Joan of Arc

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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

Customer Reviews:

Joan the Maid.......2007-08-15

While this is not the first nor the last Joan of Arc to be made, this stands at the top with a wonderfully talented cast, an even story, and a wonderful portrail of Joan's odyssey.

Played to perfection by Leelee Sobieski, Joan was, as we all know, a simple peasent girl in the farmlands of France leading an otherwise unremarkable life. From the time she is a child, Joan hears voices and sees things. She doesn't know that she alone is seeing these things until she seeks advice from her priest. When her village is distroyed by invading English armies, she has a new resolve in her strange voices and visions. She has been ordered by God to go to the French court, appeal to the prince of France, and lead the French army to victory over the English. Without looking back, Joan leaves home.

While she is ernest in her wants, there are other powers at work. How could a simple peasent girl hold these powers over others, especially the soon to be king of France? When Joan meets the Daulphaine, played by Neil Patrick Harris, she presents him proof. Only Joan and the Daulphaine know what really happened when they retreated to the other room, but Joan is given her army. In perhaps a fluke or a true divine act, Joan leads the army into victory over the English, the Daulphaine Charles is crowned, and France's joy is restored.

What this movie does as opposed to The Messenger version is deliver both factual information as well as outlining the quick turn of the church and the crown against her, rather than take an artistic turn (although equally as effective). When Joan's army failed the second time and she began to loose favor in the court and with the church, she was documented as getting before her knees at alters and statues of the saints that she heard. She begged and cried before them "Why won't you answer me?! I've done what you asked!!". When brought before the councils, she speaks of seeing her visions of the saints. Saint Michael, for example, she says, wears a crown with six points on his head. Other established visions of said Saint Michael, have him as wearing a six point crown. Also, while Joan is confined to her prison, in the Messenger version, Joan is confronted only with her own doubts (in the form of Dustin Hoffman). Joan was almost certainly raped, as this version shows us.

Perhaps in no other version is Joan's burning at the stake captured so well as it was with Leelee. She burns, and would be cannonized as a saint hundreds of years later. Truly a wonderful triumph in cinema as well as our hearts.

An Incrediblibly Emotional Drama .......2007-07-18

The beautiful Leelee Sobieski will steal your heart early in this cinematic epic. The compassion and forcefulness she portrays as Joan of Arc is unmatched. This film moves along well, its integrated continuity of suspense and action will not let you leave your seat, and the dramatic intensity of the story will take you back in time. Even though you know how the story ends, you will find yourself yearning for, and even hoping, that the last minute rescue attempt succeeds.

A Featurette on the DVD about the making of the film explains the extraordinary care and in-depth research by the screenwriters to ensure historical accuracy. Filmed by choice in the Czech Republic for its geographic similarity to medieval France, filming took place in several medieval castles. This cinematic version of "Joan of Arc" is the kind you will want to watch again and again. Lastly, you will want to have a box of tissues on hand before viewing.

{An all-star cast, including Peter O'Toole, Jacqueline Bisset, Shirley MacLaine, Maximilian Schell, Robert Loggia, Peter Strauss, Olympia Dukakis, Powers Boothe, and Neil Patrick Harris}

The Most Fantastic Joan of Arc Ever Made!.......2007-03-08

The music of Charlotte Church brings out the emotions of religion and patriotism in this rendition of Joan's life. LeeLee Sobieski is fenominal in this role. This will be her unforgettable role of a lifetime. The rest of the cast is perfectly placed to enhance her adventures. This is the most realistic view of the times and the events surrounding the miracles of Saint Joan of Arc.

I prefer..........2007-03-01

This movie was ok. I do prefer The Messenger starring Milla Jovovich. Milla is exceptional in that version.

The Maid of Lorraine.......2007-01-14

"Joan of Arc" with Leelee Sobieski is the best Joan of Arc movie. The story is a great re-telling of the story of Joan's calling by God, her work for the crown of France, and her trial for witchcraft. Her mission is to unite France under King Charles. He uses her, as the embodiment of the mythical Maid of Lorraine, to raise an army, and he sends her to the rescue of Orléans. After Charles is crowned, she's captured in Burgundy, sold to the English, examined, found a heretic by the Inquisition, and burned at the stake. I love that the movie included the Maid of Lorraine aspect of the story.

Average customer rating:

Joan the Maid
An Incrediblibly Emotional Drama
The Most Fantastic Joan of Arc Ever Made!
I prefer...
The Maid of Lorraine

Joan of Arc
Starring: Leelee Sobieski , Jacqueline Bisset , Powers Boothe , Neil Patrick Harris , and Maury Chaykin
Director: Christian Duguay
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JS6F
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Joan the Maid.......2007-08-15

An Incrediblibly Emotional Drama .......2007-07-18

The Most Fantastic Joan of Arc Ever Made!.......2007-03-08

I prefer..........2007-03-01

This movie was ok. I do prefer The Messenger starring Milla Jovovich. Milla is exceptional in that version.

