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THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARCbyAndrew BirkinandLuc Besson FADE IN:EXT. CHURCH - DOMREMY - DAYFADE UP on ripples on the surface of a puddle. Slow PANUP: the water becomes placid, and in it we see thereflection of an inverted CROSS on the top of a smallchurch. We move across the lit
forest. From her POV, she notices hundreds of fresh
trees-stumps...
JEANNE
You have been with your counsel, and
I have been with mine.
EXT. TOURELLES COMPLEX - ORLEANS - DAY
The English are moving up the stripped trees we saw
earlier from the Tourelles courtyard toward the broken
bridge. Glasdale surveys the operation with satisfaction.
EXT. TOURELLES - POV FROM ROOF - DAY
Redbeard and the other English Guards on the roof of the
Tourelles spot Jeanne's army in the far distance.
Redbeard calls down to Glasdale...
REDBEARD
Glasdale! Looks like the froggie
whore's coming to pay you a visit.
EXT. MONASTERY - ORLEANS - DAY
Jeanne rides at the head of the army, flanked by Dunois,
La Hire, Alencon, Gilles, Aulon, Xaintrailles. They halt
in front of a ruined monastery to the south of the
Tourelles. Jeanne gives instructions for the placement of
artillery...
JEANNE
Position the long-bows over there,
crossbows over there -- and set up
Dijon Culverins either side of those
trees...
DUNOIS
The wind will be against us...
JEANNE
The wind will be with us!
(to the Captains)
Do as I say.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
The English take up their positions along the ramparts of
the battery -- a massive, square fortification, surrounded
by a deep, empty moat.
Jeanne rides forward to the edge of the dry moat, her
banner billowing in the breeze, and addresses the
English...
JEANNE
Glasdale, can you hear me? You who
call me a whore, I pity your soul
and the souls of your men. Yield
now to the King of Heaven, and go
back to your island...
GLASDALE
And you, go back to Hell!
Jeanne turns and gallops back to the French soldiers as
Glasdale turns coolly to Redbeard --
GLASDALE
Don't kill her till I've had my fill
of her!
-- and walks back to the Tourelles.
The French have established a temporary headquarters.
Dunois is drawing a map in the dirt and is preparing a
battle plan with his Captains...
DUNOIS
Let's plan this attack a little more
carefully than this morning...
GILLES
Good idea!
JEANNE (O.S.)
(calling)
My fine soldiers...!
Dunois turns to see Jeanne, standing before the army...
JEANNE
This morning, God gave us our first
victory, but that was nothing
compared to what he is ready to give
us now. I know you are tired and
hungry, but I swear to you in the
name of the King of Heaven that even
if these English were hanging from
the clouds by their fingertips, we
shall tear them down before
nightfall...! Now, my brave
soldiers... let those who love me
follow me!
With a valiant cry, a thousand soldiers tear forward
behind Jeanne. Dunois is speechless. Gilles lays a
sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
GILLES
You were saying?
Jeanne rides at full tilt down into the dry moat, and for
the next few minutes, the air is thick with the tumult of
battle. As each successive wave swarms across the moat,
so they are met by a fusillade of English flame and steel
from the battery above. But the French respond with equal
fervor: the Dijon Culverins deployed by Jeanne now rain
an aerial bombardment of boulders down upon the English,
while their arrows darken the sky above...
Jeanne reaches the base of the battery. She leaps down
from her horse and starts to climb one of the ladders
being thrown up against the wall... but is suddenly struck
by an arrow from the rampart above. She reels -- the
ladder sways -- and Aulon catches her in his arms as she
falls back to earth. Redbeard is jokingly furious --
REDBEARD
Hey, you just killed my woman!
The English laugh and jeer, but the French are in dismay
at the sight of their Jeanne, unconscious, lying in
Aulon's arms, with the arrow wedged deep above her breast.
EXT. MONASTERY BEHIND TOURELLES - DAY
Aulon, La Hire and Xaintrailles carry her to the ruined
monastery while the two page boys follow anxiously behind.
INT. ST. AUGUSTINE MONASTERY - DAY
They enter the shell-shattered sanctuary of a gothic
chapel where Aulon directs them to lay Jeanne against the
wall. In the distance we can hear the muffled sounds of
war, but in here it is strangely quiet.
