France, 1429. Jeanne has succeeded in lifting the siege on Orleans and Charles VII has been ordained King of France. Jeanne is injured in an assault on Paris, weakening her position in the war. Later, she is taken prisoner at the siege of Compiègne. The beginning of a period of prisons and trials, ultimately leading to her execution. Rivette deliberately focused on Joan of Arc the woman, not the saint, to succeed in his realistic portrait of the historical figure.