The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

Name: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Released: November 12, 1999
Duration: 148 min
Rating: 54

1999

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Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: November 12, 1999 | R

Summary: As young girl in the 15th century, Joan (Jovovich) receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors.

Director: Luc Besson

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, War

Rating: R

Runtime: 148 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Wilmington

Such a sour, mindlessly inflated experience that seeing it may temporarily put you off historical movies. Read full review

J. Hoberman

Inexplicable as it is, the Joan of Arc story encourages contemplation of ourselves as a species. The Messenger is more apt to prompt meditation on the nature of show business. Read full review

Richard Schickel

A lively, nutty film, one full of clumsy, clanging battles filmed by the gifted, eccentric Besson with bloody brio. Read full review

Rene Rodriguez

May be the grandest looking film ever made on the subject, but it lacks the most essential element of all: passion. Read full review

Jonathan Foreman

Besson is unable to weave the comic scenes together with the serious gory ones, so both seem increasingly jarring and unbelievable. Read full review

Walter Addiego

By casting model-turned-actress (and his now-estranged wife) Milla Jovovich as the Maid of Orleans, Besson gives us an over-amped spectacle with an annoying, sometimes ridiculous cipher at its heart. Read full review

Edward Guthmann

Isn't some sober history lesson that bogs down in long speeches and tedious facts. It's about style, it's about fashion, it's about rock 'n' roll busting out in medieval France. Read full review

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User Reviews

MATM

May 29, 2021

If everything else about “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” was abysmal, it would still deserve an A for Jovivich's absolutely mad performance. But luckily, everything else is really quite riveting. There is so much style to the cinematography and the battle scenes are intense andIf everything else about “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” was abysmal, it would still deserve an A for Jovivich's absolutely mad performance. But luckily, everything else is really quite riveting. There is so much style to the cinematography and the battle scenes are intense and the backstabbing plot turns.. it doesn't end. This is one of my favorite films. I give it an A, make a point to go see this movie.… Expand

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FilipeNeto

May 30, 2020

It entertains and has an epic sense, despite overriding historical veracity.

Personally, I am somewhat afraid of films with a historical background, as it is extremely common to run over history in favor of dramatic freedom. As could hardly be otherwise, this also happened with this film,It entertains and has an epic sense, despite overriding historical veracity.

Personally, I am somewhat afraid of films with a historical background, as it is extremely common to run over history in favor of dramatic freedom. As could hardly be otherwise, this also happened with this film, which presents everything but the truth or the true story of Joana d'Arc.

In this film, young Joana is literally transformed into a religious fanatic who sublimates her childhood traumas through blind faith and hatred for the English. With France on the verge of losing the Hundred Years' War and the French throne balancing perilously between King Henry VI of England and the weakened House of Valois, Joan poses as an envoy from Heaven to save France. The film never gives credence to Joana's visions and puts the public in doubt. Did Joana speak to God or see only what she wanted to see?

The film has a strong cast, with well-known names, but not all were well. Milla Jovovich is beautiful, but she looks more like a mad religious fanatic than a charismatic and convincing mass leader, as the real Joana must have been. Her performance starts well, but loses quality as the film evolves and she simply seems to lose her mind or the notion of reality. John Malkovich made a hypocritical King Charles VII and was good at that task, but he can't go any further. Dustin Hoffman plays a strange and very cynical character, but the film does not clarify who he really is and one gets the idea that he may have diabolic contours. Vincent Cassel also appears but does nothing remarkable.

It was directed by Luc Besson, who puts style and art above the script or story told. In this respect, and largely because of that, I felt that the film, in addition to forgetting most of the details of the life of the real Joana and blistering what was left, is quite empty. Beautiful, but with nothing to support it and give content. The ending is quite mediocre. The best of the film are the truly epic action and fighting scenes, with a good soundtrack and good props, as well as medium and historically inaccurate costumes and scenarios.… Expand

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