Review of The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) by Anatoly S — 26 Apr 2008

True Story: Milla Jovovich and Luc Besson were married when they started to make this film, and after it was completed, and their marriage had fallen apart, Luc Besson put her facing backwards, away from the audience on the main theatrical poster as a form of REVENGE.

That's nearly the most interesting thing about the movie, sadly--it focuses on visual style, and there are a lot of quick cuts and close-ups that tilt and zoom up the noses of the talented cast that Besson's assembled, most of whom look bored or bemused, except for Jovovich, who pops out her eyes, gnashes her teeth, waves her arms, and makes all kinds of speeches that seem unlikely to have inspired a group of cub scouts, let alone an army of French Soldiers.

In fact, the film undercuts Joan in two ways--it portrays her as a nutter throughout--someone who helps to win a battle or two (The Battle of Orleans, the film's centerpiece, is energetically shot, although the historical accuracy is a bit questionable) before being cut loose by the French and captured by the English. The sad thing here is that when the French King 'betrays' Joan, one can almost sympathize more with him than her.

The whole mess culminates in Joan's cell before her trial by the English where she's confronted by God in the form of Dustin Hoffman(!!?!) who informs Joan that she was never really listening to his voice when she found the sword that she thought was dropped from the heavens, or when she made her speeches and led men to victory--it was simply just her own delusions. Joan is sad, and then is burned at the stake. The end. An unpleasant film which portrays almost everyone involved in the story as one-dimensional and buffoonish or cruel, especially Joan. Strange because there are places in the movie, through the music and the camerawork, that you can TELL Joan is supposed to be sympathetic.....