History Film / TheMessengerTheStoryOfJoanOfArc

* {{Deconstruction}}: Halfway through, the film deconstructs itself and the entire Joan of Arc legend. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf7YSlJReVM Dustin Hoffman's character]] exists to poke holes in Jeanne's belief that she was on a MissionFromGod; she started fighting because she found a sword in a field, and the Conscience points out numerous rational explanations (it fell from its sheath as a soldier was riding through the field, it belonged to someone who lost a duel, it was weighing down someone who was fleeing, its owner was shot at range, someone just tossed it aside for no real reason) so why does she believe it was sent by God? Jeanne is questioning ''herself''; a good sword is not something one finds lying in a field, but jumping straight to "God sent it to me" really is kind of crazy.

* FreudianExcuse: The film gives Jeanne one. It suggests that her crusade against the English army was partially motivated by a desire to avenge her sister's rape and murder by English soldiers.

* JeanneDArchetype: {{Deconstructed}}. Jeanne tries to claim that she only carried her banner and never killed anyone. She's eventually caught out into saying that she did carry a sword too and it's likely that she did kill to defend herself. She's also portrayed as less of a messiah and more possibly of a girl suffering from mental illness. The film also gives her a personal reason to want to fight the English.

** Another minor one: the reason the hairline of noble women is so high is fashion. Historically, at the time, the beauty standard had a very large forehead and many women (espeically [[TheMistress Agnès Sorel]], seen bathing with Charles, plucked the hair on top of their head.

* SweetPollyOliver: {{Played with}}. Jeanne does make herself look more masculine but it's not to pass as a boy. She's hoping [[PowerHair they'll take her more seriously if she looks less feminine]].

''The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' is a 1999 film by Creator/LucBesson about... well... UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc. Creator/MillaJovovich plays the titular heroine, with Creator/JohnMalkovich as Charles VII of France, Creator/FayeDunaway as Yolande of Aragon and Creator/DustinHoffman as Joan's conscience (ItMakesSenseInContext). Naturally the movie first follows Joan's childhood and later her time in the French army, claiming to hear voices from God. The movie also features a considerable amount of Artistic Licence, with Besson claiming he wanted to tell more of an anti-war story - showing through Joan that war changes people.

** Jeanne has visions as a young child. In real life she claims they didn't start until she was 13.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Halfway through, the film deconstructs itself and the entire Joan of Arc legend. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf7YSlJReVM Dustin Hoffman's character]] exists to poke holes in Jeanne's belief that she was on a MissionFromGod; she started fighting because she found a sword in a field, and the Conscience points out numerous rational explanations(it fell from its sheath as a soldier was riding through the field, it belonged to someone who lost a duel, it was weighing down someone who was fleeing, its owner was shot at range, someone just tossed it aside for no real reason) so why does she believe it was sent by God? Jeanne is questioning ''herself''; a good sword is not something one finds lying in a field, but jumping straight to "God sent it to me" really is kind of crazy.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: Subverted. Jeanne being burned at the stake is horrifying.

* {{Gorn}}: The movie had some quiet violent depictions during its battle scenes. Understandable since Besson went with more of a anti-war theme.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Used to convey Catherine's innocence and heroic nature - as her first act is to hide Jeanne from the invading soldiers. Likewise Jeanne's hair is blonde when she's at her most innocent. It darkens as she enters battle.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Not to the extent of films like ''Film/ThePatriot'', but the English soldiers are either foul mouthed scum that murder innocent women and then rape them - or else malevolent and manipulative schemers.
* ImportantHaircut: Attempted by Jeanne. When she realises that the soldiers don't like taking orders from a woman, she cuts off her hair to look like a man.
* JeanneDArchetype: Deconstructed. Jeanne tries to claim that she only carried her banner and never killed anyone. She's eventually caught out into saying that she did carry a sword too and it's likely that she did kill to defend herself. She's also portrayed as less of a messiah and more possibly of a girl suffering from mental illness. The film also gives her a personal reason to want to fight the English.
* LadyOfWar: Averted, which is notable since Joan is usually portrayed this way.

* RousingSpeech: Inverted. Jeanne gives a speech to the English army convincing them to ''surrender''. It works.

** Jeanne really did have her virginity tested before the court to prove her merit.
** The scene of Jeanne being able to pick out the real Charles VII amongst a crowd of his courtiers was written in many 15th century accounts.

