~ The Fifth Element LaserDisc film still Art Direction by Len Peltier Today is the birthday of actor, Bruce Willis, who is an American actor and film producer. His career began on the off-Broadway stage in the 1970s. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series Moonlighting (1985–1989) and has since appeared in over 70 films, gaining widespread recognition as an action hero after his portrayal of John McClane in the Die Hard franchise (1988–2013) and other subsequent roles. My favorite film of his is when he portrayed the character of Korben Dallas in the The Fifth Element, a 1997 French science-fiction movie written and directed by Luc Besson. Besson started writing the story that became the movie when he was 16 years old; he was 38 when the film opened in cinemas. The Fifth Element LaserDisc front cover The story's premise is that every five thousand years, in conjunction with a planetary arrangement, a 'Great Evil' appears whose purpose is to destroy life. It is New York at high noon in the year 2259 complete with thousands of flying cars, Chinese junks floating incongruously among the melee and in one astounding shot a vista of New York after the sea level has dropped with Manhattan perched atop a sheer cliff face. (plot link below). The Fifth Element film still One of the reasons I love this film is because the Diva, Plavalaguna, sings, l dolce suono, an aria from Lucia Di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti in one of the movie's scenes that is a visually and sonically stunning cinematic moment (link below)! The scene may look hokey by today's video standards but back then video was not as sophisticated as it is now; at that time it was a mind blower! The Fifth Element LaserDisc back cover detail detail photo by Styrous® Comics artists Jean "Moebius" Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières, whose books provided inspiration for parts of the film, were hired for production design. The costume design was by Jean-Paul Gaultier, including the bandage dress that Leelou wears throughout the first half of the movie. Milla Jovovich - bandage dress designer Jean Paul Gaultier The Fifth Element film still Gaultier was very much involved with Besson throughout the project in order to create something magical - creating hundreds of costumes in total. The costumes themselves are bright, colorful and fun and incorporate traditional materials as well as looking futuristic (link below). Bruce Willis & flight attendants designer Jean Paul Gaultier photographer unknown The production was a truly international collaboration. Bruce Willis was born in Germany to a German mother and American father; he was brought to the U.S. by his family when he was two years old. Bruce Willis - 1997 The Fifth Element film still The heroine of The Fifth Element, Leeloo, played by Milla Jovovich, is an American actress, model, and musician who was born in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. She emigrated with her parents to London when she was five, and then to Sacramento, California; she finally settled in Los Angeles seven months later. Milla Jovovich (Leeloo) - 1997 The Fifth Element film still The Diva, Plavalaguna, is superbly portrayed physically by Maïwenn Le Besco, a French actress and filmmaker who is of mixed Vietnamese, French and Algerian descent. Maïwenn Le Besco (The Diva, Plavalaguna) - 1997 The Fifth Element The Diva, Plavalaguna, is vocally represented by Inva Mula who was born to an Albanian father from Gjakova and a Russian mother from Izhevsk. Inva Mula (the voice of Plavalaguna) - 2019 photo: Marko Dimic/PIXSELL Every film has to have a villain. For this one, Gary Leonard Oldman fulfilled that role as Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg; Oldman was born in New Cross, London. Gary Leonard Oldman as Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier The comic relief is provided by Chris Tucker, an American actor and stand-up comedian from Atlanta, Georgia, as the flamboyant TV personality, Ruby Rhod. Chris Tucker (Ruby Rhod) The Fifth Element film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier Luc Paul Maurice Besson is a French film director, screenwriter, and producer; Besson was born in Paris, to parents who both worked as Club Med scuba-diving instructors. Influenced by this milieu, as a child Besson planned to become a marine biologist. He spent much of his youth travelling with his parents to tourist resorts in Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece. Luc Paul Maurice Besson - 2008 photographer unknown scenes from The Fifth Element Bruce Willis - left, Milla Jovovich - right film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier Gary Leonard Oldman as Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg The Fifth Element film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier police car chase The Fifth Element film still Clifton Lloyd Bryan (Mangalore) The Fifth Element film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier Chris Tucker (Ruby Rhod) left& Bruce Willis (Korben Dallas) right The Fifth Element film still costume designer Jean Paul Gaultier The Fifth Element LaserDisc side 4 is blank Viewfinder links: Jean Paul Gaultier Milla Jovovich Maïwenn Le Besco Inva Mula Bruce Willis Net links: American Cinematographer ~ The Fifth Element: a New Sci-Fi Aesthetic CNET ~ The Fifth Element is still out of this world Entertainment ~ There will never be another Fifth Element The Fifth Element fashions The Fifth Element Plot Mental Floss ~ 13 Futuristic Facts About The Fifth Element Screen Rant ~ The Fifth Element YouTube links: The Fifth Element ~ The Fifth Element (complete) segments: The Beginning Diva Scene (Full version) Korben Meets Ruby Rhod Leeloo Escapes Siu Mei Lunch scene Zorg Ending Diva Plavalaguna (Maïwenn) interview Diva Song (full dance video) “Negative, I am a meat popsicle.” ~ Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) Styrous® ~ Friday, March 19, 2021 ~ 1,001 LaserDiscs archive MAIN MENU - Blog Articles ~