In 1997, Luc Besson brought us the sci-fi classic, The Fifth Element. Coming off of the success of Leon: The Professional, there was a lot of thought and effort put into The Fifth Element in hopes it could reach the same accomplishment. With a great attention to detail, impeccable acting, and relatable themes, Besson brought to life an instant classic that is still beloved as it reaches its 25th anniversary. Even after more than two decades, the story has stayed one of the best films of the sci-fi genre.
In the year 2257, ex-military cabbie Corbin Dallas, played by Bruce Willis, must take action when the fate of the world falls into the back of his cab in the form of Leeloo, played by Milla Jovovich. As the living fifth element, Leeloo must reunite with the other four elements to stop a great evil from destroying the world. Together with Father Vito Cornelius, played by Ian Holm, Dallas must complete the mission before the vile industrialist Zorg, portrayed by Gary Oldman, ends all humanity.
New Worlds Brought to Life
Luc Besson had a very precise vision when it came to how the year 2257 would look like. Rather than showing a shiny and monochromatic future, the film shows a grunge-styled world with pops of bright color. There was a color difference between the characters as well. The film shows the evil Mondoshawans as dark, drab green, and brown, while the ally Diva Plavalaguna was an ethereal blue. The same color themes translated into the costume schemes as well.
In this vision, cultural advancements were acknowledged alongside technological ones, like seeing the airborne Chinese food delivery cart. The intergalactic cruise line had a hyper-sleep pod to make guests comfortable during transit. Besson even developed the ancient alien language for Leeloo. Milla Jovovich and Besson communicated on set by speaking the language in order for Jovovich to be fluent on camera. The careful attention to detail brought the futuristic Earth to life, and brought new civilizations to life in front of audiences.
Wonderful Performances
The Fifth Element had greatly defined characters that were almost over-dramatized. The gruff hero was overly sarcastic, and the alien heroine was foreign to all things human. They had characters with clear traits that were executed perfectly by the cast. Bruce Willis' performance sold the rough-around-the-edges Corbin. The character had the potential to be played too gruff and destroy any believable soft traits, which would have ruined the love story driving the plot. Thanks to Willis, the audience was rooting for the hero to out-smart the villain, Zorg. Played by Gary Oldman, Zorg is a villain that could rival a cunning, mob-boss. However, it was through Oldman's nuances that Zorg's descent from calm into lunacy was so satisfying. While, Oldman has publicly denounced the film, Zorg will always remain a favorite corporate villain.
While there could have been a cliché plot and the hero saving a damsel in distress, Milla Jovovich's Leeloo was anything but a damsel. Leeloo was a supreme being, the key to saving mankind, and she had all the capabilities to do it. The character was a three-dimensional woman, who had both her strengths and flaws. Jovovich's dedicated performance led to a genuine woman being in a strange land, trying to save the world.
Great Comedy
The tone of the film united a feeling of griminess and flamboyancy, and the humor followed suit. Corbin was a sarcasm-loaded pistol with great one-liners. Zorg showed audiences the dark humor that came with evil territory. There were jokes that were raunchy; some that were outrageous, and then there was Ruby Rhod. Chris Tucker's Ruby was the peak of comedic relief. In one of the most memorable performances, Ruby was an over-the-top entertainer with a diva complex. Not a character that audience expects in an action movie; however, it blended well with the exaggerated characters next to him. There was a fine contrast throughout the film's comedic tone that blended beautifully into the world and story surrounding it.
Superb Story and Lesson
While The Fifth Element was a race to save the world, that had some over-the-top comedy, it still asked: is humanity worth saving? While it could be said that the movie is about love conquering all, the theme goes deeper than that. During a scene where Leeloo is learning about Earth's history, she sees all the war and death that humanity has caused. Corbin teaches her that even though there is evil, humanity still has good to offer, including love. The film's theme was that when everything seems dirty and rotten, there is good and light to be found. The beautiful pops of color contrasted against the darkness are a reminder of it. 25 years later, audiences still relate to this lesson.
Each integral part of the film wove together to create a beautiful picture that good can always be found despite evil. The smallest detail was purely thought driven, right down to the color choices. The futuristic setting gave the canvas for a phenomenal story to be told by a stellar cast. It is because of this, the film has aged gracefully through the decades and will be one of the best sci-fi movies for many more decades.