The Messenger : The Story of Joan of Arc
Genre: Drama / War
Rating: R
Length: 160 Minutes
Year: 1999
Langauage: English
Subtitles: English
Number of DVD's: 1
Director
Luc Besson
Stars
Milla Jovovich
Dustin Hoffman
Faye Dunaway
John Malkovich
Tchéky Karyo
Vincent Cassel
Pascal Greggory
Richard Ridings
Desmond Harrington
Timothy West
Rab Affleck
Stéphane Algoud
Edwin Apps
David Bailie
David Barber
Synopsis
In 1412, a young girl called Jeanne is born in Domrémy, France. The times are
hard: The Hunderd Years war with England has been going on since 1337, English
knights and soldiers roam the country. Jeanne develops into a very religious
young woman, she confesses several times a day. At the age of 13, she has her
first vision and finds a sword. When coming home with it, she finds the English
leveling her home town. Years after that, in 1428, she knows her mission is to
be ridding France of the English and so sets out to meet Charles, the Dauphin.
In his desperate military situation, he welcomes all help and gives the maiden
a chance to prove her divine mission. After the successful liberation of Orléans
and Reims, the Dauphin can be crowned traditionally in the cathedral of Reims -
and does not need her anymore, since his wishes are satisfied. Jeanne d'Arc
gets set up in his trap and is imprisoned by the Burgundians. In a trial against
her under English law, she can't be forced to tell about her divine visions she
has had continuously since childhood. Being condemned of witchcraft and being
considered as relapsed heretic, she is sentenced to death. Jeanne d'Arc is burnt
alive in the marketplace of Rouen on May 30th, 1431, at only 19 years of age.
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