"Jeanne la Pucelle" (Joan the Maid)
1994, French with English subtitles
Sandrine Bonnaire as Jeanne

This is a French movie and as such is slow paced and full of rich details. The cinematography is extremely simple and very unlike typical American movies. It has an almost "home-movie" quality that captures the atmosphere remarkably well and pulls you into the story. The costumes are *very *good for a movie, and the armour is believable, if not spot on. The horses are drop dead gorgeous, and it's clear the actors actually know how to ride, a nice touch. Like even the best of historical movies, critics will be able to find many historical and physical inaccuracies. However, it is clear a tremendous amount of research went into the making of this film, and it is entirely believable- like opening a window and looking into the early 15th C. The first half covers Jeanne’s calling and the battles. The second half covers her imprisonment, trials and death.

The film opens with a shot of Jeanne's mother, now an old woman who has entered a nunnery, being helped down the long convent corridor to the sound of Jordi Savall's magnificent soundtrack. As if you are standing in the corridor watching her approach, she comes close and then stops to speak to you of her daughter, known as Jeanne the Maid. This opening scene, extraordinarily simple yet poignant, paves the way for the rest of the film.

Don't expect a movie like anything you've seen on this subject before- there is no glitz, no computer generated saints or angels, no heaving breasts, no sword waving, no impassioned speeches When the captain of the guard thrusts his sword into Jeannes hands, she hardly knows how to handle it, and there is a sweet scene where he teaches her how to use it. When he corrects her for swinging flat, she says that it is her intent to "slap and punch" with it, not to kill. Subtle moments like this add a thick layer of humanity to Joan, who is often portrayed as bordering on psycho. When Jeanne is shot with an arrow at the siege of Orleans, she is reduced from a determined and brave soldier heeding the word of God to a frightened child crying in pain and fear of death.

I liked this movie a lot, but this is not going to be a film for everyone because it is rather slow moving. I was enraptured because the pace of the film gave me time for everything to sink in- from the very evocative clothing, to the armour, horse trappers, well appointed interior scenes and lush landscapes.

At $45 for the first half and another $45 for the second half, this is not a cheap movie to buy (DJango’s online) However, it’s one I feel sure I’ll watch over and over again, rather like Kenneth Branaugh’s Henry V. I’d recommend renting it if you can find it.