The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Page #8

DUNOIS:

He's on the other side of the river.

Now La Hire and Gilles de Rais ride into view...

JEANNE:

So who gave the order to bring me to

this side of the river??

LA HIRE:

(calling to Dunois)

Hey, my friend! I'm glad to see

your ugly damn face again!

JEANNE:

La Hire, I'm warning you -- don't

swear!

LA HIRE:

Sorry Jeanne...

(to Dunois)

Did you both meet already?

DUNOIS:

Well... sort of...

GILLES:

(to Dunois, smiling)

She's quite something, huh?

LA HIRE:

Jeanne, let me introduce the king's

half brother, the dogged Lord

Dunois.

JEANNE:

Then, Lord Dunois, show me the way

to the other side of the river...

She starts to move as Jean d'Aulon rides up --

DUNOIS:

Wait, wait...

JEANNE:

For what?

DUNOIS:

Because... because -- I mean -- the

English have a broad sense of humor,

but... I mean, you don't

understand... to them you're a

witch, working for the devil. What

makes you think they'll listen to

you?

JEANNE:

Because if they don't, I'll raise

such a war-cry against them that

they will remember us forever!

DUNOIS:

Well. I'd love to see that, but

after taking counsel with my

captains, I felt it would be better

to first bring the food into the

city, then wait till Alencon arrives

with reinforcements before doing

anything.

JEANNE:

You may have been with your counsel,

but I've been with mine, and I'm

telling you, God's counsel is wiser

than yours, and he's telling me to

speak to the English -- now!

DUNOIS:

(matching her anger)

Fine -- go now if you want, but not

with me! You may have a duty to God

but I have a duty to my people, and

my people are starving! So right

now I'm going to take the food back

to the city, and if you can please

calm down, and let me accompany you

to Orleans, it will be my honor to

welcome you.

Gilles smiles at Jeanne's evident frustration.

EXT. EAST GATE - STREET & SQUARE - ORLEANS - DUSK

The battered east gate of Orleans swings open, and a

convoy of wagons enter the town, guarded by soldiers.

Jeanne and the Captains are on horseback, the remainder on

foot.

A group of hungry children spot the arrival, their eyes

widening at the sight of the food: beef, mutton,

chickens, sacks of grain, barrels of salted fish...

But most of the citizens are too starved and too weary to

show much excitement; hollow-eyed and emaciated, they have

the expressionless faces of concentration camp inmates.

La Hire is sickened at the sight...

LA HIRE:

Jesus Christ... the goddamn English

will pay for this!

JEANNE:

They will -- and so will you if you

go on swearing like that.

By the time the little procession has reached the main

square, a CROWD has gathered. Sluggishly they make way

for Jeanne and Dunois to ride between them...

Now the interest in Jeanne begins to warm up -- the CROWD

press in on her. Slowly at first, but with increasing

fervor, the pressure builds as the crowd try to touch

her.

CROWD:

Bless us, Jeanne...! Save us!

EXT. JEANNE'S HOUSE - ORLEANS - NIGHT

Soldiers push back the crowd, allowing Jeanne to reach a

large gabled house. As she dismounts, a woman runs

forward --

WOMAN:

Jeanne! Bless her -- touch her!

The woman holds up her BABY for Jeanne to touch.

JEANNE:

Touch her yourself... your touch is

just as good as mine.

WOMAN:

But... you've been sent by God!

JEANNE:

So has everyone.

Jeanne turns sharply away and walks inside the house,

followed by Aulon and the others.

INT. HQ - ORLEANS HOUSE - NIGHT

A frustrated Jeanne marches into Dunois' new war-room.

Dunois enters, followed by his Captains, and is happy to

see a model of Orleans...

DUNOIS:

La Hire, Gilles -- let me show you

something...

The Captains go into a huddle, leaving Jeanne smarting.

She looks out of the window, where the crowd is still

trying to catch a glimpse of her.

JEANNE:

Who do they think I am?!

AULON:

Jeanne, calm down. You can't blame

the people -- they've been hearing

all about you for weeks.

JEANNE:

There's nothing to hear -- I haven't

done anything. And why haven't I

done anything?

(turning to the

captains)

Because none of you will listen to

me!!

She shouts in frustration, and Dunois and the other

captains swing round. Dunois waits for the echo to die

away.

DUNOIS:

Would you like to join us? We're

about to discuss the campaign...

Jeanne walks over, still vexed. Using the model, Dunois

continues his situation briefing.

DUNOIS:

From here, Talbot has spread his

forces between these forts up here,

but in the last few days it seems --

according to our scouts -- that some

troops have been deployed to this

fort here -- which makes me think

that this is where they'll be

launching their attack from...

Dunois points to St. Loup -- a smaller fort to the east.

GILLES:

I would have thought they'd have

attacked from here, where Talbot is.

DUNOIS:

I doubt it. From here they won't be

able to utilize the river, whereas

over here the current will be with

them.

LA HIRE:

What about this huge pile down here?

DUNOIS:

That's the Tourelles. The English

were planning to launch an attack

from it, but then we broke down the

bridge, which should keep them quiet

for a while. My hunch is, the

attack will come from St. Loup.

He pauses, then turns to Jeanne, somewhat apprehensively.

GILLES:

And... what does Jeanne think?

JEANNE:

I don't think. I leave that to God.

I'm nothing in all this, I'm just

the messenger.

DUNOIS:

So... what is the message?

JEANNE:

We offer the English a last chance

to return home in peace. If they

refuse, we recross the river and

attack them here -- at the

Tourelles.

They all look astonished. Gilles grins.

DUNOIS:

Jeanne, that really makes no sense

at all. The Tourelles is virtually

impregnable... besides, if we're on

the other side of the river

attacking the Tourelles, what's to

stop Talbot attacking the city from

the north?

JEANNE:

God.

GILLES:

God... why of course -- we'd

forgotten about him! Strange, I

don't seem to remember seeing him at

Agincourt.

LA HIRE:

Damn right!

GILLES:

Oh, but I forgot! It was a

Sunday... that explains it. God's

day off.

They all laugh, apart from Aulon and the page boys.

JEANNE:

You know, I feel a great sorrow for

you, because you're laughing now,

but by tomorrow night some of you

will be dead and having to repeat

your jokes in front of God.

DUNOIS:

Jeanne, with respect -- we can't

just attack the Tourelles like that

-- it's a very complicated matter

and...

JEANNE:

What complicated about it? All you

have to do is do what you're told --

what could be simpler than that?

I'm the drum on which God is beating

out his message -- beating so loudly

it's bursting my ears -- but you're

all so full of your own voices,

you're deaf to His!

AULON:

Jeanne, be patient...

Jeanne turns on him --

JEANNE:

"Be patient, be patient"... is that

the only advice you can ever come up

with?? I've shown more patience

than a dozen saints!

DUNOIS:

Jeanne, you have to understand --

it's not easy for us -- I mean for

our pride -- to suddenly be usurped

by a -- well, with all due respect,

by a... girl.

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