The Messenger

By Fred Harvey
The History Place
11/12/99

This is an action packed, special effects-filled look at the life of mysterious Joan of Arc, featuring lots of realistic battle scenes, and a thundering soundtrack.

The Messenger, written and directed by Luc Besson and starring Milla Jovovich as Joan, examines the complicated events surrounding the Hundred Years War in France during the 1400s and the impact of an unusual 19-year-old woman on the ongoing battles.

Beginning at age 13, Joan hears voices from the sky and sees strange visions. Besson jazzes up these visionary scenes with somewhat creepy horror film-style effects. Interesting choice, considering he might have gone religious as in Song of Bernadette, a classic holy film made in 1943.

The big question this film raises, and an interesting one, is just what are these voices and visions? An over active imagination? The product of a troubled mind? Or perhaps some kind of genuine religious experience. The gist of these strange messages is that Joan has been chosen by God to kick out the English and restore France by military force. This means she needs to dress like a man, become a warrior and lead troops into battle, an extraordinary challenge for an illiterate peasant girl.

After establishing her credibility with the Dauphin Charles, played too flamboyantly by John Malkovich, she leads his troops to victory over the English in two big battles but is appalled by the bloody carnage in the days when hundreds of men simultaneously hacked away at each other with big swords.

As a result of Joan's heroic efforts, the Dauphin Charles is crowned King Charles VII in the city of Rheims which she liberated. But problems arise as Joan remains steadfast in her determination to oust the English completely from France, while King Charles has now decided he wants to cease hostilities.

Still driven by voices and visions, Joan leads her exhausted troops in an unsuccessful effort to capture Compiegne. She is captured by French mercenaries, sold to the English and winds up in a prison cell, accused of heresy.

Here the film takes an unexpected and strange turn as a hooded figure, played by Dustin Hoffman, and resembling Star War's Obi-Wan Kenobi, now appears and challenges Joan's belief in herself and her lifetime of visions. Like Malkovich, Hoffman is somewhat unconvincing in his role and seems to be smirking a bit at times in an ungenuine manner.

The Messenger is a 'light' historical drama, heavy on action and effects, but lacking dramatic depth or any new meaning. However, it is genuinely entertaining if you're in the mood for a little swordplay and would like to experience Besson's unique take on the legendary Joan of Arc.

Rated R (for blood spattered battle scenes, language, and a rape scene)

The Messenger - Official Website
Return to The History Place - Movie Reviews Index

[ The History Place Main Page | American Revolution | Abraham Lincoln | U.S. Civil War | Child Labor in America 1908-1912 | U.S. in World War II in the Pacific | John F. Kennedy | Vietnam War | The Rise of Hitler | Triumph of Hitler | Defeat of Hitler | Hitler Youth | Timeline of World War II in Europe | Holocaust Timeline | Photo of the Week| Speech of the Week | This Month in History | Books on Hitler's Germany | History Videos | Send Feedback ]

Terms of use: Private home/school non-commercial, non-Internet re-usage only is allowed of any text, graphics, photos, audio clips, other electronic files or materials from The History Place.