Joan of Arc (1999)

My Review

“Joan of Arc” is a made-for-television movie about a young Frenchwoman in the 15th century who was instrumental in freeing her nation from foreign domination. This three hour movie tells the story of Joan’s entire life from 1412-1431. There are numerous problems with this movie, starting with the title role, poorly performed by Leelee Sobieski; it seems as if she were sleepwalking throughout the entire film.

The numerous big name celebrities who populate the supporting cast also enact their parts as if by rote: Jacqueline Bisset, Powers Boothe, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Maximilian Schell, Peter Strauss, Neil Patrick Harris, Robert Loggia, and Peter O’Toole as Bishop Pierre Cauchon. O’Toole won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, which was one win out of eight nominations.

Other actors include Maury Chaykin, Jonathan Hyde, Chad Willett, Ron White, Jaimz Woolvett, Ted Atherton, Robert Haley, Matt Hoffman, Chandra Engstrom, and Justin Peroff as Pierre d’Arc, older brother of Joan. The actors did not have much to work with, as the teleplay by Ronald Parker and Michael Alexander Miller is poorly written and filled with trite dialogue and a plodding plot. Another factor was the disengaged directing by Christian Duguay.

The only bright spots in this motion picture are some outstanding period costumes and exciting battle scenes. For the most part, though, the movie is a bore and should be avoided at all costs. “Joan Of Arc” was broadcast as a two-part miniseries in 1999, from CBC Television, a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Alliance Atlantis Communications. It was filmed in the Czech Republic.