The Passion of Joan of Arc
In spite of the hype, DVD is more often promise than fulfillment. Many, perhaps most, of the films presented in the latest video medium contain only the film, with the draw being the clean digital sound and the sharpest visuals available, which for many consumers is lure enough. Some companies, fortunately, take the medium’s interactive possibilities and great storage capacity more seriously. Criterion’s The Passion of Joan of Arc is a stellar example of the full exploitation of DVD. This cineaste’s dream has a gorgeous transfer of the film itself, taken from a restored version of the single good print available, as well as a quite extraordinary array of extras.