The Fifth Element (1997)
Directed by Luc Besson

Film Review

Having established himself as a world class director through his films The Big Blue, Nikita and Léon, French director Luc Besson took on his most ambitious project to date and created a film which quickly became one of the cult phenomena of the 1990s.  That film was The Fifth Element, an outlandish sci-fi comedy which set new standards in special effects and, with a budget of 160 million dollars, was the most expensive European film ever made at the time.  It easily wins its place along side such films as Star Wars, Blade Runner and Star Trek in terms of its contribution to the evolution of science fiction in cinema and the extent of its cult following.

The film originated from a story which Besson wrote when he was 17, and this probably explains the youthful freshness and naiveté which is such an essential ingredient of the plot.  This is not a sophisticated film from the point of either plot or characterisation (making it unpopular with the critics).  It is essentially just a lavish cartoon book brought to life with some very ingenious and lavish cinematography.

What makes this film so impressive is its stunning visuals, which include some of the most impressive special effects ever achieved.  This is a film that is constantly on the move, constantly surprising, and often hilariously funny.  For once, Besson's indulgence in O.T.T. action scenes works without any danger of undermining the credibility of the underlying story.  Besson is able to give his imagination total free rein in this fantasy film that has no boundaries, and, to his credit, he does precisely that.

Besson's cast serve him well, as ever.  Bruce Willis, one of Hollywood's finest, clearly relishes his role as the unwilling hero Korben Dallas, able to save the universe but always managing to stay on bad terms with his mother.  Former model Milla Jovovich is instantly eye-catching as the punk human form of the fifth element, although her character has very little to do apart from run around being shot at.  Ian Holm also turns in a fine performance with some nice comic touches as the mystic Cornelius, a kind of Ben Kenobi with chronic amnesia.  However, the film's star has to be Gary Oldman, who plays the deliciously wicked (and constantly thwarted) Mr Zorg.  As far as over-the-top villains come, you can't get more over-the-top than this.  Oldman's performance is almost heroic in its comic brilliance, shot through with a tinge of very human pathos.

Jean-Paul Gaultier's outrageous costumes (including Milla Jovovich's revealing outfit apparently made from strips of bandages) contribute much to the film's strong visual style.  This is a bizarre vision of the future, one where city congestion is now so bad that cars fly through the air and trains run up and down skyscrapers, although it is reassuring to know that McDonald's are still around.

Unlike serious science fiction films, The Fifth Element is not stifled by clumsy attempts to rationalise its plot.  Instead, its well-intentioned silliness makes such a rationalisation pointless.  The film makes no bones about the fact that it exists solely to entertain, and it does that magnificently.  This film, like Star Wars before it, is destined to become a classic.

Film Synopsis

In the year 2259, an unknown alien force threatens to engulf the planet Earth.  The only thing that can repel this evil are the Five Elements, donated to humanity at the dawn of antiquity by a race of alien benefactors.  These consist of four stone tablets, representing Air, Wind, Earth and Fire, and a mysterious fifth element which, when assembled, will save the world.  A washed out taxi driver, Korben Dallas, is recruited by the world's security forces to recover the four stone tablets, accompanied by the fifth element, in the form of a perfect human female named Leeloo.   The insanely evil industry magnate Mr Zorg is determined to stop him, believing that a bit of world-wide devastation might not be bad for business.  Zorg enlists the help of the ruthless gun-toting Mangalores to recover the stone tablets.  Time is running out...