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The film itself is comprised of five grueling cross-examinations and the resultant burning of Joan at the stake. What especially stood out at the time Passion was made was the film's camerawork and emphasis on the actors' facial features. Falconetti -- in her only movie role -- was commended for her multifaceted performance as Joan. Critics raved that Passion was the best silent film ever made, but it was banned in Britain for its portrayal of crude English soldiers who stuck arrows in Joan's arm and stole her ring.
As Dreyer began Passion, sound had already arrived in France, but he didn't have sufficient financing to add it to his film. Title cards in the film thus seem disjointed and overwhelming.