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Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element) challenges established notions about the Maid of Orleans as he creates a decidedly more human heroine than have previous biopics. The story line is the same--a young, illiterate peasant girl convinces the dauphin of France to give her an army, and she leads them to victory in Orleans, only to be burned at the stake for heresy--but Milla Jovovich, in the title role, is a woman possessed. Her influences are less than heavenly; as a child she witnesses the murder of her sister by the English, a death caused by the sister's giving her hiding place to young Joan, which causes an intense desire for revenge. Yes, God still speaks to Joan, but even this is undermined, as Dustin Hoffman, playing The Conscience, questions her motives.
Cinematically, The Messenger is stunning, with fantastical sequences of Joan in communication with higher powers. Yet the graphic violence (scenes include random decapitation and a dog gnawing on a body); the uneven accents, which make it difficult to tell who is fighting on which side; and the rewriting of lore may make this version of Joan of Arc appeal only to Besson fans. Jovovich is convincing, and while at times the film may drag (at times you wish they'd hurry up and burn her), it is a remarkable and insightful retelling of a well-known piece of history. --Jenny Brown
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
One dimensional "movie",
By katrina ford (dc) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (International Version) (DVD)
There is a movement of late for the French to ATTEMPT to do (many) things a la Amerique, especially in movies by trying to capture the grande epic style of film that America does so well.Although Besson's film, "Le femme Nikita," is one of my top five favorites, he failed here; and I fail to call myself his fan. Here are the problems: Besson uses La Pucelle as a vehicle for self-aggrandizement, and it was a poor attempt at that.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Amphetamine Maid,
By the wizard of uz (Studio City, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (International Version) (DVD)
Not only is Joan of Arc presented as a nut in this film, she's clearly tripping on speed: Jumping out of her skin, screaming her head off and delivering banal lines with halting, eye-bugging intensity. It's hard to believe that even the most religiously medieval French soldier would give this loon the time of day, let alone follow her into battle. Mon Dieu! Run awaaaaaayy. . . But I'll say this for the director, he's consistent. It's fast paced all the way through, what with boulders a la 'Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom ' getting hurled at the troops along with other JamesBondian gizmos making for cool technogore. Which, alongside Joan's motivation in this script ( Her sister's been raped by the posse of --er I mean the Brits) turns it all into an enjoyable comic book Western revengefest. It's 'The Quick and the Dead' minus gunslingers, set in 1429. Plus the scenes of her schizoid 'visions' are gorgeously photographed. But as far as the real Joan of Arc, the only major historical figure whose life and thought has come down to us through sworn court testimony---Oh well, in the first place she's had writers of genius like Shaw and Twain to balance this dramatization, and in the second place, as long as we're making films about protagonists who hear voices, wild battle scenes and trials for heresy it could have been much worse. How about: " Socrates, Herald of Hades! " (sigh)
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Version of Joan of Arc,
By
This review is from: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (International Version) (DVD)
This movie rates in my top ten of best movies of all time. It gives me an intense emotional kick every time that I see it. Milla Jovovich's performance was great and it is a real tragedy that this movie and her performance has been lambasted by the critics. What do they want? Another Ingrid Bergman. Jovovich's portayal of Joan is as I imagined her to be. However, I must admit that I did want to see her in a few quiet momemts of mental clarity reflecting on her lost dreams of love and happiness. This will become a cult classic and I dearsay that it will be a long time before any better version is produced. Kudos to Besson for taking a stab at orthodoxy and religion's twisted view of history.
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