6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
In the early 15th century, a young village girl receives visions that drive her to rid France of its oppressors.
Starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman, Pascal GreggoryHistory | 100% |
War | 100% |
Epic | 73% |
Period | 47% |
Drama | 38% |
Biography | 36% |
Action | 29% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An ambitious but ultimately flawed attempt in retelling the life of Joan of Arc French helmer Luc Besson’s “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” (1999) is easier to enjoy as a lavish period drama than as an accurate historic film. The production values are impressive, but the script and especially Milla Jovovich as Joan of Arc, aren’t amongst the film’s brighter spots. Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
The messenger
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080p transfer Luc Besson's The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Detail and clarity with this transfer appear largely satisfying even though there are some notable fluctuations that I was able to detect. Close-ups, however, are very impressive as they allow one to see substantially more than what the SDVD release of this film (which I own) does. The color-scheme is also noticeably better-rendered by the Blu-ray transfer. Yellows, greens, whites, reds, and browns, are all colors of importance in this film, and, fortunately enough, they look very convincing. Furthermore, aside from a few tiny specks that I was able to spot during the opening scenes, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc looks healthy as well – there aren't any disturbing scratches, debris, or dirt. If there is anything that might annoy some of you with this transfer, it is the fact that edge-enhancement does appear to have found its way on it, and occasionally I was able to spot its presence. Interestingly enough, there are scenes (such as Joan's vision in the field before she English attack her village) where it is very easy to spot it, and then there are large portions of the film that look absolutely stunning. Still, the overall quality of the transfer provided by Sony Pictures is undoubtedly an improvement over the transfer provided on the SDVD, therefore I strongly recommend that you consider the Blu-ray disc if this film has a special place in your heart. (Note: This is a Region-Free release which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
The following tracks are offered on this Blu-ray disc: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, and Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1. Well, it is obvious that Sony Pictures have made this release as friendly as possible. The inclusion of the three Dolby TrueHD tracks, as well as the two dubs, will likely appeal to a large group of aficionados, so this is definitely good news. This being said, I opted for the English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix and did a few selective comparisons with the French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix for the purpose of this review.
I don't think that there is much here one could be dissatisfied with. The English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is loud, crisp, and very potent. The battle scenes in particular are very effective, and you would be hard pressed not to recognize the enormous improvements the Blu-ray disc offers in the audio department over its SDVD counterparts. Furthermore, even during non-action scenes, such as the vision-segment in the very beginning where there is an abundance of ambient sounds, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track shines (the rear channels are very impressive). On the other hand, the prolonged battle scenes benefit from a thunderous bass which will likely test the muscle of your home equipment. Also, the dialog is crystal clear and very easy to follow. I did not detect any pops, cracks, or balance issues to report here either. This being said, I did switch between the English and French Dolby Digital TrueHD tracks, and to be honest I find them to be practically identical. Specifically, I did not hear any substantial differences in terms of balance. Finally, I would like to mention that Sony Pictures have provided optional English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Indonesian Bahasa, Korean, Thai, and Dutch subtitles. For the record, the subtitles are split - they appear inside and outside of the image frame.
Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing to be found on this Blu-ray disc in terms of supplemental materials. In fact, even though The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is also BD-Live enabled, there is nothing at the Sony web portal either (only a few trailers for other Sony productions). This is quite strange to say the least, given that past SDVD releases of this film actually offered some supplemental materials.
Luc Besson's The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc is an ambitious film to say the least. Unfortunately, it is also a notably flawed one. The Blu-ray release, courtesy of Sony Pictures, provides an acceptable video transfer, a very good audio treatment, and surprisingly, absolutely nothing in the extras department. Look for a good sale price on this one before you add it to your collections!
1995
Director's Cut
2005
1961
The Ultimate Cut
2004
2008
1995
1948
1970
Director's Cut
2004
2001
2003
2010
2006
2-Disc Special Edition
2006
Extended Director's Cut
2003
Le message
1976
1989
1969
1962
60th Anniversary Limited Edition
1962