The Fifth Element is a futuristic zany sci-fi film released in 1997 directed by Luc Besson.
The plot centers around a cab driver called Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) upon whom a fare literally drops in from the heavens. She asks to be taken to a priest - Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) who tells Korben that
this woman is the Fifth Element.
The Fifth Element is Leeloo (Mila Jovovich) - a Supreme Being who was been created in human form to somehow to fight off 'something' all powerful and evil.
This evil entity called Mr Shadow is using Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman) a weapons inventor/dealer to try and prevent this from happening.
Korben ends up on Leeloo's mission to go find the four elemental stones (representing Earth, Wind, Fire and Water) and we are off on our crazy adventure!
It was very well reviewed with a score of 7.6/10 on IMDB and 71% on Rotten Tomatoes. What's more impressive however is it's impact on future film
making and it's massive cult following amongst generations of fans, sparking many cosplays and memes.
"Multipass!"
Fifth Element was the first sci-fi film that really stuck with me growing up. I remember the first time I watched it was just before going to a birthday party when I was probably around 8, and
for the entire party I was constantly distracted thinking about the film and it's visuals. Leeloo's bright orange hair, Zorg's perspex helmet piece, the golden alien armour suits of the Mondoshawans
in the intro scene, the use of rubber, latex and other new materials to me that I had never seen used as clothing. I was completely obsessed.
"Aziz! Light!"
It was also one of the first times I saw such a strong but also fragile female main character. She was literally supposed to be symbol of perfection, strength and beauty, yet
she had moments of weakness too. She also knew nothing about the world which she was expected to save. The beginning of the film is mainly focused around her learning about all
the wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) inventions of the future, which is a shared experience with the audience. She starts by speed reading an encyclopedia (also one of my favourite pastimes).
Leeloo also spoke an ancient language and couldn't communicate with anyone around her, until she meets
Cornelius. This was so relatable to me (except the priest bit), a little (undiagnosed) autistic girl who had no idea what to do at birthday parties, life was full of social inventions I didn't understand
and everyone seemed to be speaking a different language to me.
The soundtrack is also so original and still sounds fantastic today. One of the most famous scenes is a concert on the Fhloston Paradise cruise space ship where a blue alien is singing this operatic number, perfectly timed with Leeloo kicking ass against some alien
mercenaries. It is one of the most satisfying pieces of film making you will ever see.
I can't write a fan page about The Fifth Element without mentioning the performance of Gary Oldman. Most kids probably remember Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, but to me he was always
Emanuel Zorg. A standout scene is when he chokes on a cherry and is asking Cornelius for help, who just stands there for a while taunting him before finally slapping him on the back. (Fun fact, there is a type of cherry called a Cornelian!) Little did
he know if he had let Zorg die then he could have avoided the entire battle (and therefore the plot of the film) and saved many lives. It also fits with the films theme of people being powerful whilst also being so vulnerable. Any of us, even arms dealers or dictators can be
floored at any time by just a small cherry - as Cornelius says.
"How your entire empire of destruction comes crashing down all because of one, little cherry."
Zorg of course reminds everyone how menacingly evil (yet hilarious) he is
"You're a monster, Zorg."
"I know."
There are SO MANY good scenes with Zorg, another of my favourites when the Mangalores (his alien mercenaries) fail to find him the stones.
"A case with four stones in it! Not one or two or three but four! Four stones! What the hell am I supposed to do with an empty case?"
Near the end of the film, once Leeloo learns about humanity's history and the atomic bomb from the encylopedia, and after getting injured she wants to give up. She feels that perhaps humanity isn't worth saving if they have created and used such immense
powers of destruction. Korben Dallas (who was obviously in love with her from the moment he sees her) reminds her that she hasn't yet reached L, and L is for love, and love IS worth saving. Ah those feels.
"You humans act so strange. Everything you create is used to destroy."
"I don't know love. I was built to protect, not to love."
If you have read this far thank you indulging my little special interest! I love this film with all my heart and know the script almost word for word (which annoys everyone who I watch it with XD). If you haven't seen I hope you'll give it a try!
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