nations and corruption that surrounded them at the time of each person's existence. These three individuals are Joan Of Arc, William Wallace, and Jesus Christ. We have on our powerful menu for this evening:
The Messenger: The Story of Joan Of Arc 1998, Braveheart 1995, and The Passion Of The Christ 2004
One word to describe this lineup of movies for the theme of embracing your own destiny is quite simply that it's powerful. Here we have three historical figures that appear larger than life and are driven by passion to get their messages across. Joan of Arcs mission was to unite the people of France and rise up against the English. William Wallace was about preaching to the Scottish that no one can stand between them and freedom, and that freedom always comes first and is worth fighting for. The message that Jesus of Nazareth left behind as seen in Passion is that you should love your enemies, no matter how badly they mistreat you, and there is no greater love than someone who lays down their life for another. The evening begins with Luc Besson's The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc starring Milla Jovovich, Dustin Hoffman, and John Malkovich. The story centers around a young 19 year old girl who receives a vision that drives her to unite the army of France against the English. The English serves as the antagonists for the majority of the marathon with them being the oppressors in The Messenger and Braveheart. Directed by Mel Gibson and winner of 5 academy awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, the story focuses on Mel Gibson's character William Wallace whose secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her. Upon realizing that she's been executed by the English, he sets out on a revolt and leads Scottish warriors against the cruel English tyrant that rules Scotland with an iron fist. The film carries a strong supporting cast among the likes of Sophie Marceau, Brian Cox, and Patrick McGoohan. What The Messenger and Braveheart have in common is their epic scope and theme. Both movies have a grand feel to them and are beautifully shot in terms of cinematography, art-set decoration and costume design. The antagonists are the same but the heroes differ in gender and motives. Whereas Joan of Arc is about rising the nation of France against the English, she ultimately is executed for being accused of witchcraft by the English. William Wallace suffers a similar fate by the English but not before delivering the powerful message of fighting for your freedom, and that being more important than anything else. The third and final movie of the evening is the most visually stunning yet brutal film of the night. Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ centers around the final 12 hours of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, covering his arrest, trial, torture, crucifixion, and ultimately his resurrection. Gibson emphasizes the brutality of Jesus death to drive home the message that he had for humanity when he was alive which was to love one another regardless of issues. Gibson gives brief moments into his life prior making us understand what his mission on Earth was, but places firm emphasis on the ultimate sacrifice he made for humanity. Nominated for three academy awards, Passion of the Christ remains one of the most controversial films of all time, and one of the biggest blockbusters and R rated films in history. Passion alone created the modern christian genre that runs rampant today and sparked interest in terms of christianity for many people. The film remains one of the cinemas greatest movie theater experiences as well as one of the most moving.
So what do the films ultimately say as a whole? The Messenger: The Story of Joan Of Arc says that following your destiny can be dangerous. Braveheart says that nothing is more important than freedom. The Passion Of The Christ ultimately says that no matter how badly people mistreat you, you should always forgive them and love them regardless.
Our heroes for this evening:
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