The great war-lords stand in a semi-circle, pathetically
wringing their hands, like the seven dwarves bereaving the
stricken Snow White. The sight of tears trickling down La
Hire's scarred cheeks is as touching as it is pathetic.
Aulon wipes her brow, leaning in very close to feel her
pulse and whether her mouth exhales breath. He turns to
Raymond, who stands close by with Louis --
AULON
Go and find the physician... I saw
him with the supplies.
Raymond races off...
GILLES
We have to take out the arrow now.
AULON
It's in so deep -- I'm afraid she'll
bleed to death if we pull it out...
LA HIRE
There must be something we can do
for her for Chrissakes!
GILLES
(sarcastic)
Yes. We can pray.
LA HIRE
Good idea...
La Hire turns and directs his pledge to the broken
stained-glass image of Christ above the trashed altar...
LA HIRE
I swear I'll never swear again in my
life if you save her life! But I'm
warning you, if you let her die,
then you're the biggest...
JEANNE
Don't swear...
Jeanne stirs, her eyes beginning to open...
LA HIRE
He heard me!
AULON
Jeanne... we thought we'd lost you!
JEANNE
Not so... easily. Why aren't you...
fighting...? go on... we're almost
there...
AULON
Jeanne, you've been badly wounded...
JEANNE
No, it's... it's nothing, it's...
Speaking provokes a sudden stab of pain. She tries to
clutch the arrow, but Aulon stops her. He peels back her
shirt, exposing the bloody wound above her pale breast.
GILLES
It's an arrow, and it's in deep...
AULON
You must stay still till the
physician arrives!
LA HIRE
Physicians are a waste of time.
You'll have more luck with this
charm of mine... it saved my life at
Agincourt!
JEANNE
I'd sooner die than use magic!
AULON
Jeanne, you will die if that arrow
stays in you much longer...
Jeanne suddenly seizes the arrow and yanks it out of her
body. Blood spurts -- the suddenness and violence of her
action catches the men unaware, and it's a moment before
Aulon can stem the flow with his hand. Jeanne looks at
the arrow before throwing it aside...
JEANNE
At least this one won't bother us
any more. Now let's get back to the
fight!
She tries to get up... and collapses, grabbing Aulon...
AULON
Jeanne... please... you must stay
calm... you must rest... please!
He lays her back down. Jeanne whispers to him,
intimately.
JEANNE
Alright... I promise to rest if you
promise... to go back to the battle.
AULON
I promise...
Jeanne smiles -- then suddenly collapses...
LA HIRE
Oh shit! Jeanne... don't die!
La Hire breaks off as Raymond arrives back with the
Physician...
AULON
Quickly... do something!
The Physician kneels beside her and listens for any sound
of life. All the Captains crowd closer and closer, and as
we too move closer, we hear the sound of deep breathing,
almost a snore.
PHYSICIAN
She's sleeping. Like a baby.
La Hire and the others sigh with relief.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DUSK
Dunois surveys his army's attempt to storm the English
battery. It is now dusk, and without Jeanne the battle
has become a half-hearted affair. He turns to a trumpeter
as Aulon comes running up...
AULON
Jeanne's alive!
DUNOIS
Good.
AULON
We have to press home the attack!
DUNOIS
(to the Trumpeter)
Sound the retreat...
AULON
But I promised Jeanne we'd fight on!
DUNOIS
I made no such promise. Sound the
retreat for the night!
AULON
But that was her order!
DUNOIS
I'm fed up with taking her orders.
She swore she'd defeat the English
before nightfall, instead of which
she goes and plays the fool and gets
herself nearly killed! Look at the
mess we're in! That's her mess, not
mine...! We're worse off then if
she'd never come at all!
(to the Trumpeter)
... now do as I say and Sound the
Retreat!
The Trumpeter obeys and signals the evening wrap. The
English jeer and whistle from their impregnable battery as
the French head back up the sloping sides of the moat.
INT. ST. AUGUSTINE MONASTERY - DUSK
Jeanne lies asleep inside the ruined church, guarded by
her two page boys. A small fire burns nearby to keep her
warm, but she is shivering...
