Product: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Region 2) (1999)
Rating: 5.0
Epic
This film follows the story of Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who became the leader of the greatest army France had ever seen, later tried and burned for heresy.The way Luc Besson (the 5th element, the big blue, and many others) portrays medieval France is spectacular. The grittiness of life in Europe around those times can almost be tasted throughout the movie, and the acting of the stellar cast (John Malcovitch, Fay Dunaway, Milla Jovovich, Dustin Hoffman etc..) is nothing short of perfect.Juggling themes of political intrigue, religious fervor, psychological scars and greed for power, Besson shows us the human side of a period in history too often remembered for its epic battles and digs deep into the complex character of Joan.