Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Challenging movie for the not so open minded viewer.
First of all, this movie is based on facts. Many reviews charged the makers of the movie that it is a complete nonsense. Well, some parts are made up, probably to empahsize the groundbraking concept of the movie but overall it is historically correct. If you buy the DVD version, you will have the opportunity to see a documentary that is dedicated to all the research the Joan of Arc Research Center in France spent time on before the actual shooting of the movie began.Now that you know that this is not your everyday historical movie, let us talk about the concept of the movie. Many reviews before me said that the movie basically tells a story of an insane woman who can not be Joan because she is this and that, according to the legend. The whole point is that this movie challenges that legend. Have you ever wondered how could a simple peasant girl lead an army living in a very rigid society of medieval times? Was it really a divine will that put her on the stage of history or maybe her self-determination and circumstances shaped her fate?. Besson asks these question almost completely abandoning the legend of Joan that became accepted by scholars and everyday people. The movie makes you think and, in my belief that is the sole purpose of it. It is not really a biography of some sort but a new way of explaining the known historical facts. Dustin Hoffmann's character is the perfect tool to achieve that. By the way, Mr. Hoffmann does an excellent job.The other actors do a fine job as well considering that it was an international cast. Many say that Milla was terrible in the movie. Well, she is not Meryl Streep but tried her best. Mr. Malkovich did as much with his small part as much as he could. The other bright spot besides Mr. Hoffmann was Faye Dunaway's excellent portrait of the King of France's mother-in-law.The battle scenes were very realistic and exciting. One other thing that deserves to be mentioned is the costumes. All the clothing and armor the actors wore were in some cases complete reproductions. The jewelry were copies of pieces from the times of Joan. These provide an atmosphere like you are really in the fifteenth century.If you buy this title, buy the DVD version. The sound and picture quality is excellent and the widescreen format is truely great.So, before you watch this title, open your mind and immerse yourself in the fascinating history of medieval times.