* StuffedInTheFridge: Happens to Jeanne's sister Catherine.
* SweetPollyOliver: Played with. Jeanne does make herself look more masculine but it's not to pass as a boy. She's hoping [[PowerHair they'll take her more seriously if she looks less feminine]].

* UsedToBeASweetKid: Plays this trope with Jeanne. She's a good little girl who is devoted to her Christian faith. Then her sister gets murdered and it's suggested this breaks her.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Halfway through, the film deconstructs itself and the entire Joan of Arc legend. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf7YSlJReVM Dustin Hoffman's character]] exists to poke holes in Jeanne's belief that she was on a MissionFromGod; she started fighting because she found a sword in a field, and the Conscience points out numerous rational explanations(it fell from its sheath as a soldier was riding through the field, it belonged to someone who lost a duel, it was weighing down someone who was fleeing, its owner was shot at range, someone just tossed it aside for no real reason) so why does she believe it was sent by God? Jeanne is questioning ''herself''; good swords were and are expensive things, but jumping straight to "God sent it to me" really is kind of crazy.

''The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' is a 1999 film by Creator/LucBesson about... well... UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc. Creator/MillaJovovich plays the titular heroine, with Creator/JohnMalkovich as Charles VII of France, Faye Dunaway as Yolande of Aragon and Creator/DustinHoffman as Joan's conscience (ItMakesSenseInContext). Naturally the movie first follows Joan's childhood and later her time in the French army, claiming to hear voices from God. The movie also features a considerable amount of Artistic Licence, with Besson claiming he wanted to tell more of an anti-war story - showing through Joan that war changes people.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne zones out during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of {{Jesus}}, [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked and in agony]], making her scream in terror. She comes to her senses hearing her comrades cheering about winning. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Halfway through, the film deconstructs itself and the entire Joan of Arc legend. Dustin Hoffman's character exists to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oSJdSL8YOE poke holes in Jeanne's theory]] that she was sent on a mission by God; she started fighting because she found a sword in a field - the Conscience shows her numerous rational explanations - it fell from its sheath as a soldier was riding through the field, it belonged to someone who lost a duel, it was weighing down someone who was fleeing, its owner was shot at range, someone just tossed it aside for no real reason - so why does she believes it was sent by God? Jean is seriously Jeanne questioning ''herself'' internally; good swords were and are expensive things, but jumping straight to "God sent it to me" really is kind of crazy.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Halfway through, the film deconstructs itself and the entire Joan of Arc legend. Dustin Hoffman's character exists to poke holes in Jeanne's theory that she was sent on a mission by God. Notable in that her first clue is finding a sword in a field - the Conscience shows her numerous rational explanations (a soldier dropping it while running away, someone else throwing it aside) and asks why she believes it was sent by God. What's more is that this is really Jeanne questioning ''herself'' internally.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne loses consciousness during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of {{Jesus}}, [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked and in agony.]] She wakes up hearing her comrades cheering about winning. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne loses consciousness during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of {{Jesus}}, [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked and in agony.]] She wakes up hearing her comrades cheering about winning. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* AnnoyingArrows: Zig-zagged. Jeanne is hit by arrows twice; the first time, she's hit in the chest and her whole army retreats to their camp, anxious of her survival. Sometime later, she gets hit in the leg, and she doesn't notice it until someone tells her, then she just pulls it out.

* BlackComedy: A knight carves something on a trebuchet missile before launching it at the English, when it lands, we see it says "Hello".
* BoisterousBruiser: La Hire, a jolly LargeHam of a French captain who loves fighting the English.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne spaces out during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of {{Jesus}}, [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked and in agony]], which sends her screaming. She comes to her senses amidst her comrades cheering in victory. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* SpikesOfVillainy: Though not on the villainous side, La Hire wears a suit of armor that has spikes on the shoulders, which he actually uses to kill people in battle.

''The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' is a 1999 film by Creator/LucBesson about... well... UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc. Creator/MillaJovovich plays the titular heroine, with Creator/JohnMalkovich as Charles II of France, Faye Dunaway as Yolande of Aragon and Creator/DustinHoffman as Joan's conscience (ItMakesSenseInContext). Naturally the movie first follows Joan's childhood and later her time in the French army, claiming to hear voices from God. The movie also features a considerable amount of Artistic Licence, with Besson claiming he wanted to tell more of an anti-war story - showing through Joan that war changes people.

