Inquisitors: And what, exactly, was this vision wearing?
Joan: I don't remember.
Inquisitors: This vision, did it give you anything? An object? A ring or a rosary or anything by which we can verify your claim?
Joan: He gave me good advice.
Inquisitors: During your childhood, did you have any sort of military experience? Are you practiced in the skills of swords man ship?
Joan: No, but I'm good with a stick.
Inquisitors: Do you know what a Dijon Culverin is? It's an item of artillery. How can you expect to raise the siege of Orléans if you're ignorant about modern artillery?
Joan: The road to Orléans is long, and I have good captains with me. I will learn fast, believe me.
Inquisitors: We would like to believe you, Jeanne, but we feel that if God wanted us to believe you he would've sent a sign with you. So, can you do something? Show us something? A sign to prove that you are sent by God.
Joan: I did not come here to perform tricks. You are all much cleverer than I am. But this much I do know: While the people of France lie bleeding, you sit around in your fine clothes trying to deceive me, when you're only deceiving yourselves. You say you are men of God, yet you do not see His hand in having guided me through 500 leagues of enemy country to bring you His help. Is that not proof enough? Or do you still need more signs? Give me an army. Take me to Orléans. And there you will see the sign that I was sent to make.
Aulon: You can't blame those people. They've been hearing about you for weeks.
Joan: There's nothing to hear! And why is there nothing to hear? Because I haven't done anything! And why haven't I? Because none of you will listen to me!
Aulon: But how do you know that these voices aren't just really you?
Joan of Arc: They are me. That's how God speaks to me. Even you could hear them if you listened hard enough.
Going in for LASIK this Thursday, I am inspired by Joan of Arc' s courage. If she can face burning at the stake with dignity and courage, surely I can handle lasers in my eyes.
As a side note, I never heard her referred to as Joan of Arc in the movie, and after doing just a bit of reading, I don't gather she ever went by that name. Here is a little information if anyone is interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Name_of_Joan_of_Arc
This particular movie about Joan is not very well liked by people in general, but I couldn't help but find the whole thing very thrilling and exciting, not knowing anything about Joan in advance.
Of course I had heard of Joan of Arc, and knew she was a Catholic saint and martyr who was burned, but other than that I knew surprisingly little. I still do, truth be told, except what I saw in the movie, but she sure appears to have been an incredible young woman. I am going to try to see a couple more movies about her.
The fact that she accomplished all that she did before she was 19 years old (the age at which she died) astounds me.
She is also extremely enigmatic. I gather there is still a lot of mystery around her today. Many believe she really did hear the voice of God, many others believe she suffered from an illness that made her hear voices. In a fun episode (Messenger) of the TV show Perception, Dr. Daniel Pierce debates the subject with FBI agent, Kate:
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| Joan of Arc (Melissa Farman) assists Daniel in Perception. |
Daniel: I didn't make the condition up, it's what Joan of Arc had!
Kate: What?
Daniel: Joan of Arc had Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. It's why she thought that angels were talking to her.
Kate: Oh, did you examine her too?
Daniel: It's the conclusion of medical historians based on her description of her own experience. And we all know what happened to her.
Kate: Yes, she became a great leader, she liberated France.
Daniel: She was burned at the stake at age 19. She was a deluded girl whose illness led to her disaster.
Kate: She was a hero. In a time when women had less power than farm animals, she led an army. I used to carry her medal when I was a kid and I still light candles in church for her on Sunday.
Daniel, who is a schizophrenic, then hallucinates a vision of Joan of Arc, who helps him solve the case.
But back to the movie (Warning: I will be putting in a lot of quotes this time, just because I feel like it).
Joan, as a young girl, begins hearing voices. She discusses this with her priest at church:
Priest [Young Joan is at confession for the 2nd time that day]: Everything sounds wonderful.
Joan: Yes, it is.
Priest: Then why are you here so often?
Joan: I feel safe here. It's where I can talk to him.
Priest: Him?
Joan: Well, I try to talk to him, but mostly he's the one who does the talking. He never says his name.
Priest: What does he look like?
Joan: Beautiful.
Priest: And what does he say to you?
