Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 3.0
A medieval peplum film
This is not the best film by Besson. In fact it is in many ways incredibly naive and superficial, even in its desire to look and sound profound. Profundity is not only political gibberish diplomatic slang. And it is that kind of language that reduces the attitude of the French king to be and then king to opportunism. And it is that kind of language that reduces the attitude of bishop Cochon to servile non-commitment. And it is that kind of language that reduces the attitude of the English to vengeful cruelty. It is also very superficial to reduce simple people to blind believers of anything that sounds iffy, godlike and slightly insane, like a girl leading an army or hearing and listening to divine voices. But all that must please many simple minds indeed. It is a shame because the subject deserves a serious film, a serious approach. Shakespeare forgot to write this play. He could have written a masterpiece on the subject. Besson just writes an average action film, some kind of medieval peplum film.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne