The Problem of Family Crisis in Reviewing Films of Luc Besson - Essay Example

I AM GUIDED BY A SIMPLE PREOCCUPATION: THAT MODERN SOCIETY CREATES A FAMILIAL CRISIS, AND AN EMOTIONAL LACK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE” by The of the Class (Course) Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State where it is located The Date “I am guided by a single preoccupation: that modern society creates a familial crisis, and an emotional lack for young people” Nowadays familial crisis is evident and wide-spread. There are happy families but yet many families need professional help and assistance to deal with familial issues. Emotional lack is experienced widely by young people, as far as they grow up, they remain dissatisfied with their emotional well-being. Society is a powerful determinant of formation of a wide row of human features through the socialization as the factor of personality development. Society shapes human-beings – through support or challenges, which may be sometimes dreadful. These aspects become themes through the films of many genres. This question may be explicit or remain hidden. Luc Besson is known due to his action movies and blockbusters, there are hidden layers that involve social questions, depth of feelings and life choices to be resolved. He has his unique individual style to depict the way the events of life create the presuppositions for formation of people’s features of character, shaped by the challenges and experiences they face. This paper appoints as its goal an attempt to interpret the phrase “I am guided by a single preoccupation: that modern society creates a familial crisis, and an emotional lack for young people” by Luc Besson through the films he created, particularly “Nikita”, “Leon” and “Fifth Element (as a supportive source). Reviewing films of Luc Besson, it is important to view shortly his biographical background as it evident that the way childhood and maturation passed determines the formation of personality and the products he or she creates. The child of two scuba educators in Paris, Luc was born on March 18, 1959, and spent a large portion of his childhood taking after his parents on the club Med circuit in the middle of Greece and Yugoslavia. Luc was an avid diver like his parents. At ten years old, “he swam with a wild dolphin while his parents were diving” ("Luc Besson full biography," 2010). The experience influenced him so that he chose to commit his life to watching and comprehension the ocean creatures by turning into a sea life researcher. Bessons fantasies of turning into a sea life researcher were dashed at 17 years old after a mishap that rendered him not able to dive. Taking after his recovery, he went to Paris to complete school. While adapting to city life, Besson found TV and the filming ("Luc Besson full biography," 2010). They soon substituted his enthusiasm for the ocean, and he chose to seek after a filmmaking profession; in the wake of dropping out of school, he started seeing about twelve movies every week. He additionally started toying with the potential outcomes of Super-8 film. When he was 19, Besson went to Hollywood and put in three years taking a shot at and finding out about American movies. The impact of the experience drove one can state that Bessons movies are truly just American movies made in France. Then Besson served for the military and thereafter put in three years being assistant director. He likewise kept exploring different avenues regarding diverse sorts of film and making an infrequent music videos. The main films that are addressed to interpret Luc Besson’s words are “Nikita”, “Leon” and “Fifth Element”. Bessons greatest hit came in 1990 with Nikita (which was known as La Femme Nikita in the United States), the lightning-paced story of a disturbed young lady who is transformed into a complex and dangerous government professional killer. Featuring Bessons ex-wife Anne Parillaud, the film was a hot, smart thriller. It was no amazement, consequently, that it enlivened a U.S. redo, Point of No Return in 1993 and a series on the USA cable TV. Bessons next highlight film was Léon (other name The Professional) in 1994. The film boasted a solid performance by Besson consistent Jean Réno as the title character, and a star-production turn by Natalie Portman as his young protégée. In 1997, Besson came back to the science fiction classification with the showy The Fifth Element featuring Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman. Motivated by a fantasy he had while mulling over in auxiliary school, the film was a stunning, outwardly psyche boggling background; it was gigantically prominent in France, winning both “a César and a Lumière de Paris dUnifrance honor for its directing” ("Luc Besson full biography," 2010). Observing films by Luc Besson, there is one frequent point – have no less than one thing in like manner - they are all outcasts or pariahs from society. They dont fit effectively into the conventionalist society that is the experience of the larger part of nationals, however then the social orders delineated in the movies might likewise be viewed as great and outside the experience of most (Fernie). The worlds investigated in these movies are dim and dubious spots where ordinary perspectives of what is good and bad are challenged, and surely where just the main characters demonstrate any genuine "integrity". It is in the contention between these characters and the social orders in which they experience that we witness fascinating and challenging perceptions on life, profound quality, and self-awareness. These worlds are amazing, just like the activities and responses of the characters, yet then that is the premise of show, and furthest point may prompt more prominent clarity. With "Nikita" Besson comes back to recognizable