Joan of Arc (1999)
Chad Willett, Jacqueline Bisset, Leelee Sobieski, Matt Hoffman, Maury Chaykin ... (see more) , Maximilian Schell , Neil Patrick Harris , Olympia Dukakis , Peter O'Toole , Peter Strauss , Powers Boothe , Robert Loggia , Sebastian Gutierrez , Shirley MacLaine
A strong cast, impressive production values, and astute direction distinguish this generally successful dramatization of the tumultuous life of the 15th-century French heroine whose military victories were eclipsed by her martyrdom. At the heart of the story is the conflict between the teenager's si...
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A strong cast, impressive production values, and astute direction distinguish this generally successful dramatization of the tumultuous life of the 15th-century French heroine whose military victories were eclipsed by her martyrdom. At the heart of the story is the conflict between the teenager's simple but fierce faith and the more complex political and theological issues that influence her downfall, a theme fleshed out through the portrayals of the young warrior's liege, the Dauphin (later King) Charles, and the Bishop Cauchon. The 140-minute feature follows Joan D'Arc's odyssey from peasant obscurity to notoriety as the "Maid of Orleans," spiritual fulcrum for the beleaguered French forces struggling to halt English invaders. As played by Leelee Sobieski (Eyes Wide Shut), her evolution from naive farm girl to seasoned soldier is convincing, as is her gradual awakening to the underlying agendas of church and state. Most critically, Sobieski radiates the young girl's fervent spiritual devotion. Framing Sobieski's focal performance are two equally fine turns from Neil Patrick Harris, who erases his legacy as TV's Doogie Howser, M.D. with a neatly shaded, steely Charles, and Peter O'Toole, who balances his signature reserve and present physical frailty to make Cauchon a moral compass for the story. Having opposed Joan as a threat to orthodoxy, the Bishop recognizes her purity too late; O'Toole turns this moment into a dreadful epiphany that resonates through the story's inevitable, fiery denouement. Fine supporting performances from Peter Strauss, Shirley MacLaine, and Maximillian Schell, plus evocative medieval locations in the Czech Republic, further buttress the story. French-Canadian director Christian Duguay handles the large-scale battle sequences with fluid blocking and smart camera work. --Sam Sutherland
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Unrated, 140 min.
Directed by:
Christian Duguay
Release Date: May 16, 1999
DVD Release Date: Feb 20, 2001
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Nothing is good in this movie but the way they dressed the actors.... transition between scenes is a concept the director did not discover yet.... making the movie a sequence of abruptly cut story line.....
They skipped all the details of her actu... (read more) Nothing is good in this movie but the way they dressed the actors.... transition between scenes is a concept the director did not discover yet.... making the movie a sequence of abruptly cut story line.....
They skipped all the details of her actual achievements to favour the revelations she had ... making her nothing more than a puppet on the strings...
Give the equipment and the money to fresh cinema students and they will come with something far better than this movie...
I LOVE this movie!! I saw it for the first time in History class when we were learning about the middle ages and I started crying in class. I have been watching it for weeks ever since and have been doing extensive research into Joan's character. Eve... (read more) I LOVE this movie!! I saw it for the first time in History class when we were learning about the middle ages and I started crying in class. I have been watching it for weeks ever since and have been doing extensive research into Joan's character. Even though there are some inaccurate historical facts, it is still an all time favorite of mine.
I watched this movie since I'm teaching a unit on the Hundred Years' War between the English and French. I picked up this flick because I heard it was the better movie depicting Joan of Arc, despite being a TV movie. Although it was long, running 2 h... (read more) I watched this movie since I'm teaching a unit on the Hundred Years' War between the English and French. I picked up this flick because I heard it was the better movie depicting Joan of Arc, despite being a TV movie. Although it was long, running 2 hrs and 20 minutes, the movie has enough action to keep it going. Alot of things are done well like the unexpectedly good action scenes and character development. But there are things that are just laughable, such as NONE of the French having any kind of French accents since they all have perfect American California english. As for the English, they could have had a few more actors with accents, so it was tough distinguishing who was an English or French. Peter O' Toole was a great choice as the bishop, but casting Neil Patrick Harris as Charles VII and we're supposed to take him seriously? Well I guess I don't blame them, since NPH was the staple TV actor back in the days, but he was a joke in being the supposed French heir to the throne.
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