The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
FADE IN:
FADE UP on ripples on the surface of a puddle. Slow PAN
UP:
the water becomes placid, and in it we see thereflection of an inverted CROSS on the top of a small
church. We move across the little churchyard and in
through the open doors.
Utter simplicity -- stone walls, rough-hewn wooden
benches, primitive saints in the stained-glass windows --
chickens peck among the straw that covers the earthen
floor.
INT. CONFESSIONAL BOX - CHURCH - DAY
A little wooden grill slides open and the friendly face of
the village PRIEST peers at us. He glances about,
perplexed.
PRIEST:
Is anybody there?
A small hand appears -- then the face of a girl aged about
10, peering up at him through the grill. The Priest
smiles a trifle wearily.
PRIEST:
You know I'm always happy to see
you, Jeanne, but to keep coming here
JEANNE:
I need to confess.
PRIEST:
But you already confessed this
morning...
JEANNE:
I need to confess again.
PRIEST:
So... alright. What terrible sin
have you committed since then that
can't wait till tomorrow to be
forgiven?
Jeanne climbs up on the prayer-stool to be tall enough to
look the Priest in the eye.
JEANNE:
I saw a poor monk without shoes so I
gave him some.
PRIEST:
There's no sin in charity, Jeanne.
JEANNE:
They weren't my shoes. Mine were
too small.
PRIEST:
Whose were they?
JEANNE:
My father's.
PRIEST:
I'm sure he'll forgive you.
JEANNE:
He already did, but I want God to
forgive me too.
PRIEST:
Jeanne -- if we were to ask
forgiveness all the time, we'd spend
our whole life in church.
JEANNE:
Is that bad?
PRIEST:
(perplexed)
Well no, but... Jeanne, are you
happy at home?
JEANNE:
Oh yes... very.
PRIEST:
And your mother -- everything's fine
with her?
JEANNE:
Oh yes, she's... wonderful.
FLASH:
we see Jeanne's peasant MOTHER, sitting by thefire, sewing. Their home is little more than a hovel -- a
low, dark cave of a place, traversed by a huge beam.
PRIEST:
Good, good. And your sister...
Catherine -- she's still your best
friend?
JEANNE:
Oh yes, my sister's just... she's...
wonderful.
FLASH:
Jeanne's sister CATHERINE (18) sits near hermother, spinning wool.
PRIEST:
And what about your other friends...
you don't like playing with them?
JEANNE:
Oh yes, I play with them... lots...
FLASH:
Jeanne is battling against some reeds with awooden stick under a full noonday sun. Not far away, a
group of kids are in the shadow of a huge tree, playing.
One of them watches Jeanne in the distance.
KID #1
What's she doing?
KID #2
Playing.
Resume on the Priest.
PRIEST:
So... everything sounds...
wonderful?
JEANNE:
Yes, it is.
PRIEST:
Then... why are you here so often?
JEANNE:
I feel safe here. And it's where I
can talk to him.
PRIEST:
Him?
JEANNE:
Well, I try and talk to him, but
mostly he's the one who does the
talking.
PRIEST:
Who is this "he"?
JEANNE:
He never says his name.
PRIEST:
What... does he... look like?
FLASH:
a little boy of 8, sitting on a throne in aclearing in a wood.
JEANNE:
Beautiful.
PRIEST:
And what does he say to you?
FLASH:
the Boy points solemnly at us, but says nothing.JEANNE:
He says... he says I must be good...
and help everyone... and take care
of myself. Do you think he's coming
from the sky?
PRIEST:
Perhaps... but wherever he comes
from, I think you should listen to
him, because it sounds like he's
giving you very good advice.
The Priest smiles, and Jeanne beams back at him. He
blesses her...
PRIEST:
Ego te absolvo, in nomine Patris, et
Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen.
Jeanne runs from the little church, the weight of her sins
now happily off her shoulders. Her reflection skips
across a little stream, then on through a meadow of
cowslips and buttercups and up the sloping hillside
beyond...
A hazy, summer dusk -- pollen floating in the shimmering
air... Jeanne swirls between the high elms, happy and
carefree -- it's all a little surreal -- are those church
bells in the distance? Or cow bells? Or merely the SOUND
of insects?
Jeanne swings round faster and faster, then tumbles over,
laughing, and lies on her back. She's dizzy and out of
breath. Above her, the clouds seeming to swirl as though
she were still spinning round...
The SOUND of the bells slows down, deepening... Her face
moves into shadow. Although not distinguishable as words
at this stage, there's an urgent whisper in the wind... a
strange echo that will eventually resolve into a call
"Jeanne...!"
Presently Jeanne turns and sees something glinting in the
long grass. A SWORD. The background SOUND of the bells
grows ominous. A shooting star silently flashes across
the sky -- then scores of them. She gets to her feet and
picks up the heavy sword. It's growing darker -- colder
-- the leaves have turned to autumn brown, now blown about
by a gust of wind.
Presently she sees a WOLF approaching, slowly but straight
toward her -- then two, three -- finally the whole pack.
She grips the sword, but can't use it -- too heavy, too
frightened. As the wolves approach, she closes her
eyes...
The wolves pass either side of her, as though oblivious to
her presence. When she opens her eyes, they have passed,
and are now heading along the forest track.
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
Jeanne follows the wolves along the track. They're
heading toward a red glow, visible beyond the trees. The
wolves disappear over a ridge, though all we can see for
the moment is the red sky beyond. But as Jeanne reaches
the edge, we move up with her to see...
... her village in the valley below, ablaze.
Panic -- screams -- crashing timbers -- animals stampeding
-- wolves drag corpses from gutted buildings -- and
through the midst of the tumult tears Jeanne, still
dragging the sword she found. She runs inside a farm
cottage...
INT. JEANNE'S HOME - NIGHT
The low, dark building we saw earlier -- now empty, lit by
the fires of the houses on the far side of the street.
Jeanne runs in, searching about --
JEANNE:
Mother...?
No response. She begins to panic -- runs through into a
smaller room beyond, calling out --
JEANNE:
Catherine?!
Suddenly a door swings open and a hand reaches out --
Jeanne screams, then turns to see her elder sister,
CATHERINE, who's been hiding in a cupboard...
CATHERINE:
Jeanne!
Catherine embraces her, hugging her in relief --
CATHERINE:
Are you alright? Did they hurt you?
JEANNE:
No no, I'm fine, really...
CATHERINE:
I was so worried -- we've all been
looking for you! The English are
everywhere! O thank you, lord!
She hugs her again -- then freezes, hearing the SOUND of
horses, the clanking of armor. But Jeanne hasn't heard...
JEANNE:
I was in church...
Catherine glances about, ears tuned...
CATHERINE:
Really?
JEANNE:
I was talking to the priest, and do
you know what he said to me?
Catherine puts her hand across Jeanne's mouth --
CATHERINE:
Shhh... tell me later...
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"The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_messenger:_the_story_of_joan_of_arc_715>.
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