domain, scrutinizing the way of society and ethical quality, the spot of the single person inside that society, and the potential for self-awareness and improvement. The movie genre is action thriller film. Main female character Nikita “looks like a fashion model whos stumbled into heroin addiction. A punk junkie hanger-on with morose eyes, spiky hair and lean, coltish limbs, she seems to inhabit a dead zone, gray, somnolent, from which she occasionally bursts out in zaps of profanity and violence” (Wilmington, 1991). The key point is that she doesnt belong. Emotional aspects are widely risen through the films by Luc Besson – they can have different aspects – for example, in “Nikita” and “Leon” they are different. Observing the film “Nikita,” other than observing simply the scenes of fight and shooting, there are many other aspects. Many of them regard the prism of interpersonal relationships, particularly relationships between the man and the woman. Ruthless and immature, Nikita is a commonplace character in Luc Bessons oeuvre; see particularly: Léon, with Natalie Portman (1994), The Fifth Element (1997) and Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, both with Milla Jovovich (1999). That is, she (and she is normally a she) is loaded with energy and need, passed on in shrewd insubordination and periodic instability. Her innocence (and even obliviousness) makes her appealing, in an unpleasant if additionally charming route, for her usually older male defender, and her strength makes her disturbing, for this same male. Most importantly, her cravings are immaculate and her cleverness is shocking (Fuchs, 2003). Through the films the aspect of a relationship between innocent young woman or a girl and an older experienced man is evident; Besson addresses anyway the relationships between the father and the daughter – even if there is sexual aspect of the communication involved (as in “Fifth Element”). Actually, relationships of Nikita and Bob duplicate the same: After a high-tension shootout during a final training exercise – one of the highlight scenes of the film – her Freudian father-daughter relationship with Bob finally boils and she kisses him briefly on the lips.  “That’s the last kiss you’ll ever get from me,” she states” (Johnson, 2010). Even in “Leon” Matilda falls in love with the killer Leon, who is like father for her in his eyes and cannot respond to her appeal. The film chugs along at a pace that takes into account the ideal harmony in the middle of activity and character development. In the second part were acquainted with another well-known plotline: the “agent-struggling-to-lead-a-normal-life” (Johnson, 2010). She begins to look all starry eyed at Marco, a supermarket cashier who couldnt in any way, shape or form represent any kind of danger. By one means or another, it lives up to expectations. Their relationship is so natural and innocent – hes a sentimental and shes frantic for an ordinary life. Indeed, even scenes in which shes compelled to conceal her actual character feel authentic, and that is not a simple achievement. In ‘Nikita’ the aspect of alienation due to secrets is vividly shown. Of course, not everybody has a spouse secret agent or a killer, yet many other sides can be kept in a secret. Nikita has a fiancée but they cannot communicate openly as she cannot reveal her real past, as well as present. She has to lie all the time. She even kills a person, being in the bathroom, while talking to her fiancée. She hides a weapon in the bath. There are always secrets that are felt but cannot be released. There is a rich background for emotional lack. There is an interesting aspect traced through the films by Luc Besson. The woman in them is often depicted as strong but fragile. It is seen in “Nikita”, “Fifth Element” and “Leon”. Nikita is somehow similar to Lilu from the ‘Fifth Element’: she is young and inexperienced, yet she has to get familiar with the things as they are. Both of them also have to meet and gain their femininity and sexuality. They are both very strong – being women, they are stronger than many men. They both have feelings and cry. Their gender also stresses the combination of being strong and fragile: even facing severe danger when others would fail, they manage to survive, in spite of everything. In the long run she picks up opportunity from the mystery benefit by utilizing the very strategies as a part of which they prepared her, however at a cost - she must lose her life partner Marco and her prompt predominant, Bob for whom she had profound feelings. Once more love is seen as wild and maybe impossible. Nikita goes into stable and happy relations with Marco, yet toward the end of the film we find that her heart craves for Bob. She knows that relations with Bob would be doubtless hurtful and dangerous for both, so she dodges a physical relationship (Fernie). Be that as it may, she can do nothing to keep the emotions and feelings inside her, and she uncovers her feelings in a letter she left for Bob - which Marco has seen and crushed; but still Bob realized what was inside anyway. There are many situations when people fail to create and maintain relationships due to objective reasons and risks or fears – not only in action thrillers. The question of emotional lack is present again. There is a tragedy of losing a beloved also depicted in “Leon” (Leon 1994). Among the three films under analysis, probably only “Fifth Element” provides happy end – where the characters of Mila Jovovich and Bruce Willis do not have to break up due to insurmountable reasons (Fifth Element 1997). Luc Besson himself had several wives – it means he fell in love and then divorced. It is evident that the topic of emotional lack, man and woman relationships and familial crisis were the areas of his high interest and concern. It seems that these are the