***

Visually this film is a masterpiece. Spooky and haunting it is an exemplar of how, in filmmaking, less can be so much more. Having received the Jury Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, "Mother Joan of the Angels" does not fall into that category of ‘lost’ films. However, it is certainly a film that deserves a much better reputation and a wider viewing public. Yes, it does contain exorcism, flagellation and murder but it is the opposite of "The Devils" Ken Russell’s overblown (though wonderful) take on the same story . "Mother Joan" is a quieter, more subdued film and all the more effective for that. Any fan of classics of the strange such as "Nosferatu" and "Witchfinder General" should find much to enjoy in "Mother Joan of the Angels".

***

"Mother Joan of the Angels" is based on the infamous historical episode known as the Possession of Loudon. In the early 17th century in the French town of Loudon a number of nuns from a Ursuline convent were said to be possessed by demons and evil spirits. An investigation by the Church led to a local libertine Father Urbain Grandier being tortured and burnt at the stake. It was alleged that he had regularly been seen seducing and fornicating with the nuns. He was also accused of witchcraft by a demon who spoke through Mother Joan, the head of the convent. The ‘Possession of Loudon’ has inspired artists, writers and filmmakers over the last 100 years and a wide and varied body of work has built up around the episode, including Aldous Huxley’s "The Devils Of Loudon"(1952), John R. Whitting’s "The Devils"(1962), Penderecki’s "The Devils Of Loudon"(1969) and Ken Russell’s "The Devils" (1971). Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s "Mother Joan of the Angels" is not as well-known as a number of these works but fully deserves to stand alongside them.

Excerpt from the Second RUN DVD noates also found HERE

Second Run DVD

Region 2,4 - PAL

1:1.33 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.71mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Booklet (8 pages)
• DVD-5 (SS-SL)

DVD Release Date: August 8, 2005
Keep Case

Chapters 15

Audio remain authentic and also sounds improved, plus we get supplements including a fabulous new filmed appreciation by Michael Brooke running 21.5 minutes and a 20-page liner notes booklet with essays and photos.

Easily, one of the more desirable DVDs of the year for fans of this film - big thanks to Second Run!

Gary Tooze

***

On the 2005 DVD package:
"Mother Joan of the Angels has been digitally re-mastered and newly subtitled from the best existing source available to us. But, due to the age and condition of the source master, there remains a steady amount of visual noise that could not be removed without compromising the integrity of the whole film."

The best source, unfortunately (the 35 mm negative remains untouched in the cellars of some Polish archive), is from an existing tape, so there are deficiencies due to the limitations of the analog source.

The DVD is mastered from a, probably almost 30 year old, tape and since then, the equipment to transfer films to tape source has improved a lot. You can't improve the picture on a bad quality tape master, even though you have the best digital restoring program. What is an old and relatively weak transfer, remains so. Only if you create a new tape from the original film elements you can improve it.

It is unfortunate that this appeared on DVD in this condition. Though, it actually looks a little bit better in movement, than on the screen caps. If you do have it on VHS, it's probably the same source material used. We do thank Second Run for making this available in the digital format and the film is highly recommended!

 - Per-Olaf Strandberg