Joan: He says -He says I must be good, and help every one and take care of my self. Do you think he's coming from the sky?
Priest: Perhaps. But wherever he's coming from, I think you should listen to him, because it sounds like he's giving you very good advice.
She has a vision, and then discovers a sword next to her in the grass, before witnessing the murder of her sister. She becomes fully committed to the idea that she has been spared to serve God's purpose.
Gaining some fame among the people, she goes to the Dauphin of France, the future Charles VII, to offer her services. He is encouraged by his mother-in-law to listen to her, but discouraged by his ministers:
Charles: After all, with half of France in the hands of the English, what do we have to lose?
La Tremoille: The other half!
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| John Malkovich as Charles and the real Charles VII. |
He tries to trick her by having a friend pretend to be him, but she figures out the ruse and identifies the real Dauphin, earning his attention. She is allowed to stay, and begins to plan:
Joan: I need to see a priest.
Aulon: Now?
Joan: Yes. I didn't confess today.
Aulon: All right. Raymond, a priest. Anything else?
Joan: I shall also be needing a new war horse, a sword, armor, and an artist to make a banner for me.
Aulon: Now?
Joan: Better today than tomorrow.
Aulon: This might take a little time, but let me see what I can do.
Joan: Oh! I shall also be needing someone who can read and write.
Aulon: This I can do. I was studying at the University of Paris until the English invaded it.
Joan: I thought you were an archer.
Aulon: Yes, I am. I'm an archer who can read and write. Who do you want to write to?
Joan: The king of England. I want to give him the chance to leave in peace...before I get to Orléans.
When she reaches the battlefield, she is eager to lead the troops into battle, and infuriated by the reluctance of the captains to listen to her or follow her instructions:
Dunois: Now, my hunch is the attack will come from St. Loup, here.
Gilles: And what does Jeanne think?
Joan: I don't think. I leave that to God. I am nothing in all of this. I'm just the messenger.
Dunois: So what is the message?
Joan: We give the English a last chance to go home in peace.
Dunois: And if they refuse?
Joan: If they refuse we recross the river, and attack here -at the Tourelles.
Dunois: That makes no sense at all. The Tourelles is virtually impregnable. If we are on the other side of the river attacking the Tourelles, what's to stop Talbot attacking the city from the north?
Joan: God.
Gilles: God. Why, of course. We'd forgotten about Him.
Joan: I feel a great sorrow for you because you are laughing now, but by tomorrow night, some of you will be dead.
Dunois: With respect, we can't just attack the Tourelles like that. It's a very complicated matter.
Joan: What's so complicated about it? All you have to do is what you're told. What could be simpler than that? I am the drum on which God is beating out His message. He's beating it so hard, it's bursting my ears!
Dunois: You have to understand, it's not easy for us. I mean, for our pride to suddenly be usurped by -Well, with all due respect, by a -by a girl.
Joan: So that's it. To you, I'm just a girl.
Dunois: Put yourself in my shoes for a moment. How would you feel if you were me?
Joan: Knowing what I know? Enormous gratitude.
Joan has a final warning sent to the English commander:
Joan: This is the third and last time I will write to you...If you are still here at noon, I warn you that you will hear from me to your very great destruction. Please give me your answer speedily.
Redbeard: [yells his reply] Go fuck yourselves!
Joan: What did he say?
Aulon: He said he'd think about it.
The men go into battle without her however, and she rushes to catch up, arriving only to find her troops fleeing. Joan is angry with the captains, but manages to rally the troops to turn back, and charges on her horse ahead with amazing bravery, managing to bring down the drawbridge single-handedly. The troops follow, and they achieve a great victory. She showed astonishing courage when she charged in like that -so much so that I wondered whether it was brave or really fool-hearty, but that's how much she believed in her cause and herself, evidently.
At the next battle, she again gives warning before attacking:
Joan: Glasdale! Do you hear me? You, who call me a whore, I feel pity for you, for your soul, and for the souls of your men! Yield! Yield now to the King of Heaven! Or go back to your island!
Glasdale: And you, go back to your pigsty!