EXT. ORLEANS - JEANNE'S NIGHTMARE - NIGHT
She suddenly awakes with a start, then gets up and goes to
the fire. She kneels down... puts her hands in the
flames... and scoops up a handful of ash. She paints her
face with the black ash, like a native warrior, then
stands back up, turning to face a small army...
JEANNE
My brave soldiers, do you believe in
God?
The Army cries out "Yeesssss!"
JEANNE
Then let God's punishment be done:
Eye for eye...
... and a sudden FLASH of lightning transforms some of her
men into skeletons...
JEANNE
... tooth for tooth...!
(another flash)
... burn for burn...!
(another flash)
... life for a life!
... a final FLASH, and her whole army is now a seething
swarm of SKELETONS. With a curdling cry of vengeance they
race forward, passing either side of her...
Jeanne turns to see the skeleton army heading across a
bizarre bridge and onto the moonlit battery, flowing
either side of the 8 year-old BOY she saw in the woods as
a child. Intrigued, Jeanne follows him, but by the time
she reaches him, the boy has disappeared. The skeletons
have also vanished, to be replaced by an army of little
English boys in man-sized armor, heading toward a distant
figure.
The boy-soldiers are being welcomed by the beautiful MAN
Jeanne saw earlier. He smiles at her, extending his arms
in a Christ-like gesture of embrace...
As Jeanne approaches him, others turn to welcome her --
Aulon, Dunois, Alencon... finally La Hire, holding out his
arms --
LA HIRE
Jeanne, come here my friend, my
soldier... in my arms!
La Hire scoops her up into his bear-like arms and swings
her round... suddenly, over his shoulder she spots a
familiar figure: her dead sister.
JEANNE
Catherine??
She breaks from La Hire and runs to Catherine, throwing
her arms around her and sobbing with joy...
JEANNE
Catherine... oh, Catherine -- I knew
you wouldn't leave me...!
They stand for a moment, embracing each other, while La
Hire and the other Captains applaud Jeanne's victory. The
beautiful young MAN approaches them, but we now see that
he has a sword clasped behind his back...
Catherine's face contorts in pain. She slumps forward,
the sword in her back. Beyond her, the beautiful MAN has
transformed into the grotesque Blackbeard, who roars with
laughter as Jeanne holds her dying sister...
CATHERINE
Avenge me... avenge me...!
A circle of fire forms around them, with skeleton soldiers
dancing in the flames...
Blackbeard's echoing laugh is gradually superimposed by
real laughter and a familiar voice...
REDBEARD (O.S.)
Hey... Frenchies... what happened to
your precious angel, huh?
EXT. TOURELLES - FRENCH CAMP - DAWN
All is quiet, the troops lie sleeping. Redbeard calls
through the mist from the raised drawbridge spanning the
dry moat linking the battery to the French camp --
REDBEARD
Frenchies, you hear me? What
happened to your little virgin?
Jeanne is awake. She listens to Redbeard...
REDBEARD
I'll tell you what happened... we
sent her back to Hell so she can go
fuck with the Devil!
Now Jeanne is caressing her horse while Redbeard taunts...
REDBEARD
What are you going to do, Frenchies?
Why not come out and fight? Or are
you too busy praying to bring your
witch back from the dead? Do you
hear me?
Suddenly Jeanne emerges from the mist, riding her horse
and brandishing her banner --
JEANNE
I hear you! May God forgive your
blasphemy... but I never can!
She turns and disappears back into the mist.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAWN
Redbeard blinks in amazement. He turns to another
soldier --
REDBEARD
Go and wake up Glasdale...!
EXT. TOURELLES - FRENCH CAMP - DAWN
Jeanne rides along the columns of sleeping soldiers...
JEANNE
Come on -- wake up -- sound trumpets
and to horse!
The dazed and sleepy French drag themselves from their
straw beds. Dunois emerges from his tent, bleary and
half-naked...
DUNOIS
What's going on?
JEANNE
We're taking back the Tourelles!
INT. TOURELLES - TURRET ROOM - DAWN
The Guard shakes Glasdale awake...
GLASDALE
What's happening?
GUARD
My lord... the French witch just
came back from the dead.
Glasdale hauls himself from his bed.
