WITH Fifth Element, a curious phenomenon occurs. Despite the fact that more than a quarter of a century has passed since its release, Luc Besson’s film continues to be an important milestone in science fiction. Moreover, it is solid because it is not limited solely to its story, a premise that ranges from religion to philosophy in the surreal setting of a universe in peril. At the same time, we are talking about many factors that made the film iconic. From her aesthetics, outlandish characters, to the iconic image of Milla Jovovich, who has become an icon of the unconventional heroine. The production spans multiple scenarios, territories and offerings that make it unique.
Beyond that, they turn it into a psychedelic world that is still new. The plot of how Leela Multipass (Jovovich) manages to prevent the destruction of all known worlds through love could have been corny and sentimental. But Luc Besson, who came up with the plot as a teenager, knew how to turn the entire story into a journey of a brilliant hero. Moreover, in a colorful epic that took his character to some of the most extravagant and innovative places in modern science fiction. This futuristic world with its decrepit air, in which they rule the Earth under the leadership of one leader and face to face with the evil of a conscious planet, surprises.
He also does this by turning his entire proposal into an elaborate script through which the director’s core obsessions are run. Who, of course, also writes the script. Dan Weil’s production design recreates a distant future that bears obvious similarities to what Ridley Scott envisioned in Blade Runner (1984). However, where Scott emphasized gloom and pessimism, Weil came to the opposite conclusion. So this space, full of ships, colorful advertisements, space travelers from all over the cosmos, monks going on a rescue mission, and a messiah wearing white belts, is a great successful experiment. To the above it should be added that Fifth Elementhas an aesthetic, sensual and provocative part that still seems brilliant today. And all this thanks to the costume design created by the hand of couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier.
A complex world that still surprises
One of the peaks of Besson’s film is the director’s attempt to give a breath of fresh air to science fiction. By the late 1990s, most of the genre’s offerings were closer to horror or melancholy. with sagas Stranger, Terminator And Cube turned into icons, dystopian visions began to recur. Much more so, images of destroyed or about to be destroyed landscapes and promises of a future in ruins.
But Besson, who wrote and rewrote his film more than a dozen times since his teens, was not content with a pessimistic view of the future. Thus he gave his world the vitality of vibrant tones and a cosmos overpopulated with all kinds of exotic creatures. Bearing some resemblance to Star Wars at its best, Fifth Element, resembles a grown-up version of George Lucas’s work. However, for Besson, the question of Space Opera – and its usual themes – did not correspond to what he wanted to say. So his film is more of a work spanning multiple points of view than a tribute to any larger universe.
Tell a new story
From the opening scenes, which explore pseudoscientific mythology combined with philosophy and religion, to the promise of Leelu’s mysterious arrival. The film includes a premise that becomes more complex and rich as it goes on. It was important for Besson that his film avoid specific themes, or at least that it was so universal that all the symbolism it used made sense.
So before worrying about war, Leelu must fight a sentient planet that also embodies evil. And this along with his worldly, practical and always efficient partner Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), who will eventually become his love interest. Because, in the end, this unique character fights for an ideal that is valid at all times: love.
The main themes of The Fifth Element
Perhaps it is because of this subtext – simple but far from superficial – that the film works as a mechanism for curious points of view. On the one hand, the script is exciting and focuses its attention on Sorg (Gary Oldman in one of his strangest roles). He is an industrialist who seems to embody all the corporate ills and problems that can only be transferred to the cosmic world. Which allows the film to think – in many ways – about good and evil, very human and recognizable in any era.
Gradually, this concept of evil becomes associated with the danger that the planet’s president, Lindbergh (Tom Lister Jr.), has to deal with. The latter embodies influence, a certain malice when it comes to legislation, and interests that go beyond the common good. There is even a third faction, whose face was given by Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm).
Desperate to complete his mission, he in turn must consider whether it is worth saving a world doomed to disaster, apparently due to his own decisions. Thanks to this, every point in the film becomes what it seems. In the middle of a journey through New York, in the distance, two planets and, finally, our own dark regions.
An extraordinary heroine
But without a doubt, Lilu (Multipass) is the center of this story, full of metaphors, symbols and ambitions. A character halfway between a messiah and a superhero sums up everything Luc Besson wanted to tell in his film. But it also goes further. Like a figure created to support a premise that might be confusing, its arc is related to the strength of the argument. Thus, Lilu’s maturity (who learns everything she needs to know at an astonishing rate) is also how the script tells her story.
It is there that the director makes the decisions that he made Fifth Element, a combination of clever decisions to tell a similar story. From the fact that Lilu speaks a 400-word language invented by Bresson for his cinematic creation, to her resemblance to Joan of Arc. This, passing through memorable scenes such as the now famous performance of Diva (Maïwenn Le Besco). The truth is that the film works because it tries to convey a message that works because of the many layers of mythology and detail.
Ahead of its time, with dark humor that is still relevant, and dozens of unexpected twists that make the plot touching and mysterious. Fifth Element ages well. But more than that, it celebrates science fiction in all its unpredictability and always newness. This is the greatest contribution to the genre and what makes its relevance lasting and important.
Source: Hiper Textual