** The scene of Jeanne being able to pick out the real Charles II amongst a crowd of his courtiers was written in many 15th century accounts.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne loses consciousness during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of {{Jesus}}, [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked and in agony.]] She wakes up hearing her comrades cheering about winning. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* ClothingDamage: British soldiers rip up Jeanne's dress while she's in prison - and then give her men's clothes to wear. This is so they can accuse her of using witchcraft to conjure them up.

* EvilBrit: Rather harshly so in this adaptation. A British man first murders Jeanne's sister - and '''then''' rapes her. There's a rather foul-mouthed British sentry in Orleans - and the two who accuse Jeanne of witchcraft are portrayed as cunning and manipulative.

* AnnoyingArrows: Zig-zagged. Joan is hit by arrows twice; the first time, she's hit in the chest and her whole army retreats to their camp, anxious of her survival. Sometime later, she gets hit in the leg, and she doesn't notice it until someone tells her, then she just pulls it out.

* AllThereInTheManual: Dustin Hoffman's character is meant to be Jeanne's own conscience. A good number of viewers thought he was meant to be the Devil.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne loses consciousness during the battle of Orleans. She has a vision of a [[BloodyHorror blood-soaked]] {{Jesus}} chastising her. She wakes up hearing her comrades cheering about winning. Then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: A variation. Jeanne loses consciousness during the battle of Orleans. She wakes up hearing her comrades cheering about winning. She's ecstatic too - but then she sees the hundreds of dead bodies everywhere, everyone covered in blood and one man with a prisoner he's taken - about to knock all his teeth out so he can have them. She is ''horrified'' at what she's just taken part in.

* TrueCompanions/ FireForgedFriends: The film portrays the relationship between Jeanne and her fellow soldiers this way.

* [[YouKilledMyFather You Killed My Sister]]: Implied to be a major reason behind Jeanne's motivation. Interestingly enough for this trope, it's the English in general Jeanne has this attitude to - rather than the one soldier who actually did it.

* MoodWhiplash: The triumphant scene of Charles II getting crowned abruptly jolts into the middle of the siege of Paris.

* SweetPollyOliver: Played with. Jeanne does make herself look more masculine but it's not to pass as a boy. She's hoping they'll take her more seriously if she looks less feminine.

* EvilBrit: Rather excessively so in this adaptation. A British man first murders Jeanne's sister - and '''then''' rapes her. There's a rather foul-mouthed British sentry in Orleans - and the two who accuse Jeanne of witchcraft are portrayed as cunning and manipulative.
** That being said, the French characters don't get portrayed much better. Charles II and Yolande of Aragon are happy when Jeanne gets them Orleans but lose interest when she keeps demanding more. They ultimately conspire to have her captured.

* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: For Charles II after Orleans is taken.

''The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' is a 1999 film by Luc Besson about...well...[[CaptainObvious Joan of Arc]]. Milla Jovovich plays the titular heroine, with John Malkovich as Charles II of France, Faye Dunaway as Yolande of Aragon and Dustin Hoffman as Joan's conscience (ItMakesSenseInContext). Naturally the movie first follows Joan's childhood and later her time in the French army, claiming to hear voices from God. The movie also features a considerable amount of Artistic Licence, with Besson claiming he wanted to tell more of an anti-war story - showing through Joan that war changes people.

* [[YouKilledMyFather You Killed My Sister]]: Implied to be a major reason behind Jeanne's motivation. Interestingly enough for this trope, it's the English in general Jeanne has this attitude to - rather than the one soldier who actually did it.

''The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc'' is a 1999 film by Luc Besson about...well...[[Captain Obvious Joan of Arc]]. Milla Jovovich plays the titular heroine, with John Malkovich as Charles II of France, Faye Dunaway as Yolande of Aragon and Dustin Hoffman as Joan's conscience (ItMakesSenseInContext). Naturally the movie first follows Joan's childhood and later her time in the French army, claiming to hear voices from God. The movie also features a considerable amount of Artistic Licence, with Besson claiming he wanted to tell more of an anti-war story - showing through Joan that war changes people.

The first half of the film plays out as you'd expect. Then the second half has Dustin Hoffman show up as Joan's conscience - and {{Deconstruct}} everything about the familiar story.

* UsedToBeASweetKid: Plays this trope with Jeanne. She's a good little girl who is devoted to her Christian faith. Then her sister gets murdered and it's suggested this breaks her.