This method of melding is obviously used a lot in modern sci-fi films, the 2014 box office smash, Guardians of the Galaxy being just one example. There is nothing “foreign” about any character whether it be the bright blue alien opera singer known as Diva Plavalaguna, the tough and buff green militaristic leader Aknot, or Picasso, a mini multi colored elephant-mole hybrid. Like Blade Runner or the original Star Wars films before it, The Fifth Element is set in a futuristic intergalactic society – where human beings coexist with alien life forms, and fantastical creatures. The Fifth Element is a blend of many surreal worlds. The Fifth Element is not my favorite Besson film for this reason, but should certainly not be overlooked. I do think Besson’s direction is often-times flawed, his female characters are mostly portrayed through a highly sexual and male-gazey lense. She’s normally a warrior or an assassin with a keen eye and alluring nature. Besson actually waited more than a year to start production because he knew that the effects he wanted to accomplish required computers that weren’t even invented yet.Ī common theme in Besson’s work is the female protagonist. The special effects utilized in The Fifth Element were a mixture of innovation and old school tricks, which excited audiences.

With modern computers and programs, movies that fall into the category of “sci-fi” today are often, ironically, cookie cutter. There’s something so captivating about older visual effects.

His later work his cramped with CGI, and in my opinion, nowhere near as dazzling as his work in the 90s. His breakout work contains impressive and complex special and practical effects, which make his earlier films much more nuanced and intriguing. The Fifth Element is directed by Luc Besson, a French director primarily known for La Femme Nikita (1990), Leon The Professional (1994), Lucy (2014), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) and Anna (2019). Our protagonist team is lead by Korben Dallas, an ex Special Forces major/ taxi driver (Bruce Willis), a wise priest named Father Vito Cornelius, and the mysterious orange-haired Leeloo, the fifth element herself. According to an ancient teaching, four elements, and an elusive fifth, otherwise known as the Supreme Being, are the only solution to stop the evil. The Fifth Element is the story of a quest to save the universe from an impending evil force.

Opera singer 5th element