The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Blu-ray Review

Luc Besson's "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" makes its appearance on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures, presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoding, which is a marked improvement over its DVD predecessor. The video transfer offers a plethora of details, especially in close-up shots where the resolution shines, bringing to light the intricate textures of the period costumes and the natural landscapes. This clarity extends to the reproduction of the film's color palette, which benefits from the Blu-ray's handling of sepia tones, neutral colors, and the more vibrant hues of the vestments and robes, all appearing with greater saturation and vividness than in the DVD release. However, it's worth noting that flesh tones retain a consistent but somewhat bland texture, fitting with the historical context.

Despite the enhancements, the transfer is not without its faults. Viewers might find the application of edge enhancement to be a recurring issue, leading to occasional but noticeable instances of edge ringing artifacts that could distract from the overall viewing experience. This issue seems to stem from the source material likely being the same master used for the DVD release—a time when Sony frequently applied edge enhancement to their transfers—resulting in a presentation that occasionally struggles to maintain a truly film-like appearance. Furthermore, while the color rendition is a standout feature, blacks and shadow details exhibit only adequate depth, preventing the image from achieving the level of definition seen in more premium high definition transfers.

In summary, this Blu-ray release represents a substantial upgrade from its DVD version, offering commendable detail and color representation that fans of the film will appreciate. However, the presence of edge enhancement and a somewhat flat contrast range may detract from the overall high-definition experience. Despite these drawbacks, for those with a special place in their hearts for this cinematic portrayal of Joan of Arc, the Blu-ray edition provides a valuable enhancement to their collection, even if it doesn't quite reach the pinnacle of current HD presentation standards.

The audio presentation of "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" on Blu-ray exemplifies a significant upgrade from its DVD predecessor, primarily due to the transition to a high-resolution Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. This transition elevates the auditory experience, introducing a robust and immersive sound design characterized by an effective mix that beautifully leverages orchestrated music, chorales, and dynamic soundscapes. The audio mix excels in delivering an enriching surround experience with excellent spectral balance and 360-degree envelopment. Notably, the low-frequency effects (LFE) channel demonstrates strong presence and depth, though it does not delve into sub-bass territories. Dialogue reproduction stands out for its clarity and room penetration, ensuring that every word is heard with superb fidelity. The soundtrack’s design contributes significantly to a refined, detailed, and room-filling dynamic experience that impresses throughout.

Offerings on this Blu-ray include multiple language tracks in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 for English, French, and Portuguese, alongside Spanish and Thai in Dolby Digital 5.1, making it accessible to a diverse audience. The English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, in particular, shines with its loud, crisp output, especially in battle scenes that showcase the audio improvements over SDVD releases. The mix balances ambient sounds effectively, ensuring an immersive experience even outside of action sequences. Thunderous bass during intense scenes tests home audio setups, while dialogue remains crystal clear, contributing to an effortless viewer experience.

Comparative analysis of the English and French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks reveals negligible differences, affirming consistency in audio balance across languages. The inclusion of a wide array of subtitles accommodates an international audience, with a thoughtful split-placement ensuring readability. Eric Serra's score, featuring sweeping violins and chanting, alongside the active surround soundstage and impressive low-end response (despite its limitations), underscores an exemplary audio quality that might be considered the release's standout feature. High fidelity and clear sound effects, notably in scenes with clanging swords and tromping horses, round off an audio experience that is uniformly loud, crisp, and immersive.

The Blu-ray release of "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" is a stark departure from its DVD counterparts in terms of extra content, offering an underwhelming array of supplementary materials. Disappointingly, the disc only includes a generic Sony Blu-ray Disc preview, with all the previously available bonus features from the DVD version conspicuously absent. Despite being BD-Live enabled, the online portal provides no additional content for this title, save for a handful of trailers for other Sony productions. This omission is particularly puzzling and may deter enthusiasts who seek a deeper dive into the making and legacy of the film beyond its primary narrative.

Extras included in this disc:

• Preview: Sony Blu-ray Disc: A standard promotional piece showcasing the capabilities of Blu-ray technology.

In "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc," director Luc Besson attempts to tread the legendary narrative of the French heroine with a blend of historical epic and personal drama, embarking on a journey that is both visually impressive and controversial in its execution. Starring Milla Jovovich as Joan of Arc, the film ambitiously depicts the tumultuous period of 1429, when France, mired in political and religious chaos, found a glimmer of hope in a peasant girl from a remote village. Jovovich's portrayal of Joan, marked by her fiery zeal and alleged divine visions, aims to humanize the saint against the backdrop of her miraculous military feats and tragic demise. However, the film grapples with its own identity, oscillating between a grandiose Hollywood spectacle and a nuanced exploration of Joan's complex psyche, leaving audiences divided on its effectiveness.

The production values of "The Messenger" are undeniably high, showcasing Besson's flair for crafting sprawling battle scenes and rich period details that immerse viewers in the era's brutal reality. Yet, the script struggles to match the visual grandeur, often sidelining historical accuracy for dramatization. The supporting cast, including John Malkovich, Dustin Hoffman, and Faye Dunaway, despite their pedigree, contribute to a narrative that sometimes feels disjointed, overshadowed by the film’s ambition to encapsulate the entirety of Joan's life within its expansive runtime. The result is a portrayal that shines in moments but fluctuates in its attempt to capture the essence of Joan's legend.

"The Messenger's" exploration of Joan’s divine visions and her internal struggles offers an intriguing, albeit ambiguous, perspective on her motivations and sanity. Besson's choice to leave Joan's communion with the divine open to interpretation injects a modern sensibility into the story but also muddles the character's resolve and historical significance. This approach, combined with Jovovich's performance, which veers from compelling to uneven, encapsulates the film's challenge: balancing the spectacle with the soul of Joan's story. Despite its aspirations and occasional brilliance in depicting the epic scope of Joan's campaign, "The Messenger" serves more as a lavish cinematic experience than a definitive retelling of the martyr's life, echoing the sentiment that while it strides boldly, it falters in fully embracing either historical fidelity or narrative coherence.

"The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" on Blu-ray presents a mixed bag of qualities, according to our analysis with playback tested on a variety of high-end equipment including the JVC DLA-RS1x 1080p High Definition Front Projector, Oppo 970HD, Toshiba HD-XA2, Panasonic DMP-BD55K, and Sony PlayStation 3 for video playback. Audio was supported by an equally impressive setup featuring a Denon AVR 5308CI THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor and B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 seven-channel amplifier, among others. Despite this high-quality setup, the Blu-ray's performance was inconsistent. The audio quality was very good across all devices, bringing the film's immersive battles and dramatic score to life. However, the video transfer was much less impressive, failing to meet the expectations set by the hardware's capabilities.

Luc Besson's film is ambitious and visually striking, but its Blu-ray release does not fully capture this vision. The consensus among various playback experiments is that while the audio delivers a robust experience, the visual transfer does not do justice to the cinematography. Notably, this release contains no bonus features, which is a significant shortcoming for enthusiasts and collectors looking for insights or added value to the film's historical epic narrative. The technical inadequacies, especially concerning the video quality, were consistently highlighted across several high-fidelity systems.

In conclusion, "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" Blu-ray could have been a monumental release but is hampered by its subpar video transfer and complete absence of extras. While the audio presentation is commendable, it's not enough to compensate for visual shortcomings and lack of additional content. Potential buyers should temper their expectations or await a sale before considering adding this to their collection. As it stands, this release might best be enjoyed as a rental rather than a permanent fixture in a high-definition library, especially for those looking to experience the full breadth of Besson's cinematic vision.