The Aesthetics of Passion and Betrayal
In The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Theodor Dreyer uses the visuality of spatial relationships in each shot with the human face and its ability to convey unspoken emotion in his portrayal of the demise of Joan of Arc. Unlike most film, the message is almost entirely told by just the eyes and expressions of the actors. There is very little reliance upon props and background. The camera angles and close-up shooting accentuate emotions and reactions. The editing style is almost methodic in keeping the emotional pace; it is much like an argument, alternating images of Joan’s tenacity, and the judges’ contempt. The artistic elements of the film are found in the subtle elements of the setting in contrast with the story that is realized by looking into Joan’s eyes as she witnesses her lifelong beliefs condemned and destroyed by her martyrdom.
The stylistics of Dreyer’s vision in The Passion of Joan of Arc are unique in that they cannot be characterized by one particular conventional style or definition. Joan’s beliefs and character are often described as being transcendent. Transcendental style came about in the artistic world as a way to portray that which is considered “Holy” on a more elevated level. In many cases, especially in film, transcendental style can leave a film slow in pace, and create a lack of empathy for the characters and their plight. Dreyer therefore must not be concentrating on the transcendental style alone since the film is methodic in pace and the audience easily feels the grief Joan is experiencing.
There are at least 2 other major stylistic influences at work in The Passion of Joan of Arc. According to Paul Schrader, “Each of Dreyer’s individual film “styles” is, to be more accurate, a synthesis between three basic and opposing styles at work in his films. In order to define Dreyer’s aesthetic, one must confront to opposing artistic schools: the Kammerspiel and Expressionism.” The Kammerspiel or chamber-play style concentrates on just the basics, placing reality front and center. This is most evident in the concentration Dreyer places in the close ups of the faces. The expressionist style is less evident since the power of reality is what is most important. The expressionist elements are found mostly in the sets. German Expressionist master Hermann Warm who designed the wildly dist...
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... different angle. Dreyer did exactly this in his portrayal of the trial of Joan of Arc.
For me The Passion of Joan of Arc was artistic because it was powerful emotionally, and accurate in its distinctive approach to the story of a saint. The oppression displayed by the judges made anger an easy emotion to feel. The emotions can also encompass the ideals the judges represent. I found it easy to feel anger towards religion as a whole, but it also made me think about Joan’s plight and what might have been done to accept her. In my opinion that is what art does best; it makes you think about your own ideals and how your emotions affect your view of the world around you.
Bibliography:
The Aesthetics of Passion and Betrayal
Bibliographical Information
Carl Theodor Dreyer, Four Screenplays; Translated by Oliver Stallybrass ã1970 by Indiana University Press, Bloomington
Paul Schrader, Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer ã1972 by University of California Press, Berkeley
W.S. Scott, The Trial of Joan of Arc ã1956 by The Folio Society, London
David Bordwell, The Films of Carl-Theodor Dreyer ã1981 by University of California Press, Berkeley
Born on December 25, 1921, Clara grew up in a family of four children, all at least 11 years older than her (Pryor, 3). Clara’s childhood was more of one that had several babysitters than siblings, each taking part of her education. Clara excelled at the academic part of life, but was very timid among strangers. School was not a particularly happy point in her life, being unable to fit in with her rambunctious classmates after having such a quiet childhood. The idea of being a burden to the family was in Clara’s head and felt that the way to win the affection of her family was to do extremely well in her classes to find the love that she felt was needed to be earned. She was extremely proud of the positive attention that her achievement of an academic scholarship (Pryor, 12). This praise for her accomplishment in the field of academics enriched her “taste for masculine accomplishments”. Her mother however, began to take notice of this and began to teach her to “be more feminine” by cooking dinners and building fires (Pryor, 15). The 1830’s was a time when the women of the United States really began to take a stand for the rights that they deserved (Duiker, 552). Growing up in the mist of this most likely helped Barton become the woman she turned out to be.
Clara Barton was born during 1821 in Massachusetts. As a young child, Barton learned a great deal of schooling from her older siblings; she learned a wide variety of different subjects. She seized every educational opportunity that she was given and she worked hard to receive a well rounded-education. Clara Barton would later use her education to create her own school and eventually help start an organization that is still used today. As a young child, Clara was extremely shy; nevertheless, after many years she was able to overcome this. Even as a young child Clara thrived helping others. She tended to her sick brother who was severely injured by a roofing accident on a regular basis. The skills she learned from helping her brother proved to be used again when she was on the front-line of the Civil War helping wounded soldiers.
...t would help bring into understandable light the mystery of the Church’s teachings. Finally, achievements in re-creating human emotion would ensure the painting’s, and therefore the Church’s teachings would leave an indelible mark on all of its viewers.
Clara Barton was born on December 25, 1821 (Cobb, 2014). Her full name is Clarissa Harlowe Barton and she grew up in North Oxford, Massachusetts (Cobb, 2014). When she was young she was constantly found helping and taking care of others, whether it be her brothers and sisters or neighbors according to the article Barton, Clara. She was taught to read by her sisters and taught mat by her brother (Cobb, 2014). Clara also for a time was a teacher. She taught in a town called Bordentown, New Jersey and raised enrollment from six students to six hundred students by offering to teach for free so that parents did not have to pay in order to send their children to school. She probably would have continued to teach except for the fact that when the town chose a principal they passed over her and chose a male. She then resign from the school (“Clara Barton Biography,” 2014). She then for a time worked the as a clerk in Washington, D.C. in the Patent Office until harassment and new presidency left her without a job ("Blood facts and,”).
In the book, The Betrayal Bond: Breaking Free of Exploitive Relationships, author Patrick Carnes presents an in- depth study of relationships that are exploitative and can create trauma bonds. Dr. Carnes explores why these relationships form, who is more susceptible, and how bonds become so powerful. In the text he explains how to identify that traumatic bonding is occurring and he provides ways to examine these relationships. Dr. Carnes then provides specific steps to disentangle from these relationships.
After diagnosing which form is in the body, treatment and therapy can begin. After the test, an infected person should inform the health-care provider with information about other people that might be infected. This will help control the spread of Tuberculosis (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Treatment for the infected person means continual drug therapy.
Modern art serves to immerse us more thoroughly in a scene by touching on more than just our sight. Artists such as Grosz, and Duchamp try to get us to feel instead of just see. It seems that this concept has come about largely as a way to regain identity after shedding the concepts of the Enlightenment. “Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness...” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.
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