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[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

I sometimes wonder if people understand fiction.

If you're creeped out by Leon, read more. Way worse stuff out there. And I'm not talking about shock stuff or trash fiction, but legit classics that have stood the test of time.

Fiction isn't always about a rag tag group of people fighting evil in a very black and white moral landscape.

Really? That's the way I read Don DeLillo's White Noise.

 

[entremet]

Really? That's the way I read Don DeLillo's White Noise.

lol. That's one of my favorites. I have to reread it.

 

[Red Liquorice]

ITT I learn there's an American cut of this movie.

 

[BaronLundi]

Now make it a double-feature by watching City of Lost Children next.

Both are great movies.

I was at a dinner party about 5 years ago with friends and their acquaintances. I jumped in a conversation that people were having about Jeunet and his movies. I said I wondered what had become of the girl who played Miette in City of Lost Children, how beautiful she was and how every kid in France and their brothers had a crush on her when the film came out. Everyone stops talking and a few people burst into laughter. Then one of my friends tells me "you're sitting next to her".

Apparently all the attention at such a young age (especially when it was often misplaced) was indeed hard to take in and part of the reason she didn't pursue an acting career.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Both cuts of the movies are masterpieces and you should be ashamed for stopping any movie halfway through.

 

[BadWolf]

Still one of my fave movies ever, excellent performances all around (Reno, Portman, Oldman).

 

[TheJollyCorner]

What happened to the idea of a sequel following Portman's character as an assassin?

Sadly Besson abandoned it (even though Portman was supposedly down for it) and used the guts of his early draft for that Columbiana movie with Zoe Saldana.

 

[Yoshichan]

God tier movie. GOD TIER.

 

[LordCiego]

I was at a dinner party about 5 years ago with friends and their acquaintances. I jumped in a conversation that people were having about Jeunet and his movies. I said I wondered what had become of the girl who played Miette in City of Lost Children, how beautiful she was and how every kid in France and their brothers had a crush on her when the film came out. Everyone stops talking and a few people burst into laughter. Then one of my friends tells me "you're sitting next to her".

Apparently all the attention at such a young age (especially when it was often misplaced) was indeed hard to take in and part of the reason she didn't pursue an acting career.

LOL, great anecdote.

 

[Messofanego]

I was at a dinner party about 5 years ago with friends and their acquaintances. I jumped in a conversation that people were having about Jeunet and his movies. I said I wondered what had become of the girl who played Miette in City of Lost Children, how beautiful she was and how every kid in France and their brothers had a crush on her when the film came out. Everyone stops talking and a few people burst into laughter. Then one of my friends tells me "you're sitting next to her".

Apparently all the attention at such a young age (especially when it was often misplaced) was indeed hard to take in and part of the reason she didn't pursue an acting career.

Haha awesome story!

 

[Mr. Sam]

Sadly Besson abandoned it (even though Portman was supposedly down for it) and used the guts of his early draft for that Columbiana movie with Zoe Saldana.

Olivier Megaton should have to change his name by deed poll - his name is far too awesome for such mediocre movies.

 

[Stitch]

Sadly Besson abandoned it (even though Portman was supposedly down for it) and used the guts of his early draft for that Columbiana movie with Zoe Saldana.

There's nothing sad about it. A sequel would've sucked. Like Columbiana which sucked very hard.

 

[giancarlo123x]

There is no "pervy pedo stuff".

This, the fact that someone thinks of this movie having that is weird as shit. Also only on gaf would someone stop halfway through a movie that isn't that long and makes a thread.

 

[lazygecko]

I remember watching Leon when it ran on TV one evening. The next day I happened to look at one of those websites where you can anonymously post confessions of shameful/taboo things you've done, and there was a metric ton of people admitting to getting a raging hardon over Natalie Portman.

 

[kingkitty]

Sorry for the late bump, but I just saw this film and it's as great as I remembered. It also had some uncomfortable moments with Portman's character that have been discussed back and forth in this thread already.

But then I started browsing Luc Besson's wikipedia page. In 1991, while Besson was in his 30s, he dated a 15 year old girl. Then they married one year later and had a baby. While his now 16 year old wife was taking care of the baby, Besson was working on the production of Leon.

Knowing Besson's backstory, it makes those uncomfortable moments, just a tad more uncomfortable (at least for me). Thought I'd share this factoid since I didn't see it mentioned in the thread.

