When Luc Besson took on the legendary life of Joan of Arc, he did so with a big budget and a cast of thousands. The movie, unlike his previous movie, failed to light up American audiences while French audiences loved it. It didn't make a lot of money like Fifth Element did or even Lucy later on, yet it's an underrated movie about a famous woman who became a role model for generations of French women. The soundtrack is good, and the shots are amazing. Unlike his previous movie, this one is rated R, just like The Professional, yet it deals with religious themes.

I love epic historical movies, both old and new (although I must admit I lean towards the latter - the more realistic, more visceral ones, like Braveheart or Gladiator). The story of Joan of Arc has been put on the silver screen countless times, and most versions are good. With such a captivating story, you cannot really go wrong.In Luc Besson's take, however, it's not Joan's trial that takes centre stage, as in, for example, Carl Theodor Dreyer's classic (The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928), but Joan, the self-proclaimed godsend, the driven, suffering, obsessed warrior, and the very human core of her actions. The film remains wonderfully ambiguous throughout and leaves it to the audience to decide which of the different interpretations they believe to be true.But it is Milla Jovovich's riveting performance that truly makes this movie. She's literally possessed in her role, playing with such fervour, such delirious passion that you cannot but believe and follow her. It is indeed one of the most visceral performances ever in the history of cinema.

I have been waiting years to see the film, a devoted fan of Joan of Arc, and I finally saw it tonight. It went from bad-to great- to terrible.The good: 1. The other significant characters that actually sound French or are French. 2. The visual effects. 3. Depiction of medieval times. 4. Much of the acting of the Dauphin, Dunois, La Hire, Aulon, and Joan at times, as well as the English. 5. Much of the dress/uniforms. 6. And lastly, the battle scenes WERE GREAT! I always fully appreciate long- lasting, realistic medieval battle scenes and warfare. This was the best aspect of the movie in my opinion. The Bad and The Ugly: 1. Terrible choice making Milla the young French maiden, inferior to the prior Joan of Arc film's choice. 2. John Malk. as Charles 7th, he's way too English not French at all. 3. The Hollywood sacrilegious depiction of "Joan's visions". Hollywood sacrilegious depiction of Joan's so-called "Conscience" who unmistakably is the Devil. 4. Canchon is depicted as barely involved in the trial or hearings, and is depicted far too sympathetic and kind towards Joan, which goes against any written accounts of the trial. 5. La Hire cursed once more after his oath to God, which is blatantly inaccurate. (He honored his oath for the rest of his life) 6. Nothing from the Duke of Burgandy's mother, who loved Joan and wanted her to become a Burgandian princess. 7. Where was Jean Metz??!!! Her right-hand man??!!?!?? 8.THE ENDING!!!!! TERRIBLE! JOAN IS LED BY Satan TO DOUBT HERSELF, BELIEVE HIS LIES, CONFESS HER SO-CALLED SINS TO Satan, THEN ALLOW Satan TO PRAY OVER HER TO HEAVEN?????!!!! WHAT???! AND THEN, SHE SIGNS THE RECANT LETTER FROM CANCHON, WHICH SHE NEVER DID! AND SO THE VIEWER, WHO MAY HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING ON JOAN OF ARC BEFORE, IS LEFT TO CONCLUDE THAT EITHER JOAN WAS A HERETIC AND SHE CONFESSED/SOLD HER SOUL TO Satan OR SHE WAS A CRAZY LUNATIC THE ENTIRE TIME!!!!!!!!! IS THAT THE LASTING IMAGE LUC BESSON WANTS TO GIVE A HEROINE WHO ACCOMPLISHED MORE IN HER LIFETIME THAN HE EVER WILL IN A 1,000 YEARS???!!!! HE CERTAINLY DISHONORED AND DISRESPECTED THE MAIDEN OF ORLEANS, AND I PRAY ONLY A DIRECTOR WITH INTEGRITY AND HONOR REDOES THE NEXT JOAN FILM. LUC HAS SPIT ON HER GRAVE. (OH, and nowhere to be seen daring assault LA Hire and generals led onto Rouen to try to save Joan and remove the English from France. Or the confirmation of prophecies Joan had given in the following years.)

It seems to me that there must be more to the life of Joan of Arc, a figure about which I have heard all my life, than is portrayed in this film. Perhaps it is a difficult subject to dramatize, although the summary sounds dramatic enough to me. What comes through here is rather a critique of religion and spirituality and mysticism. The result is Joan of Arc as misguided child, Joan of Arc as psychotic young woman. These criticisms for what they are worth do not help make the film entertaining. While I was initially taken by the historical detail, I ended up spending most of my time wondering how France could have fallen for this child. Hunger Games, for a modern example, presents a much more credible heroine who is used by the powers that be for their own ends. That to me is an interesting story that has emotional content. Joan of Arc the film raises interesting questions but it is not entertaining or moving and I suppose in the end when a girl gets burned at the stake I want to be moved. I think the film could have been improved by a more faithful treatment of the history which I must believe was more interesting than this film for the name Joan of Arc to come down to us so prominently through the ages.