Nikita (1990)
Directed by Luc Besson

Film Review

Although it has not aged particularly well, Nikita was one of the most influential films of the 1990s.  It further raised the profile of contraversial director Luc Besson and had great influence on subsequent films of this genre, on both sides of the Atlantic. Watching the film now, it does appear slow and cold in comparison to similar, more recent films, but it retains its power to grip, shock and surprise.

Admittedly, the plot is risible.  The idea that the French secret services are so desperate for agents that they would recruit psychopathic junkies is briefly amusing but blatantly absurd.  Similarly, Nikita's conversion from a police-hating, volatile, incoherent woman tramp to an elegant, obedient trained killer, with a moral conscience to boot, is more than a little unconvincing.  However, the film manages to rise above these problems by focusing not so much on the situation, but primarily on Nikita's changing perspective.

Nikita herself is played with great subtlety and conviction by actress Anne Parillaud.  The contrast between her portrayal of Nikita's various mood states is incredible, proving that she is an actress of no mean accomplishment.  You might easily believe that the part was played by too completely different actresses - the wild untamed killer and the tearful, hesitant trained assassin.

It is perhaps the quality of the acting performances more than anything which gives this film its impact and character.  Fans of Besson's later film, Léon, will be delighted with Jean Reno's similar role as the taciturn cleaner, Victor.  Nikita's mentor, Bob, and her boyfriend, Rico, are also played with great force by respectively Tchéky Karyo and Marc Duret.  There is also a fine cameo from the legendary actress Jeanne Moreau.

The action scenes are superbly directed, accompanied by some really eerie and atmospheric music from Eric Serra.  As in many of his films, Besson has a tendency to over-use graphic violence, which can have the effect of diminishing rather than augmenting the tension and drama.  Some of the killings do look more comic than sinister, suggesting the director is overly preoccupied with portraying gratuitous violence and using up tins of red paint than creating a convincing drama.

It is probably because the action scenes are so intense and energetic that the rest of the film does feel unbearably slow in places.  True, there are some very moving moments, particularly where Nikita struggles to come to terms with her predicament, having discovered love and reason to live.  However, throughout, there is a sense that something is missing, and the film's ending does feel like a bit of a cop out.

Nevertheless, in distinct contrast to the 1993 US remake Point of No Return (with Bridget Fonda in the Nikita role) and the mediocre La femme Nikita television series, Besson's film is overall an impressive and memorable piece of cinema, attaining a near cult status.

Film Synopsis

Nikita is the sole survivor of a bloody shoot out between police and a band of drug-crazed social dropouts.  Violently aggressive and mentally unstable, the young woman is taken into police custody, but soon find herself a prisoner in a secret government department.  She is offered a choice: to die for the crime she has committed, or to train to become a government assassin.  Not that she really has a choice...