EXT. TOURELLES - FRENCH CAMP - DAWN
Jeanne supervises her men as they push a huge siege tower
toward the dry moat. She rides over to Aulon...
JEANNE
Get all the men to horse and ready
to follow...
Aulon goes as Dunois hurries over...
DUNOIS
Jeanne, what are you doing with
that... you've got it back to
front...
JEANNE
I know what I'm doing, so either
lend a hand or go back to bed!
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAWN
Redbeard watches in bewilderment as the siege machine
starts to materialize through the mist...
REDBEARD
What the hell she's playing at...?
EXT. TOURELLES - TURRET - DAWN
Glasdale is equally perplexed, gazing out from his garret
window across the battery. An archer is by his side.
GLASDALE
Crazy bitch... she doesn't even know
how to use it...
EXT. TOURELLES - DRY MOAT/BATTERY - DAWN
The French wheel the enormous siege tower toward a wooden
lip above the dry moat. The drawbridge is firmly raised
on the far side. Redbeard's complacent expression changes
as he suddenly realizes what's about to happen...
REDBEARD
Oh shit...
He backs away as the machine reaches the lip. Suddenly it
topples forward, crashing down on top of the raised
drawbridge and demolishing it beneath its enormous
weight...
EXT. TOURELLES - TURRET - DAWN
From his elevated viewpoint, Glasdale watches in horror as
Aulon leads the French cavalry across the siege machine
bridge that now spans the dry moat, giving them access to
the battery...
GLASDALE
Raise the drawbridge!
The Archer passes Glasdale's order along -- a chain
message that reaches the gate-keeper, who promptly starts
to turn the winch...
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
As the French swarm onto the battery, Redbeard and his
soldiers turn tail and race back toward the second
drawbridge into the Tourelles...
REDBEARD
Wait for me!
The bridge is already being winched up... Redbeard is the
first to reach it... with a desperate leap he manages to
grab the lip of the bridge and scramble over...
EXT. TOURELLES - COURTYARD - DAY
... rolling down into the sanctuary of the Tourelles on
the far side.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
His comrades are less fortunate, and are slaughtered by
the advancing French.
Jeanne urges her troops forward, her white banner
billowing in the breeze, but with the drawbridge raised,
there is no way for them to enter the Tourelles. The
English hurl fresh insults -- and bombards -- from the
battlements above, and the French are forced to take cover
behind two ruined buildings on the battery.
Jeanne rides across to a ruined barn where several carts
are stacked with felled tree-trunks. She spots La Hire...
JEANNE
Prepare these as battering-rams!
LA HIRE
What's the use? The drawbridge is
up!
JEANNE
Not for long...
Under a hail of English arrows, Jeanne rides back across
the open battery to a ruined house on the other side. She
sees Aulon and dismounts...
JEANNE
The king said you're his finest
archer...?
AULON
Well...
JEANNE
Come with me...
INT. RUINED HOUSE - TOURELLES - DAY
Jeanne leads Aulon through the ruined house to the far
end, where a window overlooks the river-moat that
separates the battery from the Tourelles.
JEANNE
You see those wooden beams...?
Jeanne points to the two beams supporting the chains of
the drawbridge further along...
JEANNE
I want you to set them on fire!
INT. TOURELLES - TURRET - DAY
Glasdale spots Jeanne running back across the battery. He
summons his Archer, pointing her out...
GLASDALE
Kill her.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Jeanne leaves the ruined house and spots Gilles standing
with Alencon. As she approaches, Gilles spots the archer
in Glasdale's window far above, taking aim.
JEANNE
Gilles -- fetch the Dijon Culverins
and place them over there...
Jeanne turns her back -- the Archer fires -- Gilles holds
up his shield -- the arrow strikes it -- and Jeanne turns
back, unaware that he has just saved her life.
JEANNE
Clear?
GILLES
Perfectly.
Gilles heads off, leaving Alencon looking left out.
ALENCON
And me... what can I do?
JEANNE
Um... round up the horses and keep
them safe...
ALENCON
Good idea.
Leaving Alencon to his task, Jeanne rides off...
... and THUMP! a flaming arrow lands in one of the
drawbridge beams.
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
An English soldier peers down to see both beams ablaze...