 

[Dice//]

Love the film, interesting and unique, and this is definitely a topic worth talking about.

Matilda is a little fucked up from a shit past and an uncertain future (perhaps it's not terribly surprising then that she's somewhat infatuated with "her white knight"), but Leon (who's "a little slow") reacts and treats the situation very well and is usually pretty uncomfortable with Matilda's peculiar behaviour. It's a combination of things that I think give it that creepiness for all but...sorta[?] work in context?

 

[Staccat0]

I think it's a pretty good movie, and certainly a valid subject for art to explore -- but I remember it being a BIT exploitative in execution. I don't expect a very intelligent discussion of the film here considering it's one of the arthouse/dorm-room classics alongside Fight Club.
Some of the immediate reactions to the OP feel kinda comically defensive.

I've always wanted to see a great female director tackle this exact same script. It'd be a cool experiment. As it is, I don't think the movie is pervy but we can talk about it without me pulling my hair out and stomping around.

 

[Chuckie]

No, that's Jean Reno.

Dressed up as Doraemon

 

[Messofanego]

But then I started browsing Luc Besson's wikipedia page. In 1991, while Besson was in his 30s, he dated a 15 year old girl. Then they married one year later and had a baby. While his now 16 year old wife was taking care of the baby, Besson was working on the production of Leon.

Knowing Besson's backstory, it makes those uncomfortable moments, just a tad more uncomfortable (at least for me). Thought I'd share this factoid since I didn't see it mentioned in the thread.

When Milla Jovovich found that out...

 

[Corpekata]

Sorry for the late bump, but I just saw this film and it's as great as I remembered. It also had some uncomfortable moments with Portman's character that have been discussed back and forth in this thread already.

But then I started browsing Luc Besson's wikipedia page. In 1991, while Besson was in his 30s, he dated a 15 year old girl. Then they married one year later and had a baby. While his now 16 year old wife was taking care of the baby, Besson was working on the production of Leon.

Knowing Besson's backstory, it makes those uncomfortable moments, just a tad more uncomfortable (at least for me). Thought I'd share this factoid since I didn't see it mentioned in the thread.

You can kinda see this in a lot of his movies anyway.

Like the lead actress in Unleashed / Danny the Dog wears braces and gets in trouble for sneaking off to eat ice cream.

 

[Orkidea]

It gets better

 

[Alx]

Knowing Besson's backstory, it makes those uncomfortable moments, just a tad more uncomfortable (at least for me). Thought I'd share this factoid since I didn't see it mentioned in the thread.

As a matter of fact the original script of the movie was much less ambiguous, and the relationship between Leon and Mathilda wasn't platonic at all in the end.

 

[Stilton Disco]

Surely as adults, finding such a young girls sexual advances uncomfortable to watch should be a good thing, no?

Not in a 'I don't like how this makes me feel' kind of way, more in our ability to empathise with Leon being in such a awkward situation with someone he care's about in a purely platonic, fatherly way.

I mean the film delves into some pretty rarely trodden ground, exploring complex interpersonal relationships and the sexual development of girls going through puberty, but non of it involves peadophilia.

 

[Ratrat]

You can kinda see this in a lot of his movies anyway.

Like the lead actress in Unleashed / Danny the Dog wears braces and gets in trouble for sneaking off to eat ice cream.

The main character is also emotionally stilted. Hmmm...
Though she was clearly an adult and her being childlike never crossed my mind when watching it. Many adults wear braces.

 

[thecosmicfly]

If there was even a hint of Leon wanting to reciprocate her advances then yeah we can argue the levels of creep involved, but thankfully it never goes into Roman Polanski territory, and the only love he shares with Mathilda is a paternal bond. Leon's a gatdamn hero, as far as ruthless assassin's go. Think of it this way. What if the genders were reversed? Kinda makes you wonder how many people wouldn't be bothered by this aspect of the film if it was Elijah Wood after prime Sharon Stone. Creeps me out more to think people would unjokingly goad him on too (I mean, that's how we get mainstream shit like That's My Boy getting by without a whiff of mega controversy).

Fun fact though, during her audition she was asked what impressions she could do, so all the impressions and dressing up in that scene - save for Grace Kelly - came from Natalie Portman and not the filmmakers.