Joan of Arc (1948 film)
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Joan of Arc is a 1948 film starring Ingrid Bergman as the French religious icon and war hero. It was produced by Walter Wanger. It is based on Maxwell Anderson's successful Broadway play Joan of Lorraine (which also starred Bergman), and was adapted for the screen by Anderson himself, in collaboration with Andrew Solt. Bergman had been lobbying to play Joan for many years, and this film was considered a dream project for her. It received mixed reviews and lower than expected box office.
The movie is considered by some to mark the start of a low period in the actress's career that would last until she made Anastasia in 1956. In April 1949, five months after the release of the film, and before it had gone out on general release, came the revelation of Bergman's extramarital relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, a revelation which brought her American screen career to a temporary halt.
Bergman and co-star José Ferrer (making his first film appearance) received Academy Award nominations for their performances. The film was director Victor Fleming's last project — he died only two months after its release.
One of the criticisms of the film is that Bergman, who was 33 at the time she made the movie, was nearly twice the real Joan of Arc's age; the Swedish actress would later play her (at age 39) in a 1954 Italian film, Giovanna d'Arco al rogo (Joan at the Stake).
The film was made in 1947-1948 by an independent company, Sierra Pictures, and first released in November 1948 by RKO. It cost $4.5 at completion, but as of December 1951, the film had grossed six million dollars, three million less than was needed to cover production and distribution costs. It was edited from 145 minutes to 100 minutes for its general release in September 1950. The complete 145 minute version of the film was restored in 1998 after an uncut print in mint condition was found in Europe, and was hailed as being much superior to the edited version. This restored version was released on DVD in 2004.
Awards and nominations
- Best Actress (nomination) - Ingrid Bergman
- Best Supporting Actor (nomination) - José Ferrer
- Best Costume Design (color) (won) - Barbara Karinska, Dorothy Jeakins
- Best Cinematography (color) (won) - Joseph Valentine, William Skall, Winton Hoch
- Best Film Editing (nomination) - Frank Sullivan
- Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (color) (nomination) - Richard Day, Edwin Casey Roberts, Joseph Kish
- Best Score, Dramatic or Comedy Picture (nomination) - Hugo Friedhofer
- Honorary Award - Walter Wanger "for distinguished service to the industry in adding to its moral stature in the world community by his production of the picture Joan of Arc." (Wanger refused the award in protest of the film's absence in the Best Picture category.)
External links
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