Joan of Arc: Immortal Fiery Youth
Wen and Yunchao
Director: Luc Besson Actors: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Dustin Hoffman Genre: Biography/Epic Duration: 158 minutes
- "What qualifications do you have to think that you can distinguish between good and evil? You are God?" - "I, I am just a messenger, God needs me." - "How can you imagine God, heaven and earth The creator of all life, will the source of all life need you?" - "Joan of Arc"
Many times, we are used to accepting historical celebrities who have been exalted, smeared gold dust on all great statues, touted as fine art, and even mythology. These dazzling visions are all around us. This is how history as we know it is written. This is how the greatest aspects of life are defined by the world. This is called immortality. Why is Luc Besson called the Spielberg of France? Is it because he can make both commercial blockbusters and artistic films with a humanistic touch? In fact, before "Joan of Arc", I never thought that his films were full of humanistic colors, but the depth of this "Joan of Arc" is almost eye-opening. The greatest characters, films that can be dissected in this way can be said to be extremely rare (it stands to reason that "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Mozart" are already very deep biopics, but "Joan of Arc" finally has a hero vs. humanity. The reflective color of the film goes one step further, it seems that only a few movies such as "The Last Emperor" and "The Pianist" have such a height of thought), and Spielberg has only the former achievement at most. After finishing Joan of Arc, Luc Besson hardly touched feature films again, and only made an Angel A (his last work) in the last two years, although Luc Besson was often referred to as They are talking about the nostalgic taste of "Blue Sea and Blue Sky" and the perfect technical works like "Leon the Killer", but they are really first-class and can be called everyone's style. I still think that only "Joan of Arc" is a masterpiece. Why is Joan of Arc good? If you use habitual language to describe it, then you will fall into its very humanized, very real and moving traditional expression. I'd rather say it's about a historical celebrity with a very personal point of view, which is the best way to judge it as a good movie. Li Shaohong, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Chen Kaige and other big names in our country used to use the term "personal style" to praise the work of famous artists, but in fact, their personal styles over the years have really broken the hearts of the audience. Take a look at "Joan of Arc" to know that for the historical figure of Joan of Arc, this movie has gone beyond the concept of "very real".
How much information does Joan of Arc have to tell about the character who lived more than 500 years ago? This has always puzzled many historians. This kind of feeling is very similar to Kurosawa's treatment of the "Shadow Warrior" who was also more than 500 years ago. With only one page of records, what kind of "truth" can you deduce? So, the question is not whether to make that kind of "very real" documentary, the purpose of which is to make a movie. For the French, to reproduce the image of Joan of Arc is not to resurrect her from the ashes at the stake, but to discover the great significance of her, she is too symbolic. Luc Besson did not simply understand Joan of Arc as the growth history of a suffering hero, but more like a spiritual history of how ordinary people evolve into great figures and can leave footprints in history. Therefore, we have repeatedly heard the nagging speech in Joan's heart. The best handling of the film is that in the last ten minutes, Joan repeatedly defended with the mysterious voice in her heart (the identity of this mysterious man is also very subtle, most people think that he is the incarnation of the devil in Joan of Arc, but it may also be considered as Joan of Arc's fantasy face of God, an ironic effect?) And the miracles she created in front of her have been restored by various possibilities in reality. "What you see is not what you see, Joan of Arc, but what you want to see." "You are fighting for yourself, in your name." What drives immortality? What is the road to immortality? Both love and hate are mysterious forces in human nature that create miracles or disasters. As a reality, an ordinary family was accidentally destroyed in a special historical period, and national hatred was sown in a young heart. It was the long-standing hatred that inspired the young girl Joan of Arc to embark on the road of revenge. What makes people feel smart is that she cleverly used the people's love for the country and the nation as an armed force, even if she does not know the actual warfare skills, even dancing with a sword and holding a flagpole is a problem. Joan of Arc eventually inspired others with her courage and improvisation. Her miracles gave the French hope and fighting spirit to defeat the British, and she even fulfilled her promise to help Prince Charles ascend to the throne. However, Charles and the Queen Mother had their own thoughts. For this reason, Joan of Arc was betrayed by the French king, and finally Britain and France temporarily compromised. It seemed that the tragedy of Joan of Arc was the unfortunate end of an ordinary court struggle. But what the director digs for us goes beyond political background and historical entanglements. The story of Joan of Arc is actually familiar to the French and those who know a little about