Year: 1997
Runtime: 126 min
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Ian Holm
There are two types of science fiction. The heavy, hard sort of stuff that makes you go “Hmm…” and requires a turtleneck to properly appreciate, and the light, breezy kind that makes your eyes drool but is ultimately as shallow and meaningless as motorcycle that belches fireworks. It’s a neat spectacle, but kinda hollow.
The Fifth Element does not require a turtleneck to enjoy.
Having said that, it is a notch above your typical blockbuster fare. A big part of that is because director Luc Besson has a love for classic French science fiction, which has a heavy comic book presence. He grew up with the works of Jean “Moebius” Giraud, Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres, Philippe Druillet, and so many others whose work graced French comics, magazines, and the venerable Metal Hurlant. So when he sought to finally bring to the screen his epic sci-fi action-comedy, Besson brought aboard Giraud and Mezieres to help design his world.
And it shows. By God does it show.
The Fifth Element is a testament to the art and ideals of French science fiction, with scene after scene that could have come to life from the pages of a dog-eared 1970s comic. The scope and breadth of the scenery is a delight. It is often like walking into one of Moebius’ large splash pages—one where a dozen difference species of alien mingle amid dirty, vertical towers.
It’s a good mix of the practical and physical with the digital and intangible. The set design is superb throughout, especially a space opera house that really captures the imagination and the sight of a modern New York City that soars into the blue sky. The costumes aren’t bad either, with the sort of excessive flair that would happen if a fashion designer from the 1980s had a fever dream of what the future should look like.
Unfortunately, the plot to follow along with these magnificent visuals is a lot more threadbare. Apparently, there is a Great Evil that seeks to obliterate all life in the universe. It wakes up every 5,000 years to do its thing but is foiled time and time again by a bunch of waddling little alien dudes who possess the ultimate weapon against this Great Evil: The Fifth Element. Yup, they fight it with four stones portraying the classical Greek elements and then a mysterious “fifth” element, which turns out to be a perfect being.
In this case, Milla Jovovich.
Now, in the 23rd century, the Great Evil is coming again, this time in the form of an unstoppable planet of death hurtling toward Earth. The Fifth Element, Leeloo, has just been brought to Earth, but with no knowledge of our planet’s customs or even the ability to speak English, which apparently every other alien species has learned. Fortunately for her, and us, she finds an unlikely ally in Bruce Willis, playing a down on his luck (naturally) cab driver who immediately falls for this gorgeous intergalactic visitor.
Together they must try to recover the other four elements and contend with the dastardly forces led by the comically evil Gary Oldman, playing a weapons merchant named Zorg.
It’s real basic stuff but the cast really tries. Bruce Willis seems to be having fun, though he’s just playing a slightly less mopey version of the same character he always plays, Gary Oldman is bizarre and entirely watchable as our main baddie, complete with over-the-top southern accent. Veteran actor Ian Holm has a good turn as a supporting priest who belongs to a secret order dedicated to helping fulfill the prophecy. But it’s really Milla Jovovich who steals the show.
With a performance that is more physical than verbal, Jovovich transcends the meager script to deliver a really compelling figure who crafts a role that blends together a mix of naivety and wisdom. She understands and accepts her role as savior of the universe but is astounded by the idea of eating chicken. She moves gracefully, but like a cornered animal, wary of the unknown world that surrounds her. She also speaks an artificial language created by Besson with a casual fluency that really sells her character, and when she does learn English, she speaks it with a far more natural awkwardness than most actors would attempt. This may have something to do with Jovovich’s actual ability to speak multiple languages, but whatever the case may be, she really owns the role.
Of course, the movie also makes sure to highlight Jovovich’s attractiveness at every opportunity. And that’s where one of my largest problems with the movie originates. Besson has a history of gross conduct with women and this carries over into his character designs for Leeloo. When we initially meet her, she is wearing essentially a strip of fabric that barely covers her body and the camera likes to linger on her, turning her into a sexual object while reminding us she is a character who has no knowledge of such a concept. She does not choose to be sexualized, she is put into that position without a say, and this turns her into a passive object to be ogled and is a big disappointment. By the end, she has gone from savior of the universe to something meant to be won by Bruce Willis’s Korben Dallas.
If you guessed that the Fifth Element of the title was, in fact, love, congratulations, you think like a bad writer.
Yeah, it’s the oldest chestnut imaginable, and it sullies a fun ride by trying to make us believe these two people, who barely interact with each other let alone have a single uninterrupted sentence of non-plot exposition, are supposed to be madly in love.
Thank goodness we have a lot of explosions to distract us from such insipidity.
Actually, there aren’t a lot of action scenes throughout the two-hour runtime, but the ones they have tend to be pretty decent, barring one awkward fight scene between our intergalactic heroine, Leeloo, and a bunch of guys in chunky foam costumes. There is a healthy mix of practical stunt work and computer magic, including one massive explosion near the end of the film that apparently broke some records for indoor explosions.
I am always a fan of record-breaking explosions.
I am also a fan of humor in my action/adventure movies, and The Fifth Element is delightfully light and playful. Sure, the fate of the world is at stake, but the movie has a knowing smirk the whole time. It’s sort of comforting to have a few chuckles keeping the tone light and colorful.
Although I will note that Chris Tucker’s character of Rubi Rhod is either going to have you in hysterics or wishing for a quick demise. He’s abrasively androgynous and though I grew to tolerate him, his character is an intrusion into the plot that serves very little purpose, particularly since he arrives in the final half of the movie.
Ooh, the last bit of the film. Right. That had some issues.
Everything is moving at a steady clip until the last fifteen minutes or so. We even have a pretty solid climax that wraps up everything except, you know, the giant death planet. And remembering that, we are rushed into a super quick finale that explains nothing and seeks to hurriedly manufacture a tiny bit of drama by having Leeloo learn what “war” is and start to question whether the universe should be saved. This might have been a good idea if it had been introduced into the plot a lot earlier. Here it isn’t even a speedbump as we race to the ending.
And you know what? Even with these flaws, the movie is still a fun ride. It’s no masterpiece, but it’s fun to watch the pages of a comic book come to life. If you turn off your brain and leave your turtleneck on its hanger, you’ll probably have fun with The Fifth Element as well. There’s something to be said for record-breaking indoor explosions.
