The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
User Score
6.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 7 out of 20

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  1. Lorks-A-Lordy,MyMulroneycakesIsOnFire
    Dec 13, 2002
    1
    There was a version of this a few years back with Ingrid Bergman - which was largely a love letter to Ingrid. Now we have this, which is largely a love letter to Milla Jovovich, made worse by the fact that a) Milla doesn't look the part, b) Milla doesn't act the part, & c) it's twenty years long. Also, it couldn't BE less historically accurate if it added a rainstorm at the end and let Joan survive. Where did that "The Messenger" come from, by the way? Over here it's just called "Joan of Arc". Still rubbish, though.… Expand
  2. L.Fas
    Jul 1, 2002
    7
    I liked the action and the filming. I did not like the silly church scene drinking the wine. Hoffman was a dud I thought Joan was played well. She seemed simple and naive. She yelled and screamed, but I think that is how she probably was. The spiritual aspect was subtle The final torch scene was filmed very well.
  3. [Anonymous]
    Sep 28, 2001
    4
    Man, did this movie stink.
  4. AmberM.
    Jan 21, 2002
    10
    Joan of Arc is the essence of feminism and The Messenger graphically portrays this strength and is unbiased in it's attempted explanation of her motivation.
  5. AllenW.
    May 12, 2002
    0
    As a historian, I provide a review (soon to be back online) of this wretchedly inaccurate film as part of the site where I publish translations and other research into Joan of Arc's life: http://archive.joan-of-arc.org/
  6. DaveC.
    Aug 18, 2003
    3
    Horribley shot, pretentious, boring and ugly. The TV series was better than this.
  7. PatC.
    Jan 13, 2004
    3
    Jovovich faithfully re-creates the legendary maid, but in a butch kind of way, making it less believable the maid was a real person. The Joan in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" would probably have been more motivational to the troops. This film is continually at odds over what pragamtically occurred vs. what the hand of God reportedly wrought. Dunaway is clueless. Malkovich's smoldering dementia turns thoughtful, as if he is realizing the movie is out of his depth and he is nuts for showing up in it. Hoffman is comatose as an expressionless nose poking out of a burlap robe. The story, the meaning, and the lead character were all predestined to go up in smoke, and this picture was completed with the enthusiasm of a cast and crew that had a premonition somebody would be taken to the woodshed afterwards. … Expand
  8. YoonC.
    Sep 22, 2003
    0
    Luc Besson tries to outdo Hollywood by making the dumbest historical epic yet. Joan here is like the obnoxious heroine of La Femme Nikita, a perpetual PMS queen. It's Joan of Arc as bitch that barks. Major actors in minor scenes are all wasted shamefully.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
54 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 33
  3. Negative: 3 out of 33
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Foreman
    50
    Besson is unable to weave the comic scenes together with the serious gory ones, so both seem increasingly jarring and unbelievable.
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  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Edward Guthmann
    25
    Isn't some sober history lesson that bogs down in long speeches and tedious facts. It's about style, it's about fashion, it's about rock 'n' roll busting out in medieval France.
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  3. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Schickel
    70
    A lively, nutty film, one full of clumsy, clanging battles filmed by the gifted, eccentric Besson with bloody brio.
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