Luc Besson wrote the story of what would become "The fifth element" when he was sixteen years old. This teenage enthusiasm is evident in every aspect of the film, from its glamorous visuals, to its comedy with its often preposterous character. Although the film is in English, it is French from head to toe. "The fifth element" is, simply, science fiction à la française.
Every five thousand years, evil threatens the universe. The only way to stop it is though five elements: the classic four known to anyone who has watched "Avatar:The Last Airbender" (by this I mean fire, water, air and earth, here represented by four stones), and one fifth, that is so rare one has to rely on utter luck to find it. This is what happens to Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), former army Major and taxi driver extraordinaire. This fifth element is an alien being called Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), that escapes from the laboratory she is held captive and jumps into the void, only to be saved by landing on the taxi's roof.
When combined with the other four, this fifth element can prevent evil from destroying the Earth. This is something that the authorities know, and charge Dallas with saving it. It sounds simple, but it is not, when you have an evil megalomaniac, Mr. Zorg (Gary Oldman) chasing you for the stones, while some egoistic alien merchants, the Mangalores, want them as their own and are after him. This is the perfect recipe for what will be a succession of misunderstandings, surprises, and lavish spectacles, that even include a dance show starring a DJ.
"The fifth element" is surely not a comedy, rather a tongue-in-cheek action film. The action sequences are thrilling, with Willis shining due to both his physical and his acting performance, his reserved, serious attitude coming in stark contrast to the takes he has to fulfill. The chase for the famed fifth element catches the viewer's attention from the first scenes, and the excellent Milla Jovovich as Leeloo serves the film perfectly, evolving from an innocent alien being to an experienced, capable heroine that occupies the screen and overshadows all others in her presence. Willis and her make a memorable pair, that combines the former's distant, cold rational nature and her more sentimental personality.
Gary Oldman as the villain is the definition of kitsch, always dressed in luxurious outfits, visible from meters away, and his portrayal of Mr. Zorg transcends the limits of caricature and becomes rather a parody of classic science fiction nemeses. The comical aspect of the film is further reinforced through the hilarious Tom Lister Jr. Incarnating the President of this world, who doesn't only offer some great comedic scenes involving his ever-present family, but also is Besson's way of relentlessly satirising modern political leaders. That all this happens in a science fiction film just goes on to show the director's many aspects.
The comedic and ironic characteristic of "The fifth element" contribute in giving it a human side, which is what makes it resoundingly European. Even better, the film is dominated by its cinéma du look nature: magnificent scenery, Gaultier costumes conceived in another planet, and plenty of colour. The universe is like a canvas, which Besson has painted in the best way possible with his cinematic palette, a quality that he had already shown in his "Le grand bleu" nine years ago. But here it is not the sea that is explored in its preexistent beauty: Everything we see is a product of Besson's imagination, one that truly amazes sometimes.
"The fifth element" is there to see, not to analyse. It is mostly a feast for the eyes, replacing with visual excellence what is lacking in substance. Besson has, with films like that, abandoned his auteur beginnings and become one of the most commercial French directors. But his way of going commercial often transcends his compatriots' one and becomes something unique. "The fifth element" is such a case, something that renders it all the more better.
Every five thousand years, evil threatens the universe. The only way to stop it is though five elements: the classic four known to anyone who has watched "Avatar:The Last Airbender" (by this I mean fire, water, air and earth, here represented by four stones), and one fifth, that is so rare one has to rely on utter luck to find it. This is what happens to Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), former army Major and taxi driver extraordinaire. This fifth element is an alien being called Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), that escapes from the laboratory she is held captive and jumps into the void, only to be saved by landing on the taxi's roof.
When combined with the other four, this fifth element can prevent evil from destroying the Earth. This is something that the authorities know, and charge Dallas with saving it. It sounds simple, but it is not, when you have an evil megalomaniac, Mr. Zorg (Gary Oldman) chasing you for the stones, while some egoistic alien merchants, the Mangalores, want them as their own and are after him. This is the perfect recipe for what will be a succession of misunderstandings, surprises, and lavish spectacles, that even include a dance show starring a DJ.
"The fifth element" is surely not a comedy, rather a tongue-in-cheek action film. The action sequences are thrilling, with Willis shining due to both his physical and his acting performance, his reserved, serious attitude coming in stark contrast to the takes he has to fulfill. The chase for the famed fifth element catches the viewer's attention from the first scenes, and the excellent Milla Jovovich as Leeloo serves the film perfectly, evolving from an innocent alien being to an experienced, capable heroine that occupies the screen and overshadows all others in her presence. Willis and her make a memorable pair, that combines the former's distant, cold rational nature and her more sentimental personality.
Gary Oldman as the villain is the definition of kitsch, always dressed in luxurious outfits, visible from meters away, and his portrayal of Mr. Zorg transcends the limits of caricature and becomes rather a parody of classic science fiction nemeses. The comical aspect of the film is further reinforced through the hilarious Tom Lister Jr. Incarnating the President of this world, who doesn't only offer some great comedic scenes involving his ever-present family, but also is Besson's way of relentlessly satirising modern political leaders. That all this happens in a science fiction film just goes on to show the director's many aspects.
The comedic and ironic characteristic of "The fifth element" contribute in giving it a human side, which is what makes it resoundingly European. Even better, the film is dominated by its cinéma du look nature: magnificent scenery, Gaultier costumes conceived in another planet, and plenty of colour. The universe is like a canvas, which Besson has painted in the best way possible with his cinematic palette, a quality that he had already shown in his "Le grand bleu" nine years ago. But here it is not the sea that is explored in its preexistent beauty: Everything we see is a product of Besson's imagination, one that truly amazes sometimes.
"The fifth element" is there to see, not to analyse. It is mostly a feast for the eyes, replacing with visual excellence what is lacking in substance. Besson has, with films like that, abandoned his auteur beginnings and become one of the most commercial French directors. But his way of going commercial often transcends his compatriots' one and becomes something unique. "The fifth element" is such a case, something that renders it all the more better.