This is a very modern interpretation considering that the 15th century Church had its own army and even "warrior Popes". Luc Besson's direction illustrates Joan's state of mind with representations of her visions, including a Christ figure who bleeds because she is "hurting him" by engaging in war. In the movie, the English are foul-mouthed Cockney barbarians with bad teeth Jeanne would like to see them all driven into the sea. She in fact showed compassion for the wounded on both sides and even protected a defeated English general. Likewise, the real Jeanne d'Arc didn't lose a sister in a traumatic childhood incident, and she didn't rave that the English must be annihilated. This interpretation of the character is reportedly not in sync with the historical Jeanne, who was calm and never described as insane or even behaving in a neurotic manner. Jumpy and hypertense, Jovovich's Jeanne has nary a calm moment she's either in full-on manic mode or in an agitated trance to convince nobles and soldiers that she means business. Milla Jovovich didn't earn many positive notices for her performance, which was likened by one rude reviewer to "a Valley Girl on methamphetamines". Jeanne suffers doubts about her divine inspiration and her enemies ultimately burn her at the stake. Betrayed by the monarch she has put on the throne, Jeanne is handed over to the English, who insist that The Church condemn her as a witch. The story by necessity turns dark in the latter stages.
French and English soldiers alike are soon convinced that Jeanne has some kind of super-spiritual powers, especially after her near-miraculous recovery from serious wounds. Jeanne repeatedly warns the giant La Hire (Richard Ridings) against blaspheming, and he begins to take her seriously. They slay the enemy practically while singing and dancing, and make it all look like good gory fun.
Jeanne's close advisors are a quartet of soldiers and nobles as charming as the Four Musketeers. They're also more than a little anachronistic, with a couple of fictitious battle weapons and a general air of dizzy gallantry. The battles are energetic, funny and outrageous. A peasant girl dazzles France by declaring herself a messenger from God, arrived to lead her nation to victory. England invades the Continent, although it takes a while to confirm this due to a confusing expository prologue. The first two thirds of the tale is an exciting war story. The result didn't please the 1999 audience who, it must be said, probably weren't looking for yet another version of the Joan of Arc story. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is clearly the follow-up intended to put both her and Besson in the top tier of moviemaking. Former model Milla Jovovich scored strongly in director Luc Besson's The Fifth Element. Among classic films, only Falconetti in Dreyer's silent The Passion of Joan of Arc has won full marks across the board. Ten years later Otto Preminger laid a solid egg by trying out the then-inexperienced Jean Seberg in the role. Ingrid Bergman loved the part but her expensive 1948 attempt was a flop. Playing Joan of Arc on the stage and doing the same thing in the movies are apparently two very different things, because the role is known for defeating film actresses both great and small. Starring Milla Jovovich, Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, John Malkovich, Tcheky Karyo, Vincent Cassel, Pascal Greggory, Richard Ridings, Desmond Harrington, Timothy West.