Luc Besson has always been a bit of a maximalist. You see it in The Fifth Element, and you definitely see it in his 1999 historical epic. When people talk about The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc cast, they usually start with Milla Jovovich. It makes sense. She was the "It Girl" of the late nineties, and she was also married to Besson at the time. But if you look past the blue-eyed intensity of the lead, the supporting players are actually where the movie finds its weird, jagged soul. It’s a strange mix of American stars, French legends, and British heavyweights that probably shouldn't work together in a medieval setting, yet somehow, they do.
Historical epics in the nineties were often sweeping and romantic. This wasn't that. Besson wanted something visceral, loud, and frankly, a bit confusing. To get there, he assembled a group of actors who felt like they belonged in different movies. You have John Malkovich playing a king like he’s bored at a cocktail party, and then you have Dustin Hoffman appearing as a literal personification of Joan’s conscience. It’s chaotic.
Milla Jovovich as the Maid of Orléans
Let’s be honest: Milla Jovovich was a controversial choice. Most critics at the time expected a more traditional, perhaps more "theatrical" actress to play a saint. Instead, we got a Joan who screams. A lot. Jovovich brings a frantic, almost feral energy to the role that feels less like divine inspiration and more like a nervous breakdown.
She was only 23 when the film came out. That's actually closer to the real Joan's age than many other adaptations, which often cast older women. Joan of Arc was a teenager, after all. Jovovich captures that adolescent volatility. Whether she’s cutting her hair into that iconic, jagged bob or leading a charge against the English, she looks terrified and ecstatic all at once. It’s a physical performance. She isn't just delivering lines; she’s throwing her entire body into the mud.
The Contrast of the French Royalty
While Milla is the heart, John Malkovich is the brain—or maybe the ego. Playing Charles VII, Malkovich is doing "Malkovich." He’s whispery, hesitant, and seemingly perpetually annoyed by the people around him. It’s a brilliant bit of casting because Charles VII was a hesitant ruler. He needed a girl to tell him he was King. Malkovich plays him as a man who is deeply uncomfortable with the weight of his own crown.
Then you have Tchéky Karyo as Dunois. Karyo is a Besson regular, and he brings a much-needed groundedness to the The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc cast. He’s the professional soldier. While Joan is seeing visions and screaming at the sky, Dunois is trying to figure out how to actually win a siege. Their chemistry is one of the best parts of the film—the grizzled veteran slowly coming to respect the "mad" girl.
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The English Opposition and the Veterans
The English side of the cast doesn't get as much screen time, but they make it count. Most notably, we see Richard Ridings as La Hire. If you’ve got kids, you might recognize his voice as Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig. Seeing him as a blood-soaked, swearing mercenary is a trip. It’s the kind of detail that makes rewatching these older epics so much fun.
- Vincent Cassel as Gilles de Rais: This is perhaps the most fascinating piece of casting in retrospect. Cassel plays one of Joan's most loyal commanders. In real life, Gilles de Rais became one of history's most notorious serial killers after Joan's death. The film doesn't go into that, but Cassel’s naturally sinister energy gives his scenes an underlying tension that history buffs will appreciate.
- Dustin Hoffman as The Grand Inquisitor / Conscience: He doesn't show up until the final act, but he shifts the entire tone of the movie. Hoffman is draped in black, questioning Joan in her cell. He isn't playing a person; he's playing her doubt. It’s a quiet, intellectual role that acts as the perfect foil to the loud, bloody battles of the first two acts.
Why the Casting Choices Were So Polarizing
At the time, people didn't know what to make of this movie. Was it a war film? A psychological thriller? A religious biopic? The The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc cast reflects this identity crisis. You have Faye Dunaway as Yolande of Aragon, looking like she stepped out of a high-fashion photoshoot, plotting political moves while the peasants are dying in the dirt.
Dunaway’s presence adds a layer of "Old Hollywood" prestige, but her performance is icy and calculating. She represents the political machinery that eventually chews Joan up and spits her out. Between Dunaway and Malkovich, the "royals" feel like they are in a completely different world than the soldiers. That was probably the point.
The Production Chaos Behind the Scenes
You can't talk about this cast without mentioning the drama. Originally, Kathryn Bigelow was supposed to direct the film. She had spent years researching it. When Besson came on as a producer and insisted on casting Jovovich, Bigelow walked away. That lead to a massive legal headache, but it also changed the DNA of the film.
Besson’s version is much more focused on the subjectivity of Joan’s experience. He wasn't interested in a dry historical record. He wanted the audience to feel as overwhelmed as Joan did. This is why the cast is so eccentric. He didn't want a "period piece" feel. He wanted a "Besson movie" feel.
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The filming was grueling. Thousands of extras were used for the battle scenes. If you look closely at the faces of the soldiers in the background, many of them weren't professional actors but locals and stuntmen who were genuinely exhausted by the long shoots in the mud of the Czech Republic. That weariness translates to the screen.
Examining the Supporting Players
It’s easy to overlook the smaller roles, but they fill out the world.
- Pascal Greggory as Alençon: He provides a bit of nobility and grace to a movie that is otherwise very grimy.
- Desmond Harrington as Aulon: A young Harrington plays Joan's steward. It’s a minor role, but he serves as the audience's eyes, watching this young girl transform from a village eccentric into a national icon.
The film relies heavily on faces. Besson uses tight close-ups, especially during the trial. You see every pore, every bead of sweat, and every flicker of fear in the eyes of the priests judging her. This is where the casting of the "anonymous" monks and judges becomes vital. They had to look like men of the 15th century—weathered, stern, and unforgiving.
The Legacy of the 1999 Ensemble
Looking back, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc cast is a time capsule of 90s cinema. It was a time when directors were willing to take massive risks with tone. Would a studio today allow a director to cast an action star like Jovovich alongside a method legend like Hoffman in a medieval epic? Probably not. It would be too "on the nose" or too "safe."
The movie didn't set the box office on fire, and critics were divided. Some loved the energy; others thought it was a mess. But the performances have aged surprisingly well. Jovovich’s Joan feels more relevant now, in an era where we appreciate portrayals of female rage and trauma, than she did in 1999.
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Malkovich’s portrayal of a weak man in a position of power feels timeless. And Hoffman? His scenes are the most "modern" part of the film, stripping away the spectacle to ask: "What if you’re just wrong?"
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning to revisit the film or watch it for the first time, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Trial Scenes Closely: Ignore the historical inaccuracies for a moment and watch the power struggle between Hoffman and Jovovich. It’s a masterclass in two different acting styles (Method vs. Kinetic) clashing.
- Look for the "Besson-isms": If you like The Professional (Léon), you’ll see the same fascination with "innocents in violent worlds."
- Compare with "The Passion of Joan of Arc" (1928): If you really want to see how much the 1999 cast deviated from tradition, watch the silent masterpiece by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It makes Besson’s version look like a rock concert.
- Focus on the Sound: The cast’s voices are heavily layered with Eric Serra’s score. The way Malkovich’s soft voice cuts through the booming music is a deliberate choice by the sound designers.
The film remains a polarizing piece of art. But whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny that the ensemble was brave. They didn't go for the "safe" prestige drama. They went for something loud, weird, and deeply human.
To dig deeper into the history, check out the original trial transcripts of Joan of Arc. You’ll find that while the movie takes liberties, the core of the The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc cast—the fear, the conviction, and the political betrayal—is rooted in a very dark reality. Turn off the "historical accuracy" part of your brain and just enjoy the performances for the chaotic energy they bring to a story that has been told a thousand times, but never quite like this.