The Maid of Lorraine.......2007-01-14

Average customer rating:

not worth to buy it!
One of the worst I have ever seen.
LITTLE TOUGH ON THIS ONE
A ANTHROPOLOGIST LOOKS AT RAF MOVIES
GOOD MOVIE, LOTS OF HISTORY IN IT

Gods of Olympia
Starring: Stephen Lacoste , Matthew Dunn , Ivan Dinh , Nicholas Vincent Castillo , and Michael Haboush
Director: Gael Richards
Manufacturer: Ariztical
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0971448426
Release Date: 2002-08-25

Customer Reviews:

not worth to buy it!.......2006-09-28

I was very disappointed. this move is realy bad - bad actors, bad acted, bad story! it seems be maked by a private person with friends as "actors". there is no story, or I didn't find her... You always see this guys sitting in this bar an telling themself storys about their "sex-lifes" - and than you see this scenes. But these are bad too - realy, you won't see this gays naked... and you don't see very much! :-) Don`t buy it, there is no story, the guys are not very handsome and the acting is horror! Save your money, I better did it too!

One of the worst I have ever seen........2004-07-28

Somebody's got to be kidding - this is the worst attempt at a movie I have ever seen. How it ever got produced is beyond me. The cast, (I can't bring myself to call them actors,) is uniformly atrocious. These people are either good friends of the producer or they paid him big bucks to cast them. It is inconceivable that any of them were cast after an audition. Technically, the cinematography and sound are so bad that it looks like somebody's first attempt at trying out their new video camera. The script is non-existent. There is no story, just a seemingly endless series of scenes between the untalented non-actors. There is no attempt whatsoever to tell a story or maintain any sense of continuity. I wish I could say something positive about this movie. Unfortunately there is nothing good to say. It's a total zero from start to finish,

LITTLE TOUGH ON THIS ONE.......2004-06-22

After viewing this film I have to honestly say I now understand why so many gay films cast straight men for the gay roles. The acting in this movie was by far the worst I have ever scene, it was almost sickening at times. In spite of that, I am giving this film 4 stars because of other reasons. I like the storyline, it was well developed. I like the look of the actors, they are all stunningly beautiful. The erotic scenes were that, erotic, not pornographic, very tender, and very well done. So if you are expecting the next Tom Cruise to come out of this group of actors, you won't! However, the film merits review just the same. At the same time, I see potential in several of the actors in this film, hopefully they will continue to study film and acting and my advice, "become a part of the parts you play," as I felt all they did in this film was "play the part." I didn't feel they became a part of the film at all. I didn't see them molding the storyline to fit their personalities and that is what good acting is all about.

A ANTHROPOLOGIST LOOKS AT RAF MOVIES.......2004-04-24

(...) The production company has released four films. The first in 2001 with "Traveling to Olympia". They followed with Murder in Portland", Gods of Olympia and the last one Revenge in Olympia. All of these movies take place in the Pacific Northwest with three of four in the state capital of Washington. Four films in three years is quite a feat from a independent production company. Are they of Hollywood quality, no but they are as good as any straight or gay low budget independent film company. And make no mistake these are low budget films. What make the concept work is that they are made for the DVD release. There is no pretense that these are going to a theatrical release. They release these productions on both the internet and lesbian and gay books stores. With the thousands of films released for distribution and after checking web sites, I only found a few bad reviews. And all of these reviews sounded the same. It seemed that the same person wrote all the comments. It also seemed that they all were the same type of person. Someone who with the power of the review can make a unfair statement in the community. I am guessing this is a person who never gets cruised at the bar and has had a hard time getting a date. So he goes back to his small apartment and takes it out on RAF. Everyone has the right to speak, it is some who speak with authority and others from picayune. I would expect that the first film was a learning experience for RAF. I thought the films got better and all had great stories. I learned something from each movie, the stories were original and historically correct. Remember no one made you spend the first 29.95, and if you did not like it why spend more for the other three. It seems you are not admitting you buy the movies not for the story but for the cute sex scenes. That is fine, I am sure the producers have that as part of their markenting plan.

GOOD MOVIE, LOTS OF HISTORY IN IT.......2004-04-24

All three of RAF's films take place in Olympia, WA. I watched "Murder" first and then, in a single afternoon, the first two as well. Their formula varies little, and includes: unusually cute young men (at least one of whom is troubled, new in town, and/or needs help); a sex scene or two (in the context of loving partners); a variety of characters of all ages and persuasions (their apparent use of street people is reminiscent of Gus Van Sant); a healthy dose of sex-ed and gay politics; good music. It works. The stories are interesting (even touching), the characters are winning (often beautiful), and the endings are positive.

"Murder" centers around a young and extraordinarily handsome 'straight' cop (not credited by role so I don't know his name, malheureusement), who is recruited to investigate the killing of two gay men. To say he learns MUCH about the gay community he infiltrates would be rather a zenith in understatement. Suffice it to say, he is dedicated to his work and goes 'under cover' in more ways than one to solve the crime.

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