She procedes to inspire her forces with a rousing speech: "Joan: This morning, God gave us a great victory. But it is nothing compared to what He is ready to give us now. I know you are all tired and hungry, but I swear to you that even if these English were hanging from the clouds by their fingertips we would pull them down before nightfall. Now, let all those who love me follow me! Follow me!"
Joan is shot with an arrow, however, and temporarily removed from the battlefield. The English think she is dead, and taunt the French in the early morning hours, but she has pulled out the arrow and recovered. They are stunned when it is revealed that she is alive:
Redbeard: Frenchies! What happened to your precious angel? Huh? Frenchies! Frenchies! I'll tell you what happened! We sent the little bitch back to hell so she can go fuck with the devil! What are you gonna do now, Frenchies? Why not come out and fight? Come on! Come on! Bastards, wake up! Or are you too busy praying to bring your little fucking witch back from the dead? Do you hear me?
Joan: I hear you! I'm alive! May God forgive your blasphemy, for I never will!
Dunois: What are you doing? You need to rest.
Joan: We must wake up the soldiers, now! My fine soldiers, wake up!
Glasdale is informed that "The French witch, she's back from the dead," and the French manage to defeat the English.
While the French are thrilled by the victory, Joan becomes disoriented. She begins hearing voices. She seems to become confused as she views the carnage around her:
La Hire: This is victory! This is glory! What's the matter?
Joan: This is glory? Doesn't matter. This is not possible. It is not possible.
Gilles: You look disappointed. Isn't this what you wanted?
Joan: No. Not like this.
Gilles: For weeks you've been asking for this. Well, now you have it.
Joan: What are you doing?
Soldier: Nothing. I'm just taking his teeth.
Joan: But you just can't kill a man for his teeth.
Soldier: Why not? He has good teeth.
Joan: Because -Because you can't!
Soldier: What about all this?
Joan: But that's different. I mean, we were fighting for a cause.
Soldier: Not me. He's my prisoner. I can take his teeth if I want to.
Joan: No, you can't! Stop it! Here. [Gives him her ring] Take this! He's mine now. Here, you. Go.
Gilles: Bravo. And what about all the other prisoners? Do we let them go too?
Joan: I don't know. Maybe. We must confess. We must confess. Please, we have to be confessed. All of us. [Leads her captains to a priest] I know this is not normal custom, but, uh -everything's gonna be fine. He's gonna confess us. Kneel. Kneel.
At the next battle, she is desperate that the English surrender to avoid more bloodshed. She rides ahead to plead with them:
Joan: II have a message for your King Henry! It is a message from God! Go home! Go now, in peace! If you do not go now, you will be buried in this field! I've seen enough blood, but if you want more, I can't stop you. But I must warn you, that it will be your blood, and not ours. I'm waiting for your answer.
Dunois: Never wait for miracles. Stand by to attack.
Joan: Please. My Lord...please.
And as the French watch in amazement, the English troops lower their weapons, turn, ans leave. La Hire remarks: "Now that's what I call a goddamn bloody miracle."
After the Dauphin is crowned Charles VII, he loses interest in the campaign, and begins to withdraw his support. Joan doesn't seem to understand this initially:
Gilles: Jeanne, the men are exhausted.
Joan: I know, but so is the enemy. They're falling back. Paris is ours.
Gilles: Jeanne, we are not enough.
Joan: So bring up the reinforcements.
Gilles: Reinforcements? Where?
Joan: Right behind us. Dunois with another 10,000 men.
Gilles: Jeanne, look behind you.
Joan: Never look behind. Only ahead.
Gilles: Do you know how to count?
Joan: Of course I do! So, bring them up!
Gilles: Jeanne, that is not 10,000 reinforcements! That is 100 very loyal but very tired soldiers!
Joan: But where's Dunois? And where are the men the king promised me?
Gilles: He never sent them! Don't you understand? He doesn't want this war anymore. He has his crown now. That's all he ever wanted.
Joan: But my voices, they promised me.
Gilles: To hell with your voices! It's time to face facts! We have nothing to do here! None of us! Not even you.
Joan: You don't believe in me anymore?
