The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

FADE IN:

EXT. CHURCH - DOMREMY - DAY

FADE UP on ripples on the surface of a puddle. Slow PAN

UP:
the water becomes placid, and in it we see the

reflection of an inverted CROSS on the top of a small

church. We move across the little churchyard and in

through the open doors.

INT. CHURCH - DOMREMY - DAY

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

twice, three times a day...

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 the

fire, 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 her

mother, 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 a

wooden 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 a

clearing 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.

EXT. CHURCH & STREAM - DAY

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...

EXT. MEADOW & WOOD - DUSK

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.

EXT. DOMREMY VILLAGE - NIGHT

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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