SOLDIER
Fetch some water!
The command is passed down the line -- a bucket is lowered
into the river and hauled back up -- the bucket rushed up
stone stairs to the soldier on the battlements...
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Meanwhile Jeanne returns to Dunois and La Hire --
JEANNE
Stand by with the battering-rams...
DUNOIS
We need another ten minutes...
JEANNE
The bridge won't wait!
LA HIRE
Leave it to me...
Back on the battlements, the bucket of water is passed up
to the Soldier, who tries to pour it over the edge and
onto the blazing beam. Aulon spots him from below and
fires a flaming arrow -- it pierces the soldier, who pours
the water on himself, extinguishing the flames...
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
TIGHT SHOTS: hands wind the handle of a bobbin -- a
device is activated -- a lever thrown -- a grille slides
sideways...
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
The beams collapse -- the support chains give way -- and
the drawbridge comes crashing down. Beyond it is a
portcullis, but to La Hire's exuberant volunteers this is
no barrier. Carrying buckets of flaming oil, they charge
forward...
... but as they race across the drawbridge, a sudden
volley of high-velocity arrows discharge from the lower
apertures of the portcullis, felling them before they even
get halfway across the bridge.
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
The English cackle with delight at the sight of the dying
French writhing in the flaming oil. Redbeard -- in charge
of the multiple balista -- orders the device to be
reloaded, then yells through the upper portcullis...
REDBEARD
Hey, what happened to the whore?
Sorry... virgin!
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Dunois views the massacred soldiers lying on the bridge
amid the dying flames. Jeanne is about to mount her
horse...
REDBEARD
Send her over here and she won't
stay a virgin for long!
DUNOIS
Jeanne, don't do it! Just stop and
think for once! Don't you see? The
gate's a trap... and he's the bait!
Redbeard roars with laughter as Jeanne yells back --
JEANNE
I take pity on your soul,
Englishman!
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
Redbeard checks the reloading of the balista...
REDBEARD
What the matter? Frightened of a
little English stuffing?
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Jeanne gently puts her arm around her horse's neck,
whispering to it...
JEANNE
We must both be brave...
She kisses it lightly, then grabs her banner from Louis,
calling out to the others --
JEANNE
When you see my banner touch the
door, the fortress is ours!
... and away she rides, across the drawbridge, still piled
with the slaughtered men from the first attack.
REDBEARD
... and... fire!!
Another volley of arrows discharges from the portcullis
and Jeanne's horse collapses. The English cheer...
INT. TOURELLES - TURRET - DAY
From his garret window high above, Glasdale sees Jeanne
spread-eagled next to her dead horse on the drawbridge
below. He turns to his servant with a grin...
GLASDALE
This time she won't be back.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Aulon gapes in horror... but then suddenly Jeanne is back
up on her feet again. Gripping her banner, she dashes
forward toward the portcullis, implanting it just as
Redbeard opens a little sliding grille -- Jeanne jabs her
banner through --
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
... impaling Redbeard's skull on the far side! His body
crumples to the ground, wedged between the base of the
portcullis and the balista.
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Jeanne runs back across the drawbridge, crying out...
JEANNE
The place is ours!
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
Inside the Tourelles, the English try to operate the
reloaded balista. But Redbeard's corpse is wedged so
tightly that they can't move it...
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
Jeanne moves aside as La Hire and his men heave the carts
laden with tree-trunk battering-rams across the bridge...
INT. TOURELLES - TURRET - DAY
Glasdale has seen enough...
INT. TOURELLES - DAY
... He tears down into the courtyard, mustering soldiers
as he goes --
GLASDALE
To arms! To arms!
With a triumphant battle-cry, the French charge their
battering-ram into the portcullis...
EXT. TOURELLES - COMPLEX - DAY
... demolishing it like matchwood, then storm inside the
fortress. Glasdale cries out to his troops --
GLASDALE
Soldiers... In the name of the king,
I want you to kill these French dogs
until there's none left!
The English troops swarm either side of the broken
portcullis, forcing most of the French back onto the
battery...
EXT. TOURELLES - BATTERY - DAY
La Hire lets out a blood-curdling, primeval war-cry and
charges forward to meet the English wave head on. Jeanne
is caught in the middle, buffeted from side to side by a
sea of heaving, sweating, bleeding bodies...
