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Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc

Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc

2017

TV-PG

Director

Bruno Dumont

Runtime

107 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

France, 1425. During the Hundred Years’ War, Jeannette, age of 8, looks after her sheep in the small village of Domremy. One day she tells her friend Hauviette how she cannot bear the suffering caused by the English. Madame Gervaise, a nun, tries to reason with the young girl, but she is ready to take up arms for the salvation of souls and the liberation of the Kingdom of France. Carried by her faith, she will become Joan of Arc.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.1/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The film lacks explicit depictions of same-sex intimacy or non-cisnormative identities. While the focus on physical and spiritual boundaries creates a non-normative space, it does not center LGBTQ+ narratives.

Gender Representation

Good

Jeannette subverts traditional hierarchies by centering the narrative on a young girl's agency. The film bypasses patriarchal structures to focus on a female-centric, dream-logic reality.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The cast is predominantly white and European, reflecting its 15th-century French setting. The film does not utilize color-blind casting or introduce diverse ethnic perspectives.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

Dumont deconstructs religious institutions by framing the divine through madness and absurdity. The film prioritizes subjective, mystical truth over established Christian dogma and traditional morality.

Disability Representation

Fair

Themes of neurodivergence and mental instability appear through the lens of religious mysticism. These portrayals serve the film's surrealist atmosphere rather than providing agency to characters with disabilities.

Strengths

  • Subverts traditional gender hierarchies by centering a young girl's agency and internal psyche.
  • Challenges religious institutions by presenting the divine through a lens of madness and absurdity.
  • Uses postmodern, non-linear storytelling to dismantle monolithic historical and religious narratives.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisnormative gender expressions.
  • Maintains a predominantly white and European cast, offering little ethnic diversity.
  • Uses neurodivergence primarily as an aesthetic tool rather than providing character agency.

AI Analysis

Jeannette is a postmodern deconstruction of the saintly biopic, trading linear history for a surrealist, carnivalesque exploration of the sacred. It succeeds in subverting gendered historical lenses and challenging religious dogma through a fragmented, non-linear narrative. However, the film remains limited by its historical setting, resulting in a lack of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity. The portrayal of mental instability functions more as an aesthetic tool for surrealism than a nuanced look at disability. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its intellectual architecture. It uses transgressive storytelling to dismantle monolithic authority, even if it lacks broad demographic representation.

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