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Movies / On DVD / The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

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The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)

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31 %
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Reviews Counted:72

Fresh:22

Rotten:50

Average Rating:4.5/10

Consensus: The heavy-handed narrative collapses under its own weight.

Runtime: 2 hrs 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Action master Besson takes on French history in this ambitious look at the legendary saint and martyr. Beginning with a young Joan witnessing her sister's rape and murder at the hands of brutal... Action master Besson takes on French history in this ambitious look at the legendary saint and martyr. Beginning with a young Joan witnessing her sister's rape and murder at the hands of brutal English soldiers, the film picks up years later when Joan (Jovovich) appears at the court of the French Dauphin (Malkovich), who is making little progress against his enemies. Joan's self-confidence and charisma induce the Dauphin to take a gamble by allowing her to lead troops, resulting in an upset victory at Orleans. However, Joan eventually outlives her usefulness to the French throne and is sold out to the English, who burn her for heresy. All the while, Joan struggles with her faith, exasperating the experienced French generals and having impassioned arguments with her imaginary "Conscience" (Hoffman). Features several exciting medieval battle scenes. [More]

Starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman

Starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman, Pascal Greggory, Vincent Cassel, Tcheky Karyo, Richard Ridings, Timothy West, Desmond Harrington, Andrew Birkin

Director: Luc Besson

Director: Luc Besson
Screenwriter: Luc Besson, Andrew Birkin
Producer: Patrice Ledoux
Composer: Eric Serra

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 2, 2008

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The year is 1429. France is in political and religious turmoil as members of the royal family battle for rule. But one peasant girl from a remote village gave her country the miracle it was looking for. Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Dazed and Confused) is Joan of Arc, a young woman who would inspire and lead her countrymen until her execution at the age of nineteen. Raised in a religious family, Joan witnessed her sister's rape and death at the hands of an invading army. Years later, as the same war raged on, Joan stood before her king with a message she claimed came from God: give her an army, and in God's name she would reclaim his diminished kingdom. But was the message real, or thedelusion of a girl whose life had been shattered? This startling epic drama by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) explores the life of Joan of Arc, her amazing victories, relationship with God, and tragic death. Co-starring John Malkovich and Academy Award(r) winners Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway, THE MESSENGER is a modern take on a medieval saint who enthralls people even today.
  • Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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    Reviews for The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

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    81 - 89 (sorted by date)
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    Among the laughably bad lines is one uttered by The Conscience. 'When does the pain end and the pleasure begin?' he asks Joan. For The Messenger's audience, it is as soon as the ending credits begin to roll.

    Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Steve Rhodes
    Steve Rhodes
    Internet Reviews

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Susan Stark
    Susan Stark
    Detroit News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    What an unholy mess.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Terry Lawson
    Terry Lawson
    Detroit Free Press
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The lack of a plausible leading lady is enough to sink what is otherwise an eye-catching, although heavily ’90s-style, telling of one of history’s most frequently filmed stories.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Todd McCarthy
    Todd McCarthy
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    With battle scenes that are obscenely gruesome and pacing that is too slow, the film lumbers along like a Buick in the mud.

    Full Review Source: KUTV-TV | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Tony Toscano
    Tony Toscano
    KUTV-TV

    Jovovich is not capable of bringing to the screen such a complicated person.

    comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Victoria Alexander
    Victoria Alexander
    FilmsInReview.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Walter V. Addiego
    Walter V. Addiego
    San Francisco Examiner

    I know less about Joan of Arc now than I did going into the film.

    Full Review Source: Needcoffee.com | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    Widgett Walls
    Widgett Walls
    Needcoffee.com

    Eye-filling, mostly very compelling and incorrigibly weird.

    Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
    01/01/00
    William Arnold
    William Arnold
    Seattle Post-Intelligencer
     
     
    81 - 89 (sorted by date)
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