Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 5.0
DVD review & differences between International & US versions
Let me say that I like the movie and Jovovich's performance. The film is also more historically accurate to Joan life then the TV series with Sobieski. You aren't reading this to hear if you want to see the movie, but if you want to buy the DVD, so I'll review the DVD and this International version which is different from the American version shown in theaters. The picture quality is good especially the battle scenes and landscapes although in somewhat dim scenes the background did not have a lot definition which I don't remember from the theater. The sound quality was fine. I'll break down the difference from the International version with the American theater release version one by one and my own take them.2:30 minutes was added to the scene where the Dauphin chooses who will be the impostor. This is a good addition because it introduces the characters that will be Joan's captains in the following battles.A single line, where Joan tells the Dauphin her message. I didn't like this because the Dauphin never told anyone what Joan said to him to make him believe in her. The American version left this a mystery too.7 minutes (a whole chapter, 3 scenes) was added right after the private audience where various officials examine and interview Joan. I liked this because historically this is what happened, although I don't agree about how it was done, a bit ridiculous, and it could have been cut in half.A few lines here and there that I don't remember, particularly during the battle scenes that made the battles seem a little bit less intense. For example, "Do something!" "What do you want me to do?" "I don't care, just do something!" which are lines I don't remember, but I could be wrong. None-the-less some parts of the battles seemed less intense to me from what I remember.I may be mistaken, but there seemed to be some deleted scenes too. The trial seemed shorter in the International version, which makes sense considering Americans love of the TV trial a la O.J. Simpson; they would have made it longer. I also think the lines where Joan screams out "Jesus!" were deleted which I didn't care for because it was reported that she did scream out his name. The final burning scene seemed rather abrupt. I could have sworn they had a scene where they brought her out, tied her down, and read the charges before burning her. I'd definitely buy this DVD if you like the movie. It would have been nice to get both versions of the film on this DVD much like they did for the Abyss. If you are interested in learning more about her, "Joan of Arc: Her Story" by Regine Pernoud is an excellent book as well.