Joan of Arc

This is a lavishly produced, literal interpretation of the life of the 15th century historical heroine Joan d’Arc. In a tiny village during the Hundred Years’ War, teenager Joan d’Arc (Leelee Sobieski) has been raised by her parents Peter (Powers Boothe) and Isabelle (Jacqueline Bisset), amidst the wreckage continually wrought by British incursions into the area. A devout girl, Joan experiences visions of St Catherine, which lead her to believe that she may be the “Maid of Orleans”, a mythical figure who will lead France to victory over its enemies. Counseled by her local priest (Robert Loggia), Joan pursues her destiny in spite of her father’s wishes. At first supported only by lowly commoners, Joan comes to the attention of the Dauphin, King Charles (Neil Patrick Harris). He uses Joan to unite his quarreling factions and his generals, at first sceptical, are won over by Joan’s startling victories. Awaiting Joan is a disastrous Parisian campaign and betrayal by the Dauphin which leads to her being burned at the stake for heresy. She was declared a saint nearly 500 years after her death.