It is chaotic. It is loud. It is bright orange and neon blue. It is utterly, gloriously, French.
Luc Besson’s 1997 technicolor fever dream is neither of those things. It is loud, messy, chaotic, impossibly stylish, and utterly glorious. If you grew up in the 90s, this movie was likely a staple of your weekend VHS rotation. If you are discovering it for the first time in 2024, you are in for a wild ride. fifth element -1997-
Leeloo is a subversion of the "damsel in distress" trope. She is the "Supreme Being," physically superior to every human she encounters, capable of dismantling an army of aliens with her bare feet. Yet, she is emotionally a child, learning language and culture through a futuristic encyclopedia. It is chaotic
The genesis of The Fifth Element began long before cameras rolled. Luc Besson wrote the script while still a teenager, fascinated by the idea of a "perfect being" sent to save humanity. However, the visual language of the film owes everything to the distinct styles of French comic book artists Jean "Moebius" Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières. It is utterly, gloriously, French