Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Great film, but could have been better
The idea that every person of faith in the past needs to be 'demythologized' by a modern enlightned director is alive and well. Like Scorsese's 'Last Temptation of Christ', this film presents what some call a 'more human' Joan. That is, one that can be understood without making any real reference at all to a messy, impolite God who does not deign to make all his actions sensible to us. For provoking thought with this humanist version of Joan, I'll give this movie 4 stars. But for playing too fast and loose with the actual historical facts, I'll hold one star back. yes, I know it's only a movie. But the liberty's taken are so crucial to the real story that they must not be discounted.1. Joan's older sister Catherine was never raped and killed by Engilsh soldiers. Besson presents this mythical event and the trauma induced by it to explain Joan's hatred of the english and explain why perhaps her mind became unbalanced enough to believe she was some sort of divine messenger.2. Joan and La Hire, the French Captain, ended the siege of Orleans by crossing the Loire river on horses by boat, and then when the English began to pursue some retreating French Soldiers, Joan and La Hire unexpectedly charged, causing what became a panicked retreat. This is what caused the siege to be broken, not Joan leaping alone into the enemy camp itself and singlehandedly cutting a rope to open the gate.3. Joan never left her parents. Indeed, her brothers rode with her on her campaigns, and her father and mother were there at the crowning of Charles, King of France.4. There is no record that Joan was ever beaten or physically assaulted as is depicted in the film. They may have burned her at the stake, but there is no record she was knocked about like this.4. When Joan was burned at the stake, she requested of several churchmen who did not agree with her sentence and were sympathetic to her that they hold a cross up high where she could see it, so that her last earthly sight would be of the cross of her Lord. She also cried the name of Jesus more than once as she burned. This is different from the depiction of this event, where Joan seems to die silently in terror as some churchmen seem to mock her by waving a cross up where she can see it.A good film, but not accurate as to what actually happened.