In this melee it is impossible to know who is friend or
foe, and the images become so blurred that we and Jeanne
are soon lost in a mist of dust and noise...
EXT. TOURELLES - DREAM - DAY
FLASH: our eyes are momentarily blinded by the sun... and
when we return, we find Jeanne in the middle of the
battery, but now totally alone, weaving her sword through
the air in SLOW MOTION as she once did with her stick...
EXT. FIELD - DREAM - DAY/NIGHT
FLASH: Jeanne is still weaving the air with her sword,
but she is now a little girl of eight, playing in the
field we first saw her in. The small BOY looks at her,
smiling...
FLASH: Jeanne continues to play, but is now 17, and the
boy is now a young MAN, still smiling. He calls out to
her.
MAN
Jeanne... what are you doing?
JEANNE
Playing...
She sweeps her sword and decapitates a flower. Blood
flows from the stalk... Jeanne looks at it, more in
childish curiosity than astonishment or horror. She
looks at the sword, the blade now streaked with blood...
MAN
Jeanne... what are you doing?
Jeanne pauses, looks at him steadily... and suddenly
notices that blood is trickling down his face. A SHAFT OF
LIGHT blazes, wind billows... and suddenly it's winter,
the trees naked, heavy with snow...
MAN
What have you done to me, Jeanne?
Jeanne looks horrified. The Man puts his hands to her
face, gazing deep into her eyes...
MAN
What have you done to me?
JEANNE
I -- I -- I...
EXT. TOURELLES - COURTYARD - DAY
Jeanne is screaming at Aulon, who is gripping her blood-
splattered face as the Man did...
AULON
Jeanne, calm down, do you hear me?
Are you alright?
JEANNE
Yes...
AULON
It's over, Jeanne. We won, just as
you said!
Jeanne looks about her in a daze. La Hire strides over,
arms extended, extravagant as always --
LA HIRE
Jeanne, come here my friend, my
soldier... in my arms!
Jeanne starts laughing -- she can't believe it...
JEANNE
We... won?!
LA HIRE
Won?! Such a small word will never
do! This is victory, Jeanne, this
is... glory!
He scoops her up in his bear-like arms like an ebullient
lover, both laughing in the moment. He slowly turns her
around, breathing in a great lungful of air and savoring
the smell of what Jeanne now sees over his shoulder: the
entire courtyard, knee-deep in bodies and bits of bodies
-- including the gallant Xaintrailles.
Jeanne too can smell the reek of fresh, warm gore. Her
laugh turns to a cry of anguish. La Hire sets her back
down...
LA HIRE
Jeanne -- what's the matter??
Jeanne is utterly horrified... her legs tremble... amber
liquid trickles down her armor...
JEANNE
You call this... glory...? All
this... this blood... this smell
of...
LA HIRE
... the smell of victory, Jeanne!
Mmmmmmm! I love it!
JEANNE
It's not possible...
Jeanne sees a French soldier of meager wit, hauling a
dying English soldier onto his knees for some obscure
purpose.
GILLES
You look disappointed... Isn't this
what you wanted?
JEANNE
No... not like this...
GILLES
For weeks you've been asking for
this... well now you have it!
The Soldier is about to smash the Englishman's mouth with
a mace. Jeanne snaps out of her momentary stupor and
races across, stumbling over the dead bodies...
JEANNE
Stop it! What are you doing?
SOLDIER
Nothing... just taking his teeth.
JEANNE
But you can't just kill a man for
his teeth!
SOLDIER
Why not? He has good teeth...
JEANNE
Because... because you just can't!
GILLES
Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth...
Jeanne ignores the laconic Gilles...
SOLDIER
Besides, what about these...?
JEANNE
That's different... I mean... we
were fighting for a... for a cause!
Gilles grins, but La Hire looks genuinely bemused at
Jeanne's behavior. The soldier shrugs, unimpressed.
SOLDIER
Not me. He's my prisoner... I can
take his teeth if I want to...
He is about to smash the teeth...
JEANNE
No!
She throws herself in front of the startled Frenchman.
JEANNE
Take mine instead -- here -- smash
mine first!
