For Your Consideration - Films

The Fifth Element

Disclaimer’s:
This isn’t a review.
I love The Fifth Element and won’t hear a bad word against it.
I’m an absolute geek about this film.
I know most of the dialogue.

So, a couple of weeks ago one of our beloved cheese merchants declared that she had never seen one of the best sci fi films ever created. Now considering how many times it’s been on Channel 5 over the years that may come as a bit of a surprise to some, but it’s why you now find yourself now reading a blog post about my love for it.

So, what’s it’s about? (I promise to keep this bit short)

Well it’s about dreams, war, human nature, Mother Nature, perfection, power, Mangalore’s and Bruce Willis in vest. Set in the 23rd Century the film starts surprisingly in 1914 when a group of aliens called the Mondoshawan’s arrive on earth to extract the only weapon that can defeat The Great Evil – four stones that represent the four elements, earth, water, fire and air. So far so good right?

Wrong.

Because skip forward a couple of centuries to 2263 no less and all hell has broken loose in the form of The Great Evil returning, ably assisted by the Mangalore’s (shape shifting aliens) and a character Gary Oldham was born to play, Zorg. (Talking of actors born to play parts, Bruce Willis was born to play ex Special Forces soldier taxi driver Korben Dallas and Mila Jovovich excels as Leeloo or to give her her full name Leeloominai Lekatariba Lamina-Tchaï Ekbat De Sebat – but more of that later).

What follows after this point is glorious.

Why?

Well, the film never stops. Forget about the plot, because honestly? It’s not the strongest, good verses bad, etc etc. If people went to the cinema expecting Star Wars or Aliens they would have been disappointed. For me The Fifth Element isn’t about its plot. Instead it’s an explosion of colour and Jean-Paul Gautier costume & set designs. It’s about love, war, suspense and finding that one thing you’ve been searching for. From the moment we see a newly created Leeloo dressed in white bandages that cover just her extremities jump off the side of a building and land in Dallas’ taxi cab, the film doesn’t stop. Flying cars, aliens, guns, more aliens, cherries and a floating cruise liner named Floston Paradise, it’s a exactly what you imagine the year 2263 to look like. Seriously. Visually the films excels and doesn’t miss a beat. But then there’s the humanity of the film, something that Willis’ character Korben Dallas brings to the film as much as Jovovich’s Leeloo, who - as the perfect being or fifth element – is innocence, erotism, sexuality, and intelligence personified (she can also kick arse with the best of them). But for me it’s Bruce who wins this film. He plays exactly to type - ex soldier, restless, unsettled, trained in 4 million different types of weapons – but he also wants love, he craves it. He wants perfection. He wants that one thing that’s just out of reach and thinks he’s doesn’t deserve. Does he find it? Of course he does. Leeloo is the perfect being, she’s the 5th Element. She’s love. But in the end she needs him to discover it *insert heart eyes emoji*

This film is fun and I love it. The supporting characters are spot on, Gary Oldham as the ‘baddie’, Chris Tucker as the quick talking radio host, Tiny Lister as the World President, Ian Holm as the Priest and Charlie Creed-Miles as his assistant. It’s colour, fun, romance, suspense and exactly what you need to watch on a Sunday evening.

Go watch it (again)

***artwork again by me***