The Fifth Element beyond the cult

By soyernesto | Curious Nook | 6 Jan 2025


There are films that marked an era, a generation, films that managed to define a genre and open the way to cinema as we know it today. Undoubtedly, the film we will talk about today is one of these. As you read in the title, today we will talk about The Fifth Element, a film released in 1997 and that, more than two decades after its release, is still hugely enjoyable for most of the public.

I have to confess that the first time I saw this movie it left me a bit bewildered. I was a kid who loved science fiction, but seeing so many effects and the bizarreness of some of the settings and characters just didn't click with my perception. I went back some time later and, with a little more maturity, I could see those details that make it special and unique. Therefore, talking about it was for me, without a doubt, a pending subject.

Without further ado, I hope you have your MULTIPASS ready and let's delve into this cult gem.

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From Egypt to Space

In the first few minutes of footage, we are introduced to a scene from Egypt. It looks like yet another movie about tomb robbers and ancestral curses, but wait a minute, are those aliens? Are we in the future?
The Fifth Element

Source

 

Suddenly, the 23rd century opens before our eyes, with endless possibilities and peculiarities: a space government and religion, biotechnology, flying cars, screens, buttons, a cigarette vending machine to quit smoking? (I need one of these).

Moving from moments of calm to frenetic action, we are introduced to our protagonists and by their hand we travel through the wonderful and eccentric world created by Luc Besson.

Everything Luc Besson touches seems to be unique and unrepeatable. With The Fifth Element, there seems to be no exception. Each character has its own range of colors, which seem to have been created for totally different films, and in turn we travel from cyberpunk style suburbs to huge skyscrapers, laboratories and a sort of space cruiser. Undoubtedly, a very high bet for a time when CGI was still in its infancy and taking its first steps, but this lack of computerized technology is saved with careful special effects and very convincing productions.

You will undoubtedly enjoy some very memorable scenes. My favorite will remain the creation of Leeloo's (Milla Jovovich) body in the lab from DNA fragments. We go from the apparent fragility and mortality of her naked body to a maelstrom of strength decked out in a futuristic version of a straitjacket or hospital gown. Korben Dallas' (Bruce Willis) cab chase, with its somewhat predictable and ridiculous undertones of humor, gives us a glimpse of the splendor of the futuristic city, its towering skyscrapers and the chaos of the architecture.

To the talent of Jean-Paul Gaultier

The well-known enfant terrible of French fashion, Jean-Paul Gaultier, was in charge of dressing this film. It is impossible not to notice his imprint on every suit, outfit and accessory that appears on screen. He filled the screen with his avant-garde vision, moving away from the dark, neutral and somber tones to which science fiction of the time had accustomed us. Good and evil, encapsulated in the duality of black and white until then, mutated into a colorful riot of fabrics and materials of metallic, shiny and saturated tones. Undoubtedly, the aforementioned Leeloo costume, whose influence we would see in future catwalks, the stewardesses' uniform and the extravagant designs of the unforgettable Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) with that striking animal print stand out. The negative characters, on the other hand, play with a more businesslike and serious fashion, but no less striking, with straight cuts and high collars. If there was one thing to make clear, it's that they are villains. I am very struck by some chromatic combinations, especially the orange tank top worn by Korben Dallas and Leeloo's hair in a similar tone.

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Without a doubt, the analysis of the costumes in this film would deserve a whole separate article. I bet Jean-Paul Gaultier hid a lot of details for the more daring eye, turning the film into a sort of stellar, futuristic couture fashion show. To this day, this film would mark a milestone and an influence, bringing together two worlds that would later nurture each other to complement each other.

The Impossible Song

As I started writing this review, I didn't want to mention this point. It's a well known theme for fans of the film and, if you haven't seen the film, it's one of the most interesting things to discover. However, my inner fan has betrayed me. So I will try to be as brief as possible.

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One of the most spectacular and well-known scenes is the Plavalaguna Diva song, also known as Diva Dance. The curtain opens and we see a character with an imposing and serene, almost ethereal bearing. The opera begins, the sweet and melodious voice floods the theater and everyone seems enraptured. At the climax, the song makes a frenetic and moving change of pace, and the Diva's dancing is superimposed on Leeloo's combat scenes. There are no words to describe this moment.

The magic behind the song is that it features an extremely wide vocal range and complexity, where the high notes fly at a great speed, making this piece practically superhuman. I invite you, if you are interested in the subject or fall in love with this sort of alien electro-opera, to investigate more about it.

Reflection of Sexuality

This is not a lurid topic, but a controversial one. As I like to complicate myself, I will talk about it. The first time I said that in the film you notice an overflow of sexuality and sensuality, I received more than a few strange looks.

Leeloo is depicted in revealing clothes and begins her entrance in the film totally naked, highlighting the perfection of her body. Her aggressive attitude and gaze are provocative. We do not see a woman who is weak, but quite the opposite; we see an almost primitive and wild being beyond the norms. But despite all this, she does not fail to become a sort of Katherina from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, changing her attitude to a more loving and romantic one as her relationship with Korben Dallas progresses in the plot. They complement each other and make those feelings a key point in the unfolding of the film's events, going beyond the typical protector/protégé relationship we're used to in action films.

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Ruby Rhod's character is another interesting aspect at this point. She is presented to us as flamboyant, lustful and extroverted, wearing low-cut and baggy outfits, socially associated with the female sex. But his attitude towards women in the film makes us see his sexual attraction to them. At a time already distant from our days, this attitude was completely irreverent. I don't want to talk about gender fluidity, but perhaps about Luc Besson's vision of a future society where stereotypes were left behind and the rules of social correctness had changed.

Undoubtedly, the sexuality in the film, coupled with its futuristic and sci-fi context, has a unique feel and deserves more detailed analysis. But I hope you enjoy these little digressions.

The Fifth Subtitle

If I could, I would write all day about this movie which, of course, is not perfect. But in this review, I wanted to just expose points that a fervent fan admires and finds interesting. The movie suffers from some inconsistencies and we are not only talking about scientific errors that will make us laugh, but also some script and continuity problems that will make us think we skipped a few minutes of something important. There are some quite interesting and peculiar Easter Eggs that I would like you to discover for yourselves. It is not my goal to list them and they are part of the magic.

Without a doubt, The Fifth Element is a timeless film, with its own rhythm, perhaps parodying or inspired by Star Wars, but with its own unique and challenging style. A compendium of all the brilliant minds that worked on both sides of the camera, marking a whole paradigm and detaching science fiction from previous ties and enriching the genre with endless possibilities. I hope you enjoyed reading this review as much as I enjoyed writing it. It only remains for you to sit down and watch the movie and, if you have already seen it, why not repeat it?

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I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this article. It means a lot to me and motivates me to continue sharing content that may be useful and interesting to you. If you found this article useful or enjoyed reading it, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Best wishes.

Note:
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The GIFs used are powered by Tenor
The film’s cover image is presented with its respective source and belongs to its respective authors, producers, and/or distributors.
Images and GIFs are used under “Fair Use” for criticism and commentary, and are the property of their respective owners.
This review/article is original and represents a personal opinion.

Article first published on my personal blog at HIVE.

 

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soyernesto
soyernesto

Passionate about art and writing. Always learning, always growing. Excited to share and learn more every day!


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