
Joan the Maid I: The Battles
1994

1994
PGDirector
Jacques Rivette
Runtime
176 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Jeanne has succeeded in lifting the siege of Orléans and Charles has been crowned King of France. However, she is injured in an attempt to take Paris, weakening her position at court. Captured by the enemy and put on trial, she finds both her life and the sanctity of her body at stake.
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film explores gendered vulnerability and the policing of the female form. While non-heteronormative relationships are not explicit, the narrative critiques patriarchal structures that attempt to control the individual.
Gender Representation
Joan is a protagonist whose intellect and spiritual agency drive the plot. The conflict centers on female agency fighting against a male-dominated judicial and political court, subverting traditional hierarchies.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The 15th-century French setting limits the demographic scope. There is no evidence of significant racial diversity or race-bent casting within this historical context.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative subverts Western institutions by framing the Church and monarchy as sites of oppression. It uses these structures to critique how systemic power undermines individual truth.
Disability Representation
The protagonist's physical injury is a central narrative pivot. Her vulnerability is used to explore the intersection of bodily integrity and agency rather than serving as a simple plot device.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Jacques Rivette’s work deconstructs the Joan of Arc mythos by shifting focus from military triumph to the vulnerability of the individual. The film moves away from hagiography to examine how institutionalized power, specifically the Church and State, threatens bodily autonomy. The narrative architecture prioritizes a critique of systemic oppression. By centering the trial and the protagonist's physical fragility, the film challenges traditional nationalist and patriarchal interpretations of the legend. While the historical setting limits racial diversity, the film excels in its intellectual subversion of gender and institutional authority.

1994

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