world history. Why is Joan of Arc called a saint? Is it really just because she is a hero or heroine who is not afraid of death? Is it really just because she was a virgin until she died so pure? Obviously not, for France, it was after the appearance of Joan of Arc that the French people in history had a sense of sanctity of the nation-state for the first time. Living in small city-states, there is no concept of a nation-state at all. This is an important reason why Joan of Arc was later called the Saint of France (see Fuller's "Military History of the Western World, Volume II"). This is what I think is the most meaningful value of Luc Besson's reinterpretation of Joan of Arc. From the earliest silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" by Medley in 1928 to Robert Bresson's "The Trial of Joan of Arc" in 1962, it is obvious that the extraordinary side of Joan of Arc has been displayed. In this "Joan of Arc" a few decades later, more detailed materials may have been added in many places to show a Joan of Arc that is closer to history, for example, she is a person without a name (Joan of Arc may not be this great The name of the girl. In the movie, there is a letter from a minister saying that "there is a Joan of Arc who calls herself a virgin of Lorraine", which shows people's suspicion. This is in line with history. In addition, the title of the movie also comes from the real Joan of Arc in history. The handwriting) is a village girl who can't read or read, and is neurotic and even suffers from schizophrenia-obviously, in the movie, it was not that she had a sequelae after seeing her sister and the whole village were killed, but that it was only aggravated by this. her symptoms. This is what I think is the most meaningful value of Luc Besson's reinterpretation of Joan of Arc. From the earliest silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" by Medley in 1928 to Robert Bresson's "The Trial of Joan of Arc" in 1962, it is obvious that the extraordinary side of Joan of Arc has been displayed. In this "Joan of Arc" a few decades later, more detailed materials may have been added in many places to show a Joan of Arc that is closer to history, for example, she is a person without a name (Joan of Arc may not be this great The name of the girl. In the movie, there is a letter from a minister saying that "there is a Joan of Arc who calls herself a virgin of Lorraine", which shows people's suspicion. This is in line with history. In addition, the title of the movie also comes from the real Joan of Arc in history. The handwriting) is a village girl who can't read or read, and is neurotic and even suffers from schizophrenia-obviously, in the movie, it was not that she had a sequelae after seeing her sister and the whole village were killed, but that it was only aggravated by this. her symptoms. This is what I think is the most meaningful value of Luc Besson's reinterpretation of Joan of Arc. From the earliest silent film "The Passion of Joan of Arc" by Medley in 1928 to Robert Bresson's "The Trial of Joan of Arc" in 1962, it is obvious that the extraordinary side of Joan of Arc has been displayed. In this "Joan of Arc" a few decades later, more detailed materials may have been added in many places to show a Joan of Arc that is closer to history, for example, she is a person without a name (Joan of Arc may not be this great The name of the girl. In the movie, there is a letter from a minister saying that "there is a Joan of Arc who calls herself a virgin of Lorraine", which shows people's suspicion. This is in line with history. In addition, the title of the movie also comes from the real Joan of Arc in history. The handwriting) is a village girl who can't read or read, and is neurotic and even suffers from schizophrenia-obviously, in the movie, it was not that she had a sequelae after seeing her sister and the whole village were killed, but that it was only aggravated by this. her symptoms.
Also, she was in constant dialogue with God, which is in line with the few records about her. Luc Besson highlighted these precisely to portray Joan of Arc as an ordinary person, or even a flawed person who eventually became a hero and a historical celebrity. How are heroes made? Are they all people who will be distorted by a powerful sense of victory? In fact, Joan of Arc was completely moved by the hero's sense of immortality, as at the end she recalled that she had slashed through the crowd with her sword swung, and she encouraged the soldiers to shout not the love of God, but "all those who love me" Come with me!" Even at the beginning, her baptism was carried out by herself. The movie uses a scene of lightning to drink the blood of Christ through the young Joan of Arc, as if to imply that she has embarked on a "blood road" since then. These thoughts are unprecedented in history. of shocking hearts. People cannot become gods, but they can have the power to become gods and eventually reach the realm of immortal gods. This spiritual force is enough to change the course of human history at some point. Just like Joan of Arc, when faced with the British insulting her as a French prostitute, she replied: "May God forgive your blasphemy, and I will never!" In the development of the world, war is often the most direct way to change the course of history means. And the key factor in which man is mixed is often not the love taught by Jehovah, but hate. Therefore, to save France, God's mercy is weak, and the expression of emotions and desires in the depths of human nature is real.
