How do we remember the people of the past? And what does it mean to enact that remembering through the medium of film? Joan of Arc (b. 1412-d. 1431) has been depicted on film more than most historical figures. The broad outlines of her life certainly provide the basis for good drama, as she went from peasant girl to successful military leader to heretic, burned at the stake, all in under 5 years. A complicated figure in her own time, Joan's story became all the more enthralling when she was eventually given sainthood by the very Church that martyred her. Still, the various ways she has been remembered on screen may be almost as interesting as The Maid herself, for what it can tell us about ourselves and about the act of commemoration in popular culture. 

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Join us, as we compare two wildly different Joan of Arc films, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) and Joan of Arc (1948), and two wildly different Joans, with our wonderful guest, Dr Laura O'Brien. 

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For a Glossary, Map of Joan's journey, and a picture of Les Larmes de Jeanne d'Arc (The Tears of Joan of Arc), visit the episode page of our website.

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Episode Credits:

Many thanks to Dr Laura O'Brien for her time and expertise. Laura is Assistant Professor in Modern European History at Northumbria University, Newcastle. She is a cultural historian of France and Europe, and her work is particularly focused on visual culture and performance, including how history is adapted and depicted via cinema and theatre. Her research interests also include the cultural history of religion in France, print culture, and the history of Paris. You can find Laura on Twitter @lrbobrien. 

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