cinemabon
01-12-2005, 12:43 PM
The Fifth Element – Ultimate Edition (2005)
A review by cinemabon
This highly esoteric sci-fi thriller comedy drama is the brainchild of French director Luc Besson. He had conceived of the story and began to write the screenplay seven years before cameras began to roll. Besson was an avid reader of comics and admired the works of Jean Claude Mezieres and Jean Giraud, the later artist better known to avid comic readers as Mobius. The two, along with others in their field, started the now famous, Metal Hurlant in 1972. Readers in America call it, Heavy Metal. Besson contacted the two French artists in 1993 with the idea of coming up with design art for a film called, “Zaltman Blarous,” a factory worker in New York set 300 years into the future. Zaltman was supposed to save the world the way most comic book heroes do. A year later, the design team had a created a future so interesting, Besson completely changed the script and rewrote the film.
Out of that concept came “The Fifth Element,” a radically different approach based on the idea a perfect being, free of sin, would stop the ultimate evil that moves through the universe every 5,000 years spreading chaos and destruction (starting with Earth, of course). Zaltman segued into Korban Dallas, perfectly suited for archetype Bruce Willis. Korban drives a floating taxi in New York City, where the buildings are so tall, the ground floor is permanently submerged in a fog. The plot has many twists and turns as the fight for evil takes the viewer from New York to places like Phlostan Paradise, a cruise ship whose size can only be described as gargantuan. Battling not only a spiritual evil (the size of a planet) but the rather fierce cold-hearted Gary Oldman as Zorg (he has played his share of villains, hasn’t he), the ruthless CEO of the largest corporation on the planet. Zorg also happens to be in league with Mr. Shadow (evil itself). Milla Jojovich, who had admired Besson’s “La Femme Nikita,” was eager to be signed onto the project at the tender age of 19. She studied with Besson for months on getting the accent of LeeLoo right, studying martial arts, and working on her characterization, which is so pivotal for the film’s authenticity.
Bring to the table Jean-Paul Gaultier, French clothing designer, to help place the polishing touches to this visual futuristic feast. Chris Tucker states that once he put on the costumes, his character of DJ Ruby Rhod seemed to jump out from him (based on a cross between Michael Jackson and Prince according to Tucker). There are obvious intimations making his name Ruby Rhod and giving him a phallic haircut on his head. All of this adds up to a dazzling vision, offbeat hilarity, and a breath of fresh air in the science fiction cinema genre. The new 2-disc DVD release yesterday (January 11, 2005) has six twenty minute shorts revealing the background of the film (missing are contributions from Oldman or Ian Holm, portraying the comical priest). The feature pix is clean, the colors perfectly balanced, and the sound is clear. Many of those who write film criticism for the science fiction community feel this is Luc Besson’s best film to date. I’m inclined to agree. Besson has since turned mostly toward being a film producer with no less than 18 projects due out between now and 2006.
A review by cinemabon
This highly esoteric sci-fi thriller comedy drama is the brainchild of French director Luc Besson. He had conceived of the story and began to write the screenplay seven years before cameras began to roll. Besson was an avid reader of comics and admired the works of Jean Claude Mezieres and Jean Giraud, the later artist better known to avid comic readers as Mobius. The two, along with others in their field, started the now famous, Metal Hurlant in 1972. Readers in America call it, Heavy Metal. Besson contacted the two French artists in 1993 with the idea of coming up with design art for a film called, “Zaltman Blarous,” a factory worker in New York set 300 years into the future. Zaltman was supposed to save the world the way most comic book heroes do. A year later, the design team had a created a future so interesting, Besson completely changed the script and rewrote the film.
Out of that concept came “The Fifth Element,” a radically different approach based on the idea a perfect being, free of sin, would stop the ultimate evil that moves through the universe every 5,000 years spreading chaos and destruction (starting with Earth, of course). Zaltman segued into Korban Dallas, perfectly suited for archetype Bruce Willis. Korban drives a floating taxi in New York City, where the buildings are so tall, the ground floor is permanently submerged in a fog. The plot has many twists and turns as the fight for evil takes the viewer from New York to places like Phlostan Paradise, a cruise ship whose size can only be described as gargantuan. Battling not only a spiritual evil (the size of a planet) but the rather fierce cold-hearted Gary Oldman as Zorg (he has played his share of villains, hasn’t he), the ruthless CEO of the largest corporation on the planet. Zorg also happens to be in league with Mr. Shadow (evil itself). Milla Jojovich, who had admired Besson’s “La Femme Nikita,” was eager to be signed onto the project at the tender age of 19. She studied with Besson for months on getting the accent of LeeLoo right, studying martial arts, and working on her characterization, which is so pivotal for the film’s authenticity.
Bring to the table Jean-Paul Gaultier, French clothing designer, to help place the polishing touches to this visual futuristic feast. Chris Tucker states that once he put on the costumes, his character of DJ Ruby Rhod seemed to jump out from him (based on a cross between Michael Jackson and Prince according to Tucker). There are obvious intimations making his name Ruby Rhod and giving him a phallic haircut on his head. All of this adds up to a dazzling vision, offbeat hilarity, and a breath of fresh air in the science fiction cinema genre. The new 2-disc DVD release yesterday (January 11, 2005) has six twenty minute shorts revealing the background of the film (missing are contributions from Oldman or Ian Holm, portraying the comical priest). The feature pix is clean, the colors perfectly balanced, and the sound is clear. Many of those who write film criticism for the science fiction community feel this is Luc Besson’s best film to date. I’m inclined to agree. Besson has since turned mostly toward being a film producer with no less than 18 projects due out between now and 2006.