Review of The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) by Filipeneto — 30 May 2020

It entertains and has an epic sense, despite overriding historical veracity.

Personally, I am somewhat afraid of films with a historical background, as it is extremely common to run over history in favor of dramatic freedom. As could hardly be otherwise, this also happened with this film, which presents everything but the truth or the true story of Joana d'Arc.

In this film, young Joana is literally transformed into a religious fanatic who sublimates her childhood traumas through blind faith and hatred for the English. With France on the verge of losing the Hundred Years' War and the French throne balancing perilously between King Henry VI of England and the weakened House of Valois, Joan poses as an envoy from Heaven to save France. The film never gives credence to Joana's visions and puts the public in doubt. Did Joana speak to God or see only what she wanted to see?

The film has a strong cast, with well-known names, but not all were well. Milla Jovovich is beautiful, but she looks more like a mad religious fanatic than a charismatic and convincing mass leader, as the real Joana must have been. Her performance starts well, but loses quality as the film evolves and she simply seems to lose her mind or the notion of reality. John Malkovich made a hypocritical King Charles VII and was good at that task, but he can't go any further. Dustin Hoffman plays a strange and very cynical character, but the film does not clarify who he really is and one gets the idea that he may have diabolic contours. Vincent Cassel also appears but does nothing remarkable.

It was directed by Luc Besson, who puts style and art above the script or story told. In this respect, and largely because of that, I felt that the film, in addition to forgetting most of the details of the life of the real Joana and blistering what was left, is quite empty. Beautiful, but with nothing to support it and give content. The ending is quite mediocre. The best of the film are the truly epic action and fighting scenes, with a good soundtrack and good props, as well as medium and historically inaccurate costumes and scenarios.