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Saint Joan

Play trailer Poster for Saint Joan 1957 1h 50m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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25% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Joan of Arc (Jean Seberg) leads the dauphin's (Richard Widmark) army in 15th-century France, then is burned at the stake.

Critics Reviews

View All (12) Critics Reviews
A.H. Weiler New York Times Mr. Preminger, his scenarist and his cast, who obviously were serious in tackling an important drama, have only fashioned a series of dissertations on an important theme. Rated: 2/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Time Out Even hardcore Preminger fans number this stage adaptation among his lesser works. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader One of Otto Preminger's most underrated features. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Film Culture Staff Film Culture A sentimental, slow, incompetent presentation of G.B.S. Jun 7, 2022 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Preminger's version of Bernard Shaw's play about the Maid of Orléans is much less impressive than the months of thunderous ballyhoo that heralded it. Nov 11, 2019 Full Review Donald J. Levit ReelTalk Movie Reviews The endless talk is of institution vs. individual, Church vs. the girl's "heretical" voices-visions, France vs. Burgundy vs. England, at the molasses pace of a celluloid lecture. May 22, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (17) audience reviews
Audience Member This film has a strange mix of actors and comes across as being a stage play rather than a feature for the most part. Jean Seberg is well cast, Richard Widmark plays the royal Charles strangely although achieves the perception of cowardice in his performance, although it comes across as camp in modern times. There's plenty of big name actors with smaller roles here too. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Mr. Preminger, his scenarist and his cast, who obviously were serious in tackling an important drama, have only fashioned a series of dissertations on an important theme. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Director, Otto Preminger, known for tackling controlversial movies in his day tries to take on George Bernard Shaw's play, Saint Joan. Too bad the play is utter shit. This story of Joan is quite different than other movie adaptations. For starters, the writing, the historical accuracy, and the characters are all wrong. In her movie debute, Jean Seberg plays Joan in a far more feminine, seductive and annoying way. But that's not as bad as Richard Widmark's Charles VII, or Charlie as Joan calls him, being more of a weak, childish and pathetic portrayal. The rest of the movie's characters are not at all interesting, comedically played and very disrespectful to the real story, even if tidbits of history are in this movie. But it really is the writing's fault. This movie is based on a play, which is why this movie is so cheep as to not even have a battle at Orleans. All possible action is replaced with a comedic and modern interpretation of Joan which doesn't fit at all. If there's anything to like about this movie, it's the way it looks. Though lacking battle scenes, the set design of the castles are pretty cool to see, and the lighting and cinematography is well done. But as for directing, what ties the pacing and the actions on the screen all together, Preminger just tried too make something different than something accurate and interesting. There's a right way and a wrong way in making a movie about Joan of Arc. A movie about a historical figure should have a historical feeling to it. But immediately you can from the movie's awkward beginning that this movie isn't going to follow history like it should. This movie and the play it was inspired by tries too hard to be it's own story that it becomes devoid of interest, historical accuracy, respect for the people it's portraying and respect from the viewer. What's the point of watching a Joan of Arc movie if it's trying to be silly and controversial? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Debo decir que aunque tenga 33% de calificación a mi me agrada. Incluso el concepto en el que está planteada como una visión post mortem tanto de Juana como de El Delfín, las culpas y las no culpas, resulta diferente a lo acostumbrado sobre todo en versión cinematográfica porque Rosselinni hizo algo "similar" pero realmente era una ópera grabada en cine y resultaba bastante teatral. Aquí descubrimos a una Jean Seberg que debuta de una forma muy limpia y que si bien no es la mejor cinta sobre Juana de Arco, sí creo que su actuación puede ser destacable. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member An engaging historical drama that really comes to life when Greene's playful sense of humor shines through in the dialog and Widmark's comical performance. At other times the film can get weighed down in historical back-and-forths between characters, although only about half of those scenes feel stuffy. The acting manages to sell the other half of those scenes, with Jean Seberg in particular giving a sincere performance. Overall Saint Joan is an entertaining and compelling film with some really great dialog (thanks to Greene) and some fine acting. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member En DVD. Adaptado de la obra homonima de George Bernard Shaw para cine no deja de ser bastante teatral en su dinamica, en su narrativa, que, tratandose de cine, pierde en efectividad si no estan conseguida las actuaciones y su intensidad, lo que puede crear en el espectador cierto distanciamiento. Sus personajes son bastante acartonados, hieraticos, caricaturescos y el drama en si carece de seriedad, no llega a las cotas que deberia tener el tema tratado. Hay buenas maximas en el texto pero solo son recitadas, no vividas. Es tierna, buena, pero poco convincente, exceptuando a un correcto Jhon Gielgud y la direccion artistica. Con todo el filme no es malo pero adolece de rigor. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Saint Joan

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Movie Info

Synopsis Joan of Arc (Jean Seberg) leads the dauphin's (Richard Widmark) army in 15th-century France, then is burned at the stake.
Director
Otto Preminger
Producer
Otto Preminger
Screenwriter
Graham Greene
Production Co
Wheel Productions
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Runtime
1h 50m