Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 1.0
Not worth watching
My daughter was assigned this particular version by her professor, so I watched it, increasingly reluctantly. The movie was badly made, revolving around the bizarre behavior of an apparently lunatic Joan, played by the director's wife. Incredibly cheesy acting, which is surprising, given the many quality actors and actresses who appear in the movie.However, the main problem with the movie is the thrust of Besson's portrayal of Joan, which goes against the copious first-hand sworn testimony of her neighbors, friends, soldiers, confessors, and acquaintances at Joan's rehabilitation trial after her death. She was known by all to be a sober, steady, stable individual of great self-possession, who inspired great respect, admiration, and deference by all, especially the rough, no-nonsense soldiers who followed her. Thus, soldiers sent to bring her to the King, intending to throw the peasant girl into a ditch, were won over on the way back to the king with their distrust turned to great respect. And too many other accounts like this to mention here. She won love and admiration by something other than magic tricks--by her character, demeanor, strength, and goodness. That's in the historical record.The movie never makes it clear why anyone would have wanted to follow its portrayal of Joan, which inspires revulsion rather than love and admiration. The depiction of Joan's "Voices" is especially pejorative and is contradicted by Joan's own recorded words at Poitiers when examined by King Charles' representatives, at the trial of condemnation at Rouen, and the testimony of many witnesses at the rehabilitation trial. That she was the victim of demented visions is not born out by the actual record. This isn't to claim that what she said is true; simply that the content of what she says she saw and heard are nothing like Besson's fabrications.Many different interpretations of who Joan of Arc was are possible. But to be remotely honest, they have to respect the basic facts that are right there in the historical record, available to anyone with a minimal effort. Besson did a hatchet job on Joan of Arc, and not a very skilled one at that. I don't recommend this movie as deserving even casual attention.