questions he wanted to resolve through the variety of own films and share them with the wide public. Another film that strongly stresses the assumption regarding the society and familial crisis, and emotional lack for young people by Luc Besson is “‘Leon”. From the beginning of the film Besson depicts the picture of the familial crisis – through the scenes with misbehavior by her relatives Matilda meets. The family is corrupted and emotional lack is evident; only her younger brother does she love, while hating all the other members of her family. Leon himself rouses impressive emotion. He is to a degree kid like himself in that he is uneducated, faithful and unquestioning toward his "family" in the underworld. He acknowledges without uncertainty his missions and exists absolutely to satisfy his agreement. He seems to have little life past his expert activities. He has been prepared as an executioner and is completely dedicated and respectful to his "family member". It is just when he meets Mathilda, a generally "innocent" 12 year old whose questionable family falls foul of Stansfield and is to be executed, that Leons internal feelings of fatherly care wake up. At a certain point he considers murdering her himself, yet he cant force himself to do as such - for maybe the first occasion when he is listening to his own particular heart and yields to his own sentiments. He is turning into his own particular man, free and insightful. By and by we witness the subjects of self-improvement and advancement, the scrutinizing of the presence of ethical quality, and the development of sentiments of affection disregarding ourselves; however for this situation there is a considerably stronger bond. This time the affection is more much the same as that of a child and parent, with the parent being willing to do anything to secure their kid - even self-sacrifice. Love is a synergist figure for this development and prompts the revelation of ethical quality and more profound sentiments than either is usual to. This leads similarly to expanded sense of pride and questions over past activities, while fatherly dedication replaces the past "emptiness of Leons life and gives him a much needed purpose and sense of responsibility" (Fernie). It is interesting that it is through a man who made his living managing in immorality that Mathilda ought to find love and appreciation as the death of her family inadvertently furnishes her with the chance of developing and creating - rather like a youthful Nikita, yet one who was blessed to have discovered early warmth and direction. In the same way Leon is exceptionally like Victor in "Nikita", however more human and touched by sense of responsibility and love (Fernie). Another film, worth mentioning relevantly according to the topic of familial crisis and societal influence is, of course, “Malavita” – or the family. The genre of the movie is rather comedy and drama. In the center of the film the focus concern “comedy/drama rather than a drama with humour while turning his usual pretext on its head by having his group of criminal outcasts refuse to concede to social pressure and continue to impose their will on society – no matter the consequences” (Fernie). Bessons film remains a record of a witness-secured family as far as anyone knows attempting to discover a spot in the society, and at the end of the day society is depicted as exceptionally blemished. Few of the familys new acquaintances offer anything approaching a warm welcome, unless it is to attempt to exploit them or release them as insensible American incomers. There is a certain conflict between the family and society everywhere as the Blakes decline to bow to any authority or pressure, and typically depend on direct activity (or brutality) to manage circumstances and state themselves. Besson has painted an interesting and troublesome picture of society where everybody appears to need to exploit this family (with just a couple of special cases), and where we should have sensitivity for a gathering of maniacs who react viciously to every offense conferred against them. Conclusion Summing up, it is evident and widely seen through the films of Luc Besson that the matter of familial crisis and the influence of the society on it, as well as emotional lack are point of acute interest of Besson. He proposes a variety as movie tools to depict the problem and address it somehow. The multitude of his characters vividly shows the problems modern society and families face – as well as individuals do. Forced loneliness and union are both important. Besson masterly depicts the development of his characters and relationships between them; he sheds light on the prism of human deep relationships – to manage to deal with those mentioned emotional lack and familial crisis. References Fernie, S. Characters and themes in Luc bessons "Le dernier combat", "Subway", "The Big Blue", "Nikita", "Leon" and "Angel-A". Stuart Fernies Website, Retrieved from http://www.stuartfernie.com/besson.html Fuchs, C. 2003. La femme nikita (1990). PopMatters,August (4), Retrieved from http://www.popmatters.com/review/la-femme-nikita-special-dvd/ Johnson, A. 2010. Review: La femme nikita (1990).The Kuleshov Effect, September(6), Retrieved from http://www.thekuleshoveffect.com/index/2010/9/6/review-la-femme-nikita-1990.html Wilmington, M. 1991. Movie review : nikita. Los Angeles Times, April(12), Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-12/entertainment/ca-168_1_nikita-movies-french Fifth Element 1997, motion picture, Gaumont Buena Vista International/Columbia Pictures, France/USA Leon 1994, motion picture, Les Films du Dauphin, France. Nikita 1990, motion picture, Gaumont Film Company, France Luc Besson full biography 2010. New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/81731/Luc-Besson/biography. Read More