La Hire: Jeanne, of course we still believe in you. If it were up to me, I'd chase every goddamn Englishman into the ocean. But it's not up to us anymore. It's up to the king.
She approaches the king angrily:
Joan: Why did you betray me? Paris was ours. All I needed was a few hundred men. Why did you take the army you gave me?
Charles: Gave you? I wouldn't quite put it that way.
Joan: So how would you put it?
Charles: We are, of course, enormously grateful for your past efforts, but now your task is done. Now is the time for negotiation.
Joan: Peace will only be got with the English by the end of a lance.
Charles: Why are you so bloodthirsty? Do you enjoy it? Diplomacy is far more civilized, far safer and far cheaper.
Joan: I've letters here from towns under siege, where your people are starving begging God on their knees to help them. I'm here to answer their prayers. And you want to stop me? France does not belong to you, Charles. She belongs to God.
Charles [She leaves]: If only she would just go home.
Charles betrays her, and she ends up in the hands of the English and put on trial. She is very defiant:
Pierre Cauchon: Joan, be careful, you're not helping yourself by refusing to submit to our judgment.
Joan of Arc: You, who claimed to be my judges, you'll be careful, for you too one day will be judged.
The English are determined she be convicted and killed, but the Catholic representatives are wary:
Cauchon: You must realize that several of my colleagues are, well, scared.
Buck: Scared? Of a girl?
Cauchon: Scared to make a mistake. Suppose she's right. Suppose she has been sent by God.
Buck: Who's side are you on, Cauchon?
Cauchon: I'm on the side of Holy Mother Church.
Still, the English manage to manipulate things so that she is eventually found guilty and burned, as we all know.
The actress, Milla Jovovich, did a good job I thought. Not knowing much about Joan, I don't know how accurate her portrayal was, but she certainly brought a lot of complexity to the character. At times she is so courageous and self-assured. Other times she seems less sure, becoming confused and disoriented, almost as though she is losing her mind. She is well-spoken, though not educated enough to read, and expresses herself with confidence and zeal. She is a strong and spunky young woman, facing down men older, wealthier, and mightier than herself.
One thing I liked about the movie was that, though she was surrounded by men, many of whom came to respect and admire her, no made-up romance was shoehorned in, as so many movies are wont to do. The story was allowed to stand for itself.
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| Faye Dunnaway as Yolande and the real Yolande of Aragon. |
John Malkovich plays King Charles VII of France, who benefits from Joan's help, but ultimately betrays her at the urging of his mother-in-law, Yolande of Aragon (Faye Dunnaway -very formidable). It's really disgusting that she was abandoned to death at the hands of the English after all she had done for them. As a young Jane Austen said: "They should not have burnt her — but they did."
The score really helped with the dramatic battle sequences and gave me goosebumps. Tyler didn't find if especially powerful, but I liked it. The costumes were also good.
Probably my least favorite part was the end, when Joan is in prison, and Dustin Hoffman is appearing to her casting doubt on all of her beliefs:
Joan: I've always been faithful to God and I've followed everything He's ever said and I've done everything He's ever asked me to do.
The Conscience: God asked you to do something?
Joan: Yes. Yes, lots of things.
The Conscience: You mean God said, "I need you, Jeanne."
Joan: No. But He sent me signs.
The Conscience: Signs? What signs?
Joan: The wind. The wind. And the clouds, ringing!
The Conscience: Ringing clouds?
Joan: The dance. The dance. The dance. The dance.
The Conscience: The dance.
Joan: The sword! The sword lying in the field. That was a sign.
The Conscience: No. That was a sword in a field.
Joan: No. No, that was a sign!
The Conscience: No. That was a sword. In a field.
Joan: It can't just get there by itself! It can't. A sword just doesn't get there by itself. It can't just get there by itself.
The Conscience: True. Every event has an infinite number of causes, so why pick one rather than another? There are many ways a sword might find itself in a field.
I guess I found it confusing. I wasn't sure if we were thus supposed to assume that all her messages were from the devil, or that she was crazy, or what. I wasn't clear on where she was emotionally by the end -if she still felt her convictions, or if she now doubted them.
Anyway, I did enjoy the movie, though most people did not from what I've seen.
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