To start with this is one of the most miscast movies ever. I gasped when I saw Ray Teal in armor. Ward Bond, Gene Lockhart, Francis L Sullivan, Morris Ankrum and J Carroll Naish as Frenchmen, who was responsible for that? Bergman was atrocious. Her performance was bland and doesn't hold a candle next to Jovovich's torture in The Messenger or Seberg's vibrancy in Saint Joan. Both Milla and Jean were mercilessly crucified, or should I say burned at the stake, by critics but I much rather watch them than endure Bergman's monochrome recitation. I think Ferrer was possibly hampered by the temperance of the day. What he did was possibly as weird for its day as what Widmark did in a more enlightened time. The only thing duller than Bergman's "acting" was Fleming's direction which was completely void of imagination. Fabulous music but maybe a bit loud, beautiful Technicolor, fine costume and set design don't cover up these major flaws and I don't need 45 minutes more to tell the apple is spoiled. TCM is at this moment showing the 100 minute version. I don't know why they're doing that but 45 extra minutes isn't going to change Bergman's performance or the casting decisions. Harsh, but we live in harsh times.
Review of Joan of Arc
