Joan The Woman (Cardinal Film Corporation, 1916) was Cecil B. DeMille's first great spectacle. In keeping with theatrical tradition, DeMille sought a more formal and stylized mode of acting from stars Geraldine Farrar and Wallace Reid - a technique he continued in his late historical films. Wilfred Buckland's art direction is outstanding, and DeMille's social comments are subtle but biting. This film also features a dramatic hand-colored climax utilizing the Handschiegl stencil-color process.

In 1915 D.W. Griffith's 12-reel epic The Birth of a Nation took the country by storm and convinced filmmakers that audiences would pay advanced prices for big pictures in exclusive road show engagements. The following year saw a number of productions designed to rival Griffith's success. Thomas Ince produced Civilization, Vitagraph brought out The Battle Cry of Peace and Griffith sought to top himself with Intolerance.

Joan The Woman was also planned as a special production with a huge budget for the time, and Jesse Lasky created the Cardinal Film Corporation solely to produce and exploit the picture.

The film became a prototype for DeMille's later spectacles. His handling of the large battle scenes (with the aid of seventeen cameras, and a small army of assistant directors, including William de Mille, George Melford and Donald Crisp) was exceptional - equal to Griffith's work in The Birth of a Nation and Intolerance. The real strength of the picture, however is found in the director's provocatively compelling images.