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The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Tchéky Karyo
directed by: Luc Besson

: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 9780767845724
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0767845722
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: April 04, 2000
Running Time: 148 minutes
Sales Rank: 12939
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: November 12, 1999



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Product Description:
The year is 1429 france is in political and religious turmoil as members of the royal family battle for rule. But one peasant girl arrives beating a message that wins the hearts of her countrymen and the throne for her king. Features: talent files animated menus isolated music score and much more. Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 01/22/2008 Starring: Milla Jovovich Faye Dunaway Run time: 158 minutes Rating: R Director: Luc Besson

Amazon.com:
1999 may be remembered as the year of Joan of Arc: NBC created a miniseries in her honor, Carl Dreyer's long-lost The Passion of Joan of Arc was discovered in a mental hospital, and Facets re-released Jacques Rivette's Joan the Maid. Luc Besson rounds out the corpus with his stylistic and vaguely heretical grand-scale feature, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.

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



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Definately worth watching movie
Milla Jovovich, personally, is an actress I like a lot, so my review is slanted right from the start. ... Read More


Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - Horrible and Inaccurate
This movie is historically inaccurate in so many ways. I wouldn't even give it one star unless Amazon ... Read More


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - An entertaining movie with an unfortunate message
For such a historical figure, I expected a bit more coming into the movie. Don't get me wrong, I loved ... Read More


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - not perfect...but still great
this movie has a totally warped view of joan of arc...not inaccurate...but still strange. the action is ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Discovering A Three-Hour Oscar-Worthy Epic : Five Stars
One of the greatest motion pictures of all time.

Luc Besson achieved directorial greatness ... Read More

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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.