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

Joan of Arc is one of the most extraordinary figures of world history who, despite being primarily associated with her native France, continues to inspire people of different backgrounds and ideologies for the past six centuries or so. She also inspired many film makers, starting with the earliest works of Georges Melies at the end of 19th Century. Roughly a century later, Luc Besson,, another French film maker, covered her life story in his epic film The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.

The plot begins with the prologue set in 1420, during one of the darkest chapters of French history. France has been in the prolonged conflict with England known as Hundred Years War. Due to superior technology and tactics, the English are having the upper hand and slowly but inevitably expanding their territory in France, with the French further weakened by civil war between factions loyal to the French king and pro-English Burgundians. All that is of little concern to 8-year old Joan of Arc (played by Jane Valentine), girl from small village of Domremy who is obsessed with visions of saints and desire to confess her sins multiple times a day. During one of English raids she finds a sword in the grass, which leads her to believe that she is destined for great things. All coincides with the rape and murder of her sister by the English. Nine years later, French prince and presumed heir Charles (played by John Malkovich) is disputing treaty according to which his father has left the crown to English. With English king Henry V dead and his son being a child, Charles believes that he has better claim to the throne. Unfortunately, apart from few castles he only has empty treasury and almost no army, with English on the way to seize Orleans, last strategically important city under French control. In those desperate times Charles is visited by now adult Joan (played by Milla Jovovich) who claims that she had visions of Saint Michael telling her that the English would be driven from France if she is given the army. Charles is sceptical, but also agrees with her mother Yolande of Aragon (played by Faye Dunaway) who thinks that she could bring masses of superstitious peasants to Charles and his cause. Joan is given small army sent to relieve besieged city. It turns that she doesn’t have a clue about warfare, but her mere presence give her soldiers enough enthusiasm to turn the battle in French favour. Orleans is relieved, the English suffer first setback in decades and soon plenty of cities and territories return under French control, including city of Rheims where Charles would be crowned as Charles VII. After achieving his aim, Charles is more inclined to settle the issue with the English diplomatically and Joan with her radical views only complicates the process. Lacking king’s support, Joan is defeated during attempt to take Paris and later under suspicious circumstances get captured by Burgundians who would hand her over to the English.

While leftists like Joan of Arc because of her humble background and making the mockery of incompetent ruling class, right-wingers appreciate her staunch patriotism while conservatives love her religious fervour. Modern-day liberals, however, like Joan of Arc as proto-feminist who as female military leader broke the glass ceiling few centuries before it was fashionable. That was the route initially taken by Luc Besson who wanted to only produce the film, but thought it would be more appropriate to film to be directed by a woman. Kathryn Bigelow, American film maker known for her action-packed films, was chosen but the plan collapsed after Bigelow refusing to cast Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian fashion model and Besson’s then-wife, in the title role. Besson decided to write and direct the film by himself. He took an interesting and somewhat refreshing revisionist approach. Joan of Arc in this film isn’t the saint nor noble patriot, but simply a peasant girl whose mental health left much to be desired. Like in so many similar instances in history, people faced with terrible calamity mistook someone’s madness for divine inspiration, leading to far reaching consequences.

Such approach could have resulted in at least interesting film, but Besson failed to properly execute his plan. Jovovich, although she can’t light candle to Renée Jeanne Falconetti in the classic The Passion of Joan of Arc, does best what she can with a material given. Always dependable John Malkovich is good as calculating prince while Fay Dunaway, former sex symbol, looks scary as his even more calculating mother. Besson as director does passable job in the first part of the film, during which his music video aesthetic combined with brutally naturalistic depiction of medieval combat makes his film resemble Braveheart. However, he shows less skill when it comes to showing court intrigues and The Messenger begins to look overlong. Everything falls apart in the last sections that show Joan’s captivity and trial. Hoping to add something original to story covered by classic directors like Carl Theodor Dreyer, Victor Fleming and Robert Bresson, he introduces completely unnecessary character of Conscience (played by Dustin Hoffman), which appears as vision and confronts Joan with consequences of her deeds. With this the whole message of the film is compromised and it ends on uncathartic and confusing note. Joan of Arc failed at the box office, and soon afterwards marriage between Besson and Jovovich ended. Another classic film about Joan of Arc would have to wait for the 21st Century.

RATING: 3/10 (+)

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