The Fifth Element

I was shocked yesterday evening when I picked up my bank card, grinned at the wife and said, "MULTIPASS!" - and she didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Crazy huh? Who the hell doesn't know that quote from one of the most famous Indie classic sci fi movies out there?!

(For copyright autists: https://talkfilmsociety.com/articles/get-out-your-multipass-the-fifth-element-at-20)

Oh yeah! My wife is a book nerd and when I met her the TV in the living room was like an old black and white one. That'll explain it then.

Anyway, it gave me the idea to write something about this film today because this was quite the indie film when it came out. If memory serves me correct I don't think it was planned to be as famed as it is now by adoring sci fi fans. The quality and effects -- in comparison to any blockbuster film of its era, was sadly lacking.

If you look at this:

In comparison to Independence day, which was made a whole year earlier:

That being said it was one of the best films of it's time. I know that because I can remember at least 3-4 quotes from The Fifth Element and almost the whole storyline, yet Independence day I have remembered nothing. And I've watched Independence Day way way more times.

So it was a great film. The story is quite a unique one.

Korben Dallas (Played by Bruce Willis) is a down on his luck elite ex-serviceman who lives badly and is being punished by the state. He's wound up as a Taxi driver for all his sins in a futuristic City in America set around the year 2263.

Unbeknowns to Korben there is a great evil lurking far in the outlerplanetary void to destroy earth and civilization as we know it. The only thing that can stop it is The Fifth Element who we later discover is supposed to be a perfect being (played by Milla Jivovich). The race is to get their hands on the perfect being and unsurprisingly the military find her first.

But she tries to escape.

That's where she comes crashing down into Korben Dallas' taxi and they both meet for the first time. From there he takes her to where she needs to be and they devise a plan to save the world.

Of course the story is a simple one. It's a hero's journey. A guy down on his luck, just muddling through finally gets some purpose in his life and becomes the man that he's always wanted to do whilst saving the girl multiple times.

But it's just not that, it has grit, it has spunk, it has all the things needed to make an epic sci fi saga all under one roof, and it doesn't matter at all that most of the cgi is cheesy and out of date, it just works.

It actually makes me want to try watching it again because it was so good.

The world, it's a little cyberpunkish. Actually, no, it's very cyberpunkish. If this movie was made as an extension of cyberpunk 2077 I could see it fitting in with the story line. It's dirty, it's gritty. Yeah, it's just bustling with feeling.

I'd recommend watching this if you haven't. It's an absolute timeless classic.

Posted using CineTV