LA HIRE
Jeanne... get up... this is
ridiculous...
JEANNE
If you kill him, you kill me!
GILLES
Jeanne... let him do it. One more
dead body's not going to make any
difference, so who cares?
JEANNE
I care! And I care because God
cares! All life is precious to God
-- even his -- even yours and
mine...
LA HIRE
Jeanne... the man hasn't been paid
for six months -- that's his only
reward. Let him take a few teeth...
JEANNE
A few teeth... that's the price of
his life?
SOLDIER
Yeah...
JEANNE
Here -- take this instead.
She wrenches a ring from her finger and flings it at the
soldier.
JEANNE
He's mine now.
Jeanne cuts the Englishman's bonds...
JEANNE
Now you... get out.
The English soldier doesn't wait for further prompting.
Gilles claps...
GILLES
Bravo! What about all the other
hundreds of prisoners? Do we let
them go too?
JEANNE
Maybe... I don't know... but first
we have to confess...
INT. AUGUSTINE MONASTERY - DAY
Jeanne marches her blood-splattered captains into the
church and up the aisle toward the rubble-strewn altar.
She sees a terrified Franciscan PRIEST and grabs hold of
him...
JEANNE
Please... we have to be confessed...
all of us... now! I know it's not
normal custom, but sometimes... you
know... we have to make an exception
and... and today is an exception...
The Priest looks confounded. Jeanne turns to the
Captains.
JEANNE
He's going to confess us. Kneel!
All but La Hire kneel, although their armor is stiff at
the joints.
LA HIRE
Jeanne, if you don't mind... I'll
stay standing... this armor... it's
a nightmare to get back up...
JEANNE
I said, kneel!
Jeanne raises her sword and brings the flat blade whacking
against the back of his legs. La Hire crumples, and
Jeanne turns to the Priest...
JEANNE
Please... we're ready... begin!
The Priest is totally lost... he begins to mumble a few
words in Latin just as a soldier burst in --
SOLDIER
(breathless)
The English... they're forming up...
thousands of them... on the far side
of the river...
The Captains look anxiously at Jeanne. She hesitates a
moment, then gazes up at the battered crucifix on the
altar and closes her eyes in prayer...
EXT. NORTH PLATEAU - ORLEANS - DAWN
Jeanne opens her eyes. It is dawn, and two silent armies
are drawn up facing one another: four thousand Englishmen
on the left, two thousand Frenchmen on the right. They
have barely had time to recover from the Tourelles, and
the lust for battle is gone. We sense that this is going
to be a blood bath that nobody wants.
Franciscan monks move among them, sprinkling them with
holy water in final absolution. The battle lines are too
far apart for the English to see any details, but the
sight of massed soldiers kneeling before an invisible God
is an awesome spectacle.
Jeanne and the Captains are mounted, facing the English.
DUNOIS
Well...? Shall we go?
JEANNE
Not yet.
DUNOIS
The English won't wait.
Jeanne hesitates...
JEANNE
I'll go.
AULON
Jeanne, no...
But Dunois silences him, indicating to Gilles that he
should accompany her.
JEANNE
Alone.
Dunois is again obliged to comply, and Gilles hangs back.
From the English lines, we see a small, solitary figure
emerge from the massed ranks of French soldiers.
Jeanne moves halfway between the two armies. The English
soldiers watch her, mesmerized, while their captains
remain motionless.
In the middle of the field, Jeanne halts. From the French
POV she looks dangerously vulnerable. The English
commander -- TALBOT -- draws up alongside his Captains,
watching her with grey eyes and an expression of stone.
Only we see that Jeanne is crying. She rubs the tears
away.
JEANNE
I have a message for your King
Henry. It is a message from God.
The English stand silent.
JEANNE
Go home... Go now, in peace. If you
don't go now, you will be buried in
this field. I've seen enough blood
for today, but if you want more, I
can't stop you. I can only warn you
that it will be your blood, not
ours.
Talbot whispers something to one of his Captains. He
withdraws to pass the message on. Jeanne -- and her
French captains -- try to gauge the English mood.
JEANNE
I'm waiting for your answer.
Now the English Captains start moving along their flanks.
