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Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element) challenges established notions about the Maid of Orleans as he creates a decidedly more human heroine than have previous biopics. The story line is the same--a young, illiterate peasant girl convinces the dauphin of France to give her an army, and she leads them to victory in Orleans, only to be burned at the stake for heresy--but Milla Jovovich, in the title role, is a woman possessed. Her influences are less than heavenly; as a child she witnesses the murder of her sister by the English, a death caused by the sister's giving her hiding place to young Joan, which causes an intense desire for revenge. Yes, God still speaks to Joan, but even this is undermined, as Dustin Hoffman, playing The Conscience, questions her motives.
Cinematically, The Messenger is stunning, with fantastical sequences of Joan in communication with higher powers. Yet the graphic violence (scenes include random decapitation and a dog gnawing on a body); the uneven accents, which make it difficult to tell who is fighting on which side; and the rewriting of lore may make this version of Joan of Arc appeal only to Besson fans. Jovovich is convincing, and while at times the film may drag (at times you wish they'd hurry up and burn her), it is a remarkable and insightful retelling of a well-known piece of history. --Jenny Brown
| ACTORS: | Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich |
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Luc Besson |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 12 November, 1999 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Columbia Tri-Star |
| MPAA RATING: | R (Restricted) |
| FEATURES: | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby |
| TYPE: | Feature Film-drama |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 043396046078 |
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Customer Reviews of The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
Well done-period. First of all, this movie is based on facts. Many reviews charged the makers of the movie that it is a complete nonsense. Well, some parts are made up, probably to empahsize the groundbraking concept of the movie but overall it is historically correct. If you buy the DVD version, you will have the opportunity to see a documentary that is dedicated to all the research the Joan of Arc Research Center in France spent time on before the actual shooting of the movie began.
Now that you know that this is not your everyday historical movie, let us talk about the concept of the movie. Many reviews before me said that the movie basically tells a story of an insane woman who can not be Joan because she is this and that, according to the legend. The whole point is that this movie challenges that legend. Have you ever wondered how could a simple peasant girl lead an army living in a very rigid society of medieval times? Was it really a divine will that put her on the stage of history or maybe her self-determination and circumstances shaped her fate?. Besson asks these question almost completely abandoning the legend of Joan that became accepted by scholars and everyday people. The movie makes you think and, in my belief that is the sole purpose of it. It is not really a biography of some sort but a new way of explaining the known historical facts. Dustin Hoffmann's character is the perfect tool to achieve that. By the way, Mr. Hoffmann does an excellent job.
The other actors do a fine job as well considering that it was an international cast. Many say that Milla was terrible in the movie. Well, she is not Meryl Streep but tried her best. Mr. Malkovich did as much with his small part as much as he could. The other bright spot besides Mr. Hoffmann was Faye Dunaway's excellent portrait of the King of France's mother-in-law.
The battle scenes were very realistic and exciting. One other thing that deserves to be mentioned is the costumes. All the clothing and armor the actors wore were in some cases complete reproductions. The jewelry were copies of pieces from the times of Joan. These provide an atmosphere like you are really in the fifteenth century.
If you buy this title, buy the DVD version. The sound and picture quality is excellent and the widescreen format is truely great.
So, before you watch this title, open your mind and immerse yourself in the fascinating history of medieval times
Get Duguay's epic instead.
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Luc Besson, 1999)
As the final credits rolled, I found myself asking one thing many times: what in the world was (fill in the actor, director, etc.) thinking? Besson, who gave us such amusing and occasionally brilliant fare as Leon and Nikita, went way off the deep end. Milla Jovovich, who worked so well with Besson in The Fifth Element, delivers every line as if she's being forced to overact. John Malkovich is about as French as a quesadilla. Etc. One wonders why this got a big-screen release and Christian Duguay's incredibly superior three-hour Joan of Arc, release the same year, got relegated to TV miniseries status.
Mother always said that if you can't say anything good, then shut up. So I'll just say that if you're looking for a modern retelling of the tale of St. Joan, Duguay's version is available on DVD. Rent it. Forget this exists. * ½ (only because Dustin Hoffman actually gives a halfway decent performance; too bad he's only got about ten minutes of screen time.)
Most Beautiful Movie Version of her Story
A very well made historical film about a very controversial character. Excelent acting.