Joan also cuts her hair to reduce the disparity between her and the rest of the men in her army, a very rebellious act against society's codes for the appearance of women. When she is being tried by the Church, she states that she does not need to be forgiven by the Church as long as God knows she is innocent, she will go to heaven. Her strong dialogues surprise and infuriate the leaders of the church, who see her as a threat to their control, and to their manhood. This is ultimately what leads to Joan's downfall.
Luc Besson's film Joan of Arc is based on the Shaw's play, In the movie, Joan's rebellion is caused by a combination of factors. Firstly, Joan's hatred and fear of the English due to her witnessing her sister's rape and murder, provides motivation for her to rebel against the authority of the English. This adds information that the play does not have. Secondly, Joan's voices and visions that she believes are from God tell her to rebel. Thirdly, the Dauphine and the Church each support Joan and encourage her to rebel for their own political gain. In the end, in an ironic twist, Joan is betrayed by her church and her prince so she is forced into either rebelling against them or compromising her values.
Joan's costume portrays her rebellion against society. As in the play Saint Joan', she wears men's clothes and cuts her hair. She also does not wear any makeup, which was considered rebellious in those times, as it was considered in society that women had to wear make-up and look beautiful. Of course, Joan is a peasant girl, and is not really part of high society, but once she begins to mix in that company, she is expected to conform to the values and attitudes of the nobility. Time-lapse photography is used during Joan's visions, which were either slowed down or speeded up to illustrate the emphasis of her visions, which are a significant motivating factor in her rebellion.
