murder brings back memories of her brother’s death.

She infiltrates a gang, participating in their criminal activities; planning to take down the gang she’s intercepted and the opposing one.

Is taken hostage by the other gang, the leader from the gang she infiltrated attempts to save her but is killed in the process. With his murder causing her to find out about the police corruption.

BIBLIOGRAPHY• Joan of Arc. Available:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc. Last accessed 18th Nov 2012.

• Cultural Depictions of Joan of Arc. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_Joan_of_Arc. Last accessed 18th Nov 2012.

• Carvalho, C. Plot Summary for Joan of Arc (1948). Available: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0040491/plotsummary. Last accessed 16th Nov 2012.

• Jeanne d'Archetype. Available: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JeanneDArchetype. Last accessed 18th Nov 2012 .