"What in the hell is The 11th Hour doing reviewing a historical drama?" you might ask. Well, other than the fact that we love a good battle scene as much as anyone, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is proof that the kick ass military chicks of sci fi didn't just spring from the imaginations of geek boys trying to attract a female audience. Oh no. Your Ellen Ripleys, Sarah Connors, Shane Vansens, and Susan Ivanovas are rooted in historical fact, baby! And, for good or bad, share a lot of characteristics with the courageous Joan.
They didn't call them the dark ages for nothin' and despite the stunning visuals, director Luc Besson doesn't let you forget that you've entered a time of where you could just as easily be called "saint" as labeled "witch". The countryside is breathtakingly beautiful in its simplicity, the deep, lush forests filled with magic, and the royal court and its inhabitants are dazzlingly opulent, creating a stark contrast to the dirty, demolished towns and fortresses that stand as the sites of the brutal, blood soaked battles where Joan won a crown for her king and her god.
Milla Jovovich as Joan, a simple, illiterate peasant girl who was touched by the hand of God and given a world altering task, walks that fine line between "witch" and "saint" with a tightly wound, yet not fully secured, intensity. She is reckless. She is rash. She is impatient. She is foolhardy. She literally trembles on the brink of insanity even as she leads her army to victory. But given that she was chosen by her god to change the world, it is little wonder that she feels she must push forward at all costs. Who would want to disappoint their god?
But this is not some one-dimensional, amazon-like Joan of Arc. Her piety, her simplicity, her devotion to the cause, her love for her soldiers, and her mortality are always in plain view. She sees herself not as some praise-worthy creature, but as a tool of her god who has answered the prayers of the simple people of France whose farms, towns, and homes are burned to the ground and women raped by the invading English. Neither is the path that she has been set upon easy on her gentle soul. The death that surrounds her on the battlefield is necessary, but batters at her until she is nearly broken by the force of her grief and horror.
Perhaps one cartoonish quality of the film was the pure dastardly evilness of the English army. Call me bloodthirsty, but one man in particular seems to dig himself into such a hole with his taunts and jeers that even his decidedly painful death did not seem sufficient. And while I admit that their roles of villains were probably painted as a bit over the top, it was fun cheering against the English.
The notable supporting cast of this fine film includes John Malkovich as the Dauphin who, through the intervention of Joan, becomes King Charles VII of France, Faye Dunaway as his mother-in-law, Yolande D'Aragon, a shrewd political animal who uses Joan to her own ends, and Dustin Hoffman as The Grand Inquisitor, a role that if I tried to explain would weaken his effectiveness. There are also several British and French actors that I half recognized who did a fabulous job as weary, battle hardened warriors who had to learn to either get out of Joan's way or be crushed by her dedication or her army.
My only problem now is figuring out a way to get my extra-girly niece to chop off her hair, dress in armor, wield a sword, and go as Joan of Arc for Halloween. Maybe if I promise her a pony?
DROOL FACTOR: Despite the funky hairdo he (and just about everyone else) sports, the actor portraying Jean de Metz, assigned as protector to Joan, is sweet in his earnestness and concern.
GROSS-OUT FACTOR: One burning death at the stake, but you expect that in a Joan of Arc movie. Heads chopped off. Hands chopped off. Getting crushed to death by... uh... Well, let's just say the battle scenes are pretty damn graphic.
STRONG CHICK FACTOR: The movie puts forth the argument that perhaps Joan did not hear voices from God and therefore was not a saint. Even so, that makes her no less a hero.
--Linda M. Najera
The Messenger opens in theaters November 12. For more information, see the amazing official web site at http://www.spe.sony.com/movies/joanofarc/index.html and the first unofficial site at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/4388/JoanArc/index.html
