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IMDb > The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
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The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) -- A young girl receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors.

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   21,217 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Luc Besson
Writers:
Andrew Birkin (written by) &
Luc Besson (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 November 1999 (USA) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama | History | War more
Plot:
A young girl receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
5 wins & 10 nominations more
User Comments:
Inspired by...? more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Rab Affleck ... Comrade
Stéphane Algoud ... Look Out (as Stephane Algoud)

Edwin Apps ... Bishop

David Bailie ... English Judge
David Barber ... English Judge
Christian Barbier ... Captain
Timothy Bateson ... English Judge
David Begg ... Nobleman - Rouen's Castle
Christian Bergner ... Captain
Andrew Birkin ... Talbot
Dominic Borrelli ... English Judge
John Boswall ... Old Priest
Matthew Bowyer ... The Bludgeoned French Soldier
Paul Brooke ... Domremy's Priest
Bruce Byron ... Joan's Father
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Joan of Arc (Australia) (Philippines: English title) (UK)
Jeanne d'Arc (France)
Joana d'Arc (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Juana de Arco (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Giovanna d'Arco (Italy) [it]
Ioana d'Arc (Romania) [ro]
Ioanna tis Lorainis (Greece) [el]
Jan Dark (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Jeanne d'Arc (Denmark) [da]
Jeanne d'Arc (Finland) [fi]
Jeanne d'Arc (Sweden) [sv]
Jeanne d'Arc, az Orleans-i szûz (Hungary) [hu]
Johanna von Orleans (Germany) [de]
Juana de Arco, de Luc Besson (Spain) [es]
La messagère: L'histoire de Jeanne d'Arc (Canada: French title) [fr]
Luc Besson's Johanna von Orleans (Germany) [de]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong graphic battles, a rape and some language.
Runtime:
158 min | USA:148 min
Country:
France
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Filming Locations:
Beynac, Dordogne, France more
Company:
Gaumont more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The last film of Joseph O'Conor. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Joan meets Dauphin Charles for the first time she holds her arms around him shifting from just above his waist to around his hips. more
Quotes:
Joan of Arc: I am the drum on which God is beating out His messages. And right now He is beating so hard, it's splinting my ears! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002) (V) more
Soundtrack:
My Heart Calling more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
47 out of 61 people found the following comment useful:-
Inspired by...?, 24 October 2004
Author: Mercian from NJ, USA

There are many deviations from the accepted facts of Jeanne d'Arc's life as set out in her trial documentation and the writings of the time. This said, the central question of whether she was a saint, an inspired lunatic, wholly mentally ill, or simply a headstrong girl determined to grab her chances while she could is well asked. Many of the comments here assert that Besson makes it clear that the Maid was simply mentally ill, yet I read the film as deeply ambivalent about what was going on. Were her visions the hallucinations of a schizophrenic? Were they given by God? What's the difference? More questions are asked: Why does an omnipotent, omniscient, all-compassionate deity allow terrible things to happen? What is the meaning of kingship - to own or to serve? What is the difference between taking the lives of individuals and killing en masse? What's the difference between Christianity and the earthly institutions of that religion? Where does conviction end and fanaticism begin?

Jovavich's Jeanne is plagued by the difference between her idea of utter submission to God and the consequences of doing so; by doubt over the veracity of her visions; and by the gap between her ideals of the divine rights of kings and realpolitik. She is constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown - is this a manifestation of her mental illness, or of her "burning for God"? And where's the difference between the two?

The film raises more questions than it answers, and that's as it should be. It is something of a shame that Besson's film takes liberties with the facts as we understand them (though history is more often about our interpretation of events than the events themselves), but in terms of raising important questions on the nature of faith, it succeeds beyond measure.

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