Joan, the Woman (1916) (Silent with Musical Score)

Cecil B. DeMille's silent, innovative depiction of the life of Joan of Arc is framed within a WWI trench soldier's dream, with opera star Geraldine Farrar shining in the title role. This lavish historical epic traces Joan's humble beginnings as a peasant milkmaid to her divinely inspired fight for France's freedom from England's rule. In the mid-1400s, medieval France was in grave danger of becoming nothing but an English province as France's rightful king, Charles VII (Raymond Hatton), led an impoverished and unorganized army into battle with England's rulers. In her small rural village Joan became inspired to lead France's fight, empowered by divine visions of battle and voices that led her to fight for France in the name of God. Faithful and patriotic, Joan led France to victory only to be persecuted and burned as a witch in an extraordinary finale. A visually spectacular mixture of otherworldly fantasy and reality, the film handles Joan's visions and martyrdom with stylish hand-tinted frames and double exposures of surreal ghostlike images that only Joan can see. The flames that envelop Joan in the final scenes of the film are hand painted in deep reds that bounce off the black-and-white screen to great effect. Extended, artfully shot battle sequences highlight the film.