Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 5.0
THOUGHT PROVOKING. INSPIRING.
This movie inspired me like few do. Thought provoking. At the time I didn't realize the liberties taken with the facts. But - by all accounts - Joan of Arc's devotion to God was unquestionable. What she did defies the imagination, and she sought no earthly reward. I will watch this film again.So - was it an accurate portrayal of Joan of Arc? It appears not. She was firm in her faith, she was not delusional. So watch the film as an interesting story, but also learn the true story.(i.e. Wikipedia...)The actual trial record demonstrates her remarkable intellect. The transcript's most famous exchange is an exercise in subtlety. "Asked if she knew she was in God's grace, she answered: 'If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me.'"The question is a scholarly trap. Church doctrine held that no one could be certain of being in God's grace. If she had answered yes, then she would have convicted herself of heresy. If she had answered no, then she would have confessed her own guilt.Notary Boisguillaume would later testify that at the moment the court heard this reply, "Those who were interrogating her were stupefied."Her life ended at the age of 19. An absolutely awe-inspiring life.