Joan of Arc captured the fortress, recovered Orleans, and attacked Paris to launch battles to vent the hatred accumulated over the years against the British. In the process, she took advantage of the so-called will of God to make herself an idol in the hearts of ordinary people, an immortal who achieved miracles. Even though she was very vulnerable and guilty when she warned the British to retreat in Orleans, her words were powerful, and she succeeded again, she put Charlie on the throne, and that moment seemed to be her status highest point. In the end, she was tied to a pillar. When the priest asked her to sign her signature and admit that she had surrendered to God, the voice in her heart said bitterly: "In the end, you abandoned him, Joan of Arc." It may seem contradictory, but in fact it is for Explanation: What to believe is just a slogan that human beings need each other, and whether or not actions are intended may be the real standard of life value. Joan of Arc set off killing for her own selfish revenge, and ultimately must use blood to atone for her sins. But compared with the false belief of surrendering to God, Joan of Arc's real and short life realized the self-worth of life is more meaningful. Therefore, in the end, Joan of Arc's tragic sacrifice after sincere repentance made this film reach the most glorious peak of thinking about the value of human nature. This just countered some false piety beliefs in reality and established a truly immortal idol. The picture of this film is very particular, for example, the idyllic scenery after little Joan of Arc prays for repentance, and when she finds the sword in the field, her own shape is also a cross. And she met wolves on the way back to the village with the sword. It was the wolf who ran over and led the sword to the village, and then there was a disaster. It was the sword of revelation that killed Joan of Arc's sister Catherine at the hands of the British. Joan of Arc was hiding in a closed dark space. The sword went straight through and was soaked in blood. Rich in meaning. Also like when she secretly went with the blood of Christ, the sky was overcast, and a lonely tree below was full of overtones.
The only somewhat confusing scene in the entire movie is probably the one that tests Joan of Arc to find Prince Charlie. Because "Joan of Arc" ultimately wants to reveal ordinary people, but in this scene, Joan of Arc did not see Charlie beforehand (there were no photo posters at that time, and there may be very few portraits during the war, that was between Britain and France) Hundred Years War) Why did Joan of Arc find the real Charlie among so many people? From the picture, Charlie was hiding in a corner far away from the crowd. When she saw him from Joan of Arc, the eyes of those around her might have hinted that she had actually discovered it. Perhaps subconsciously, Joan of Arc recognized Charlie. This analysis is merely a guess. The highlight of the film is the battle to regain Orleans, which lasted about an hour before and after, fully showing the great process of Joan of Arc. Among them, the scene of Joan of Arc being wounded by an arrow is the most important. On the one hand, it shows that her comrades are discussing whether she was sent by God, and on the other hand, it shows the nightmare that has been lingering in her heart. Obviously, through this plot, the director's thinking about her leading troops to create a record is naturally extended. In the climax of Charlie's ascension, Joan's delighted face suddenly turns into the embarrassment of the Battle of Paris, showing that her glory and ruin go hand in hand. In the end, she fell into a political trap, as if Charlie was in the bathtub and said with embarrassment: "God, if only she would go home." And joked about Joan of Arc asking the army to go to war, saying, "Why are you so cruel, Knowing that diplomacy is more civilized and more affordable." In fact, her comrades-in-arms had persuaded her more than once that it was time to go home. The Queen Mother spoke more bluntly about Joan's ignorance of current affairs. She commented that whether the army that Joan wanted at that time could afford it was secondary, and the more serious accusation was that Joan was waging a war by herself. Her eagerness to realize her great ambition is objective after all, and it is her last confession: she "lost herself" under the aura of immortality. Milla Jovovich's neutral and neurotic performance portrays Joan of Arc's life journey very well; John Markovich and Dustin Hoffman are two outstanding character male stars The foils that end there also add color to the film. Luc Besson excavated too much connotation from this 19-year-old village girl. Almost every time he saw it, he could not help but be full of emotion. It is not a mourning for a person's youth, but almost all people, even if they once burned, but how many people can finally be sublimated into immortality? Most of them are nothing but a pile of ashes, not even a name.
This article was written in 2007
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