Watch The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc For Free

Just perfect...

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I love epic historical movies, both old and new (although I must admit I lean towards the latter - the more realistic, more visceral ones, like Braveheart or Gladiator). The story of Joan of Arc has been put on the silver screen countless times, and most versions are good. With such a captivating story, you cannot really go wrong.In Luc Besson's take, however, it's not Joan's trial that takes centre stage, as in, for example, Carl Theodor Dreyer's classic (The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928), but Joan, the self-proclaimed godsend, the driven, suffering, obsessed warrior, and the very human core of her actions. The film remains wonderfully ambiguous throughout and leaves it to the audience to decide which of the different interpretations they believe to be true.But it is Milla Jovovich's riveting performance that truly makes this movie. She's literally possessed in her role, playing with such fervour, such delirious passion that you cannot but believe and follow her. It is indeed one of the most visceral performances ever in the history of cinema.

...if I were to ask my confidants and closest friends and people who know me casually their impressions of how they perceive me, I am sure their versions would be so different that I probably would both hate me and love me and, perhaps, not even recognize myself...and so it is with the telling of Jeanne D'Arc...That she was an influential and controversial historical figure is the commonality that runs throughout the varied versions of her life (if this were not so why would the Roman Church wait 500 years after her execution to "canonize" her, then?), just as my existence is agreed upon and acknowledged by all the people who have met me.I find that Mr. Besson, as a cinematic director and artist, has the right and privileged vision to his interpretation of such a legendary persona. Based on the available factual circumstances of the Maid of Orleans and the different opinions of those who "knew" the "demented visionary, egocentric, stubborn, lesbian, heretical and saintly heroine-witch", Ms. Milla Jovovich did a splendid interpretation of such a complex individual who, after all, was also a human being living under a much different socio/political and religious environment that we are lucky to have not experienced.I find that of the many biographical, theatrical and cinematic treatments of Jeanne D'Arc The Messenger this is most enjoyable due to its modern language and casting. Ms.Dunaway, Mr. Hoffman and Mr. Malchovich were a delight to watch.Needless to say, I enjoyed this film because the universal human elements of exuberant youth, fear, doubt, faith and love are explored as well as the ugly realities of revenge, arrogance, hate, prejudice and religious righteousness/betrayal (denial of the Sacrament of Penance?...go figure), ridicule and egocentricity in an unbiased and well defined manner. The Director allowed for final and personal conclusions of the exposed subject matter (are there not Four Canonical Gospels as well as several Gnostic Writings and variations of The One Spiritual Truth?).Although this piece was released in 1999 I never got the opportunity to view it till this evening. This is as contemporary as if it were released recently.

A briskly-paced Bio of Joan of Arc, including numerous graphic battle scenes. Characters portrayed "With The Bark On" - soldiers of both English and French forces covered in mud, with horribly rotten teeth and decorated with scars - probably what people really looked like, in the early 1400s. Other scenes adding Realism include watching people eat food (something you don't normally see, in movies). Whatever they ate, it came from a boiling pot - broth, some chunks of veggies and whatever meat might be had...again, the unusual portrayal of common people eating was deliberate, and added "Texture" to the surroundings.Joan herself in the movie is all that she was portrayed to be in real life: A historical Fluke - a 17-year old girl, led by her "Visions", who becomes the leader of an army, and the "Difficult", she accomplishes quickly....the "Nearly Impossible", takes her a bit longer.I was a bit confused about the role of Dustin Hoffman. At first, I was sure he was an Angel, sent to counsel Joan as a sort of "Doubting Thomas" - leading her to a true self-examination of her motives - lending Objectivity to her track record, in an effort to get her to understand why Fortunes ran against her. But, he is listed as her "Conscience"...her own inner voice.I gave this movie a "9" rating. It will only be enjoyed by those who have an interest in History, or the life of Joan, but in anticipation that most of the audience will fit this description, I would say that 9 out of 10 will like it. The Rating above, of 6+, is probably a reflection of many viewers who were hoping for something else.....people who watch "Transformers", or Romantic Comedies.

...but it still made interesting viewing. More biographies of Jeanne d'Arc exist than of any other person, and any attempt to portray her rather incredible life as France's greatest heroine and martyr on film can expect to encounter a similarly large number of second-guessers. This is precisely what happened when this picture came out. Reviewers went on at length about what the picture should have been about, and how Joan should have been portrayed (and by whom), leaving readers to wonder what they thought of the picture that HAD been made. This tendency to review the picture they wish had been made is a classic failing in many critics and this picture seemed to bring it out especially often.The picture that Luc Besson made here deserves to be appreciated on its own merits. It is visually stunning, rousingly action-packed, and full of interesting period details. Yes, casting his supermodel wife Milla Jovovich in the lead was a risky choice, as her looks were hardly those of a typical medieval peasant. Yes, her performance did not resonate with the period the way one by a more classically trained actress might, although she was clearly never trying to be Ingrid Bergman. Still, Milla's hyperactive personality made her interesting and watchable as a historical person about whom so much has been written, who nonetheless existed so far back in the past that she lacks a strongly identifiable humanity. When somebody makes a better statue than a person, as Joan does from a contemporary viewpoint, odd casting choices can be forgiven if they work. Milla's twisty mannerisms, rolling eyes and whispery speech give the viewer constant occasions to ponder just how much of Joan's fanaticism came from genuine devotion to God and the church and how much was just an under-medicated personality disorder. This is actually one of the key scholarly issues surrounding Joan's life, and the picture brings it to the fore in its latter part as Joan herself tries to come to terms with her own claims of divine communication by means of a debate with Dustin Hoffman as her confessor-priest/conscience. That Besson takes no particular viewpoint here is an interesting choice, and one which actually helps the viewer to understand why Joan's story has compelled so many generations of historians.The political aspects of Joan's life and legend were also dealt with in a nicely balanced fashion. Like many figures in times when political and national alliances changed with the seasons, Joan herself blew back and forth between being tremendously useful to the French throne at times and dangerously inconvenient at others. Fame is a powerful commodity at any time, and the picture carefully tracked the rise and fall of Joan's fortunes as she watched hers be manipulated, leveraged and ultimately put on trial.I thought a lot of The Messenger and recommend it. Religious and historical scholars are advised to approach with caution.