Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

nickboldrini Its a long film, but seems to cover Joans story well (I assume - not fact checked it) and tells the story of her battles, and shows them, well. I was less aware of her trial and death, which were portrayed in a more thoughtful manner - was she a heretic, or true believer?

Randomizer2600 This is not a movie I would have chosen, but Director Luc Besson has "Valerian" coming out soon, and this movie was mentioned in a review. There are reviews written by people with far greater knowledge. I have a casual understanding of the story of Joan of Arc, and know less about the events of the time. As a movie, I enjoyed this immensely. This movie gets the people right.Milla Javovich hits it perfectly. She is vulnerable while unstoppable. She is full of doubt, but completely certain. And during the trial, she can do "caged animal" with just her eyes. I can't imagine anyone else pulling this off. Milla does unapologetically devote better than anyone since Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story".The supporting cast did a stellar job. There are a lot of medieval movies and TV shows, and most of them aren't believable because people aren't stern or earnest all the time. "Game of Thrones" is fun to watch because sometimes people laugh, and sometimes they fight. If you ever saw a medieval movie, and wondered what the guard standing next to the door does when the camera and the king aren't there, this movie has it. Some reviews called that filler, but it was fun and humanized the soldiers.I gave it a 10 because it showed people in a way different than other medieval movies. Again, I don't know if the historical facts are correct, but I would not be surprised if the people acted just like they are portrayed.

Python Hyena The Messenger: Story of Joan of Arc (1999): Dir: Luc Besson / Cast: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman, Vincent Cassel: Epic spectacle about mixed translations and emotions. Milla Jovovich plays Joan and she leads France in their battle against the English. She is guided by a voice that she assumes is God but it is never explained how that sword got in the field. The King of France is played with vast confusion by John Malkovich who is unsure whether Joan is a messenger from god or just plain crazy. Director Luc Besson lavishes in production as indicated in his previous film The Fifth Element. He creates menacing battles that become repetitious and predictable before bowing out to corny details in the climax. Jovovich conveys bewilderment after witnessing the destruction of her home and her quest for justice through violence. Whether she is nuts is played out in long sequences before she is torched in the famous ending. Malkovich is well cast as the King of France who attempts to make sense of it all yet seems pulled in two directions and at a loss to the outcome. The real let down is the limited screen time for veterans Faye Dunaway and Dustin Hoffman who are unfortunately underused and are capable of superior work. It presents the aged doom of Joan as it asks viewers questions regarding sanity and betrayal. Score: 6 / 10

Dave from Ottawa ...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.