The Fifth Element

Today marks that it’s the 20^th year anniversary to one of the most famous sci-fi comedies ever made, “The Fifth Element,” released in 1997. In celebration, I will review the film and let you know what I thought about it.

Roger Ebert opened his review by saying, “"The Fifth Element,'' which opened the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, is one of the great goofy movies--a film so preposterous I wasn't surprised to discover it was written by a teenage boy. That boy grew up to become Luc Besson, director of good smaller movies and bizarre big ones, and here he's spent $90 million to create sights so remarkable they really ought to be seen.”

That’s not saying this is actually a good movie. It’s more of a mixture that also has greatness. Ebert noted, “Like "Metropolis" (1926) or "Blade Runner," it offers such extraordinary visions that you put your criticisms on hold and are simply grateful to see them.” If Luc Besson had been able to connect those visions with a more coherent story and more brutal editing, he might have really had a thoughtful film here.

The movie starts in “Egypt, 1914,” that birthplace not only of humans but of so many horror and occult films. Inside an ancient tomb, scientists congregate at the area of something that happened (we discover) centuries prior. Ebert said, “Four crucial stones, representing the four elements, had been kept here until a spaceship, looking something like a hairy aerodynamic pineapple, arrived to take them away, one of its alien beings intoning in an electronically lowered voice, "Priest, you have served us well. But war is coming. The stones are not safe on Earth anymore.'' Deep portentous opening omens almost invariably degenerate into action sequences.” However, “The Fifth Element” quickly goes to another extraordinary part, New York City in the mid-23^rd century. The futuristic city, made at so much cost with big, detailed models and effects, is beautiful to observe. Ebert described, “It looks like Flash Gordon crossed with those old Popular Mechanics covers about the flying automobiles of the future. Towers climb to the skies, but living conditions are grungy, and most people live in tiny modular cells where all the comforts of home are within arm's reach.”

Meanwhile, Earth is in danger of a giant energetic fiery thing that is racing toward Earth at fast speed. “All we know is, it just keeps getting bigger,” one scientist notes. Ian Holm plays an astrophysicist who drastically observes, “It is evil – evil begets evil.” What is this object? What violent aliens are sprawling toward Earth in their midst, and how to stop it? Man’s hopes may rely with Leeloo, played by the hot Milla Jovovich, cloned from a single extraterrestrial cell, who comes to life with flaming red hair already dark at the scalp (those cells remember everything). Ebert said, “Leeloo is clad in a garment that looks improvised from Ace bandages but gets no complaints from me (the costumes are by French couturier Jean-Paul Gaultier, whose favorite strategy as a designer is to start by covering the strategic places, and then stop).”

Military-industrial workers want to have Leeloo for their own work. They look at her from behind unbreakable glass. Ebert said, “She breaks the glass, grabs a general's privates, and dives through what looks like a wall of golden crumpled aluminum foil, racing outside to a ledge high in the clouds.” She jumps, but is saved from killing herself on the pavements far down by landing through the roof of a taxi driven by Korben Dallas, played by Bruce Willis, who looks like he was taken directly here from the cab in “Pulp Fiction.” Leeloo has unearthly powers, but she needs help, and Korben becomes friends with her. Soon the future of space is in her hands, as the movie tells the rest of the story. The “fifth element” of the title, we find out, is the life force itself – that which brings to life the lifeless (the other four elements are earth, air, fire and water). Leeloo represents the fifth element. Ranged against her is a wide anti-life force, a somewhat black hole of death. Every 5,000 years, a portal opens between the universes where these two forces live. The evil force can come through unless the five elements are correctly placed against it. The vivacious fireball in space is the physical expression of the dark force.

Ebert mentioned, “Involved with mankind in this approaching battle are two alien races: the Mondoshawan, who live inside great clunky armored suits (that was their hairy pineapple), and the Mangalores, whose faces can be pictured by crossing a bulldog, a catfish and an alderman.” The Mangalores are under the command of the evil Zorg, played by Gary Oldman, who helps the evil force despite the fact that (as far as I can tell) it would kill him along with everything else.

Ebert noted, “Now if this doesn't sound like a story dreamed up by a teenager, nothing does.” The “Star Wars” movies look deep, even philosophical, in similarity, but don’t mind that: We are watching “The Fifth Element” not to think, but to be entertained.

Besson gives us one great visual pride after another. Ebert mentioned, “A concert, for example, starring a towering alien diva whose skin shines with a ghostly blue light, and who has weird ropes of sinew coming out of her skull.” Also, a space station that looks like a type of intergalactic Las Vegas, where a disc jockey, played by Chris Tucker, walks around hosting a long-running commercial-less TV show. Also, inside spaceships that win in looking the “Star Wars”/”Star Trek” look imagining how extraterrestrials might construct its command deck.

The movie is successful in technical quality. The cinematographer is Thierry Arbogast, the production designer is Dan Weil, and the special effects are by Digital Domain, which created the futuristic Mars in “Total Recall.” Remember that Besson created these looks, and had the courage to think his weird looks could make a movie.

Ebert credited, “For that I am grateful. I would not have missed seeing this film, and I recommend it for its richness of imagery.” However, at 127 minutes, which looks like a nice runtime, it plays long. There is a lot of the annoying disc jockey character late in the movie, when the story should be focused on business. Scenes are allowed to drag on, maybe because so much work and money went into making them. The editor, Sylvie Landra, is really responsible for the pacing, but no doubt Besson was helping her out, liking what he had created. A good trimming would help what makes “The Fifth Element” amazing, and take out what makes it repetitive. There are great things in here, and the movie should get out of its path.

In the end, I would say this is an enjoyable, entertaining, fun film to check out. I know it’s not good, but that doesn’t hurt the fact of how much you’ll love watching the film. Definitely see it if you haven’t, I think you’ll like it.

Check in this Friday for the continuation of “Zhang Ziyi Month.”