Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 4.0
Great Post-Modern Movie
Let's get a fact straight first: We know very little about Joan of Arc, anybody who pretends they know her story and even her personality need to go back to the controversial historical records there is of her. Most of them are non-contemporary records, meaning they've been written way after her supposed death (imagine recounting WW2 40 years after it happened). Those records are also tainted by the era and personal beliefs of their authors.Beware of the figure that has been created by the Church and the governing bodies of France over the centuries, France and England had been at war often and endlessly, heroic figures are part of the propaganda efforts. Even today her figure is used by very patriotic groups in France. By the way, I'm French.This is why some reviewers totally miss the point of the movie, this is not a historical movie, this is the exploration of a mythical character. And as such, it's a great movie. What could be the psychological profile of an individual convinced she's been called by God to wage a war? Does that ring a bell for anyone in our times of religious fanaticism surges?Harry