Something's about to happen. Dunois and the French watch
in dismay as the English flanks move aside, exposing their
dreaded archers. Jeanne closes her eyes, tears brimming.
JEANNE
Please, Lord... don't... don't let
this happen... don't leave me...
The English archers take a step back, their cavalry move
slowly forward, then turn to their right, the men letting
them through. Dunois turns to La Hire...
DUNOIS
Never wait for miracles. Stand by
to attack...
The serried ranks of English infantry close in, then halt.
We're ready for the worst, and it takes Jeanne -- and us
-- a full twenty seconds to realize what is happening:
the English are leaving. First the cavalry, then the
infantry, finally the archers themselves.
Jeanne cannot believe her eyes. She burst out laughing
and crying at the same time. The French captains gape in
astonishment. Finally La Hire can contain himself no
longer --
LA HIRE
By God and all the saints... now
that's what I call a bloody miracle!
The French burst into jubilation...
INT. CHINON CASTLE - DAY
As the cheering builds, we see a Messenger race along a
corridor and burst into the throne room. Charles slowly
rises on hearing the joyous news, clapping his hands in
delight -- not least at the discomfort of Tremoille and
Regnault. But Yolande shares his enthusiasm, although we
sense that the news comes as no great surprise.
INT. ROUEN CASTLE - DAY
The cheering continues as another Messenger races along a
similar stone corridor and bursts in on the haggard Duke
of BEDFORD. He is the English regent, and is in council
with several others, including the Bishop of Beauvais --
one Pierre CAUCHON. As Bedford hears the news, the
cheering FADES. He rises from his chair...
BEDFORD
I want that girl. I want her
burned.
EXT. STREET - RHEIMS - DAY
The crowd goes wild as Jeanne rides through the streets of
Rheims, carrying her banner in triumph. She is followed
by Aulon and her two page boys, and is accompanied by
soldiers who do their best to hold the ecstatic crowd at
bay. At the far end of the street: a magnificent
cathedral.
INT. VESTRY - RHEIMS CATHEDRAL - DAY
Backstage pandemonium as Charles is readied for his
imminent coronation. A glamorous Gilles tries to help him
into his ermine robe; Tremoille stands with Archbishop
Regnault, adjusting his gold-trimmed cloak. An ancient
BISHOP -- palsied and pushing 80 -- stands by, hands
a-trembling.
CHARLES
It's too tight -- where's the
seamstress? And that...
(pointing to crown)
... that's meant to be a crown?
Don't you have something more --
more regal?
A young Priest is holding the dowdy crown...
PRIEST
The English took the real one...
CHARLES
I asked for a grandiose coronation,
and this is what you give me? This
whole thing's going to be a complete
fiasco...!
BISHOP
Sire, we were only given three days
to prepare -- three days! -- Why,
your father's coronation took three
months!
Charles turns to Tremoille --
CHARLES
He's probably right -- let's call a
delay...
TREMOILLE
There's no time, sire -- we can't
hold up the ceremony... there's no
telling when the English might come
back... they're only ten leagues
away...
CHARLES
Let them come! Let them see who's
the true king of France!
Further away, Dunois is examining himself in a looking-
glass. He is standing with Gilles de Rais, both
resplendent in their armor, now cleaned and polished...
DUNOIS
It's been muddy for so long, I
forgot how good it looked when
cleaned up...
LA HIRE
Did you remember to clean up what's
inside as well?
Dunois ribs him with his elbow, both laughing. In another
corner, Alencon is fast asleep.
Charles is still grumbling...
CHARLES
Those damn English... we should be
doing this in Paris... in Notre Dame
-- much more prestigious -- and
twice as big as this one!
Yolande, who has been standing quietly in the shadows with
Richmond, steps forward...
YOLANDE
It is the sacred place that matters,
Charles -- not the size. Am I
correct, Bishop?
BISHOP
Oh yes, my lady. All true kings of
France must first be anointed in our
great cathedral of Rheims... with
the holy oil of Clovis... for it was
within these very walls that Saint
Remy received the sacred oil from
Heaven, brought to him by a white
dove for the anointing of King
Clovis...
TREMOILLE
Yes, yes -- well let's just get on
with it, shall we?
GILLES
... befo
