The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"May God forgive your blasphemy, because I never will!"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 24, 2025

Just in time for holiday shopping and potentially ideal for those French alt-genre film-fans in your family or friend group comes the Luc Besson 9-Film Collection from Sony, which offers six of the controversial filmmaker's movies on 4K UltraHD with Dolby Atmos tracks and three additional flicks on standard Blu-ray with DTS-HD Master Audio. Besson has a messy, I'll just call it "icky" personal past (a word that feels generous), but for those who can separate art from an artist's alleged and/or admitted misdeeds, this box set makes for a solid albeit flawed gift. The films included in the collection are black-and-white post-apocalyptic drama Le Dernier Combat (The Last Battle, 1983), stylized crime dramedy Subway (1985), theatrical and director's cuts of off-kilter romance The Big Blue (1998), proto-Wick assassin thriller Le Femme Nikita (1990), underwater documentary Atlantis (1991), theatrical and extended versions of the beloved, fan-favorite Leon: The Professional (1994), zany '90s sci-fi epic The Fifth Element (1997), domestic and international cuts of underrated historical biopic The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), and visually striking supernatural noir Angela-A (2005).

"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!"

One of Besson's most divisive films follows a young Joan (Jane Valentine) as she witnesses the ravaging of her village by the British and the rape of her sister, which consequently leads her to controversial visions of God. The film then skips forward to Charles VII and his decision to let Joan (Milla Jovovich) lead his armies against the British in Orléans and, eventually, the notorious trial leading to her burning at the stake...

Click here to read the rest of Dr. Svet Atanasov's review of the film, which he calls "an ambitious but ultimately flawed attempt in retelling the life of Joan of Arc." Adding, "you could either argue that Besson did not spend enough time focusing on the main protagonist (hence, you could argue that the film should be even longer), or claim that given how chaotic everything feels a lot should have been left on the cutting floor (hence, you could argue that the film should be substantially shorter). Frankly, you would have a pretty strong case with either of the two options."

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Come with me. Let's go back, you and I. Allll the way back to the year of our lord, 2008, when last Luc Besson's The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc graced these, our humble shores. It was a simpler age, but even then, the film's video transfer was a disappointment. It hasn't withstood any test of time either and looks far worse for the wear in 2025 than it did seventeen years ago (if you can imagine that). But my, oh my, what a difference two decades of technological advancements and a masterful restoration can make. With Sony's newly remastered 4K 2160p offering (currently exclusive to the Luc Besson 9-Film Collection box set), The Messenger is now, for lack of a better word, stunning. And the improvements aren't many... they're comprehensive. It's an across-the-board upgrade, from top to bottom. Lush colors, bold primaries, sumptuous skintones and deep, inky blacks bring cinematographer Thierry Arbogast's palette to stormy, at-times fiery life, tapping into every enhancement Dolby Vision provides to craft a breathtaking work of art. Detail is exacting and refined, with crisp, natural edge definition and precision-captured fine textures. Close-ups are especially striking, and contrast leveling lends the image more depth and dimensionality than ever before. The encode doesn't falter either. I didn't catch sight of any major issues (banding, blocking and the like), and only the slightest hint of infrequent ringing caught my eye. I don't know that I've ever been more impressed with a film I enjoy so little. Hats off to Sony.

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It doesn't end there. Enter Dolby Atmos. Horses charge. Hooves thunder. Armor rattles and clanks. Swords clash. Spears drive forward into flesh. Armies roar. The dying scream. And we're right there in the center of it. While the battle scenes are far and away the most immersive sequences in the audio mix, Joan's flights of madness are just as encompassing, swirling around the listener with a ferocity and insanity that overwhelms in all the right ways. The surround channels, rear and upper speakers, whatever you have, slice off perfect portions of the soundfield and return them with heft, aggression and just enough rage to make you crack a grin mid-battle. Directionality is terrific; precise and fun. Fidelity is excellent; buoyant and beefy. LFE support is strong; weighty and impactful. Ambient effects are oh so subtle; soft and smooth as they drift from wall to wall. And the film's quietest moments are as stirring as its most dramatic. (Dear God, the flames at the end. Ugh.) Add to that dialogue that's always intelligible, neatly grounded in the soundscape, spatially accurate and carefully prioritized. Who knew The Messenger could impress this much? So long as you aren't distracted by any irritation with the film itself, Besson's wobbly historical epic offers plenty of bark to match its visual bite.

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• In the Footsteps of Joan (SD, 82 minutes) - Will wonders never cease? Somebody loves The Messenger at Sony. While the previous Blu-ray release arrived in 2009 sans any extras, the new 3-disc 4K set kicks off with a feature-length production documentary. Charting the film from its early inception through its post-production, location scouting, screenwriting, shoot, editing, scoring and release, "In the Footsteps of Joan" is a more entertaining watch than the film it documents. Best of all, it's comprised almost entirely of fly-on-the-wall, all-access, behind-the-scenes footage; meaning no talking heads, just a full and satisfying journey into the heart of the production. I was very pleased with this one, and took the time to watch through from start to finish. (This is the first of several extras granted their own Blu-ray disc. Not entirely necessary I suspect, but welcome nonetheless.)

• Editor Sylvie Landra (HD, 17 minutes) - Frequent Besson collaborator Sylvie Landra delves into the challenges in editing such a sprawling, complex film, as well as creating a visual style that could portray Joan of Arc's mental state.

• In the Footsteps of Joan (HD, 8 minutes) - Up next is director of photography Thierry Arbogast, another longtime collaborator of Besson's. Touching on the difficulties in shooting in the various locales and on location, Arbogast offers further insight into the film.

• In Search of the Real Joan of Arc (SD, 24 minutes) - An archive HBO First Look special.

• Theatrical Teaser & Trailer (HD, 5 minutes)

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc has had as rocky a trek as any historical biopic could, and has had more than its fair share of critical drubbing over the years. Whether all the hate has been entirely worth spewing is for you to decide, but it is a flawed, problematic film that bites off far more than it can comfortably chew in any given mouthful. It's strange too. So many pieces that comprise The Messenger are dazzling... the cinematography, the production design, the intensity and commitment of the performances, the score. Taken on their own, any individual element has such merit. But then there are choices. Big choices. Tossing in Dustin Hoffman, springs to mind. Do such wild swings disrupt an otherwise good thing? It's tough to tell. What is clear is that The Messenger will certainly leave an impression, and probably a strong one, no matter what your take. Thankfully, Sony has seen fit to treat Besson's most divisive film with royal treatment. Blessed with a stunning restoration and 4K video transfer that obliterates the previous BD, an absorbing Dolby Atmos audio track (with a rousing Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core), and a solid supplemental package headlined by a feature-length production documentary, this is, hands down, the definitive release of an otherwise troubled film.