Joan of Arc (1999) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Christian Duguay

Writers (WGA):

Michael Alexander Miller (written by) and
Ronald Parker (written by)

Release Date:

16 May 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

Plot:

Ten years before her death, Joan hears voices. Six years later, from the village of Domremy, she begins her mission to unite France under King Charles...

Plot Keywords:

Stake | Burgundy | Inquisition | Orléans | France

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Leelee Sobieski	...	Joan D'Arc
Chad Willett	...	Jean de Metz
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Isabelle D'Arc
Powers Boothe	...	Jacques D'Arc
Neil Patrick Harris	...	The Dauphin, later King Charles VII of France
Maury Chaykin	...	Sir Robert de Baudricourt
Olympia Dukakis	...	Mother Babette
Jonathan Hyde	...	Duke of Bedford
Robert Loggia	...	Father Monet
Shirley MacLaine	...	Madame de Beaurevoir
Peter O'Toole	...	Bishop Cauchon
Maximilian Schell	...	Brother Jean le Maistre
Peter Strauss	...	La Hire
Ron White	...	Dunois
Jaimz Woolvett	...	Duke of Burgundy

Also Known As:

Jeanne d'Arc (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

140 min | UK:180 min | 60 min (3 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | UK:12 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Krivoklát, Czech Republic

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Joan is led to the stake, her hands are shackled in front of her. When she stands, back to the stake, her hands are together behind (around) the stake, again shackled, but there is a shot where her hands are re-shackled.

Quotes:

Mother Babette: But it's Sunday. It's a sacrilege to fight on the Lords day.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)

Leelee Sobieski becomes Joan of Arc is this fine film.

In a stroke of good fortune for those of us who like a good historical religious story, this film and "Messenger" both came out in 1999. They are both excellent, both relate the same story, but in quite different ways. Here, Joan is depicted in the more traditional manner, a young girl who is both humble and headstrong in her wanting to follow God's will, and help set France free of the English. As I did for "Messenger", I rate this one a strong "8" of 10.

I own the DVD, and it is a very nice one. No extras, but the picture and sound, in ProLogic, are both excellent. The movie was originally broadcast as a "mini-series", as I recall, but the DVD is one continuous presentation 3 hours and 5 minutes long. However, there are no wasted scenes here, and the entire story is captivating.

To add a great touch of realism, much of the filming was obviously done in unheated churches and castles. As a result you can see the breath of the characters in the cold as they speak. It probably was really like that during the 1400s. Also, the colors chosen for the costuming remind me of the colors in old masters' paintings. The deep rose, muted royal blue, the earth tones, all added to the realism.

Leelee Sobieski really became Joan for this role. Plus, all the other veteran actors were in top form. There isn't any flaw in the film version of the story of Joan of Arc.