Details
Movie TitleThe Fifth Element
Release DateMay 7, 1997 Cannes premiere / May 9, 1997 U.S. release
TaglineIt Mu5t Be Found.
Runtime126 minutes
DirectorLuc Besson
Screenplay Written ByLuc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen
Story ByLuc Besson
Is It a Remake?No. It is an original science-fiction action adventure.
BudgetApproximately $90 million
Box OfficeApprox. $63.8 million domestic / approx. $263.9 million worldwide
Main Cast
Bruce WillisKorben Dallas
Milla JovovichLeeloo
Gary OldmanJean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Ian HolmFather Vito Cornelius
Chris TuckerRuby Rhod
Luke PerryBilly Masterson
Brion JamesGeneral Munro
Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr.President Lindberg
MaïwennDiva Plavalaguna
Mathieu KassovitzMugger
Lee EvansFog
Charlie Creed-MilesDavid
Awards
⭐ Academy Award Nominee — Best Sound Effects Editing
⭐ BAFTA Winner — Best Special Visual Effects
⭐ César Award Winner — Best Director, Luc Besson
⭐ César Award Winner — Best Cinematography, Thierry Arbogast
⭐ César Award Winner — Best Production Design, Dan Weil
⭐ Cannes Film Festival Technical Grand Prize — Thierry Arbogast
⭐ Saturn Award Nominee — Best Science Fiction Film
Short Plot Summary
In the 23rd century, an ancient evil threatens to destroy Earth unless the four elemental stones and a mysterious fifth element are brought together. When the powerful Leeloo literally falls into the cab of ex-soldier Korben Dallas, he is pulled into a mission involving priests, aliens, corporate villain Zorg, intergalactic radio star Ruby Rhod, and a desperate race to save humanity before the great evil arrives.
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Key Quotes
“Multipass.” — Leeloo
“Negative, I am a meat popsicle.” — Korben Dallas
“Leeloo Dallas multipass.” — Leeloo
“Aziz, light!” — Professor Pacoli
“Super green.” — Ruby Rhod
Trivia
Director
- The Fifth Element was conceived and directed by Luc Besson.
- Besson co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Mark Kamen from Besson’s original story.
- The 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists the film as Episode 105 with Luc Besson as director.
Cast / Casting
- Bruce Willis stars as Korben Dallas, a former special-forces major turned cab driver.
- Milla Jovovich plays Leeloo, the “fifth element” created to stop the great evil.
- Gary Oldman plays industrialist villain Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.
- Chris Tucker plays flamboyant radio host Ruby Rhod, one of the film’s most divisive and memorable comic characters.
Soundtrack / Score
- The score was composed by Éric Serra.
- The Diva Plavalaguna performance combines operatic style with impossible sci-fi vocal acrobatics.
- The soundtrack blends orchestral, electronic, pop, opera, and futuristic club elements to match the film’s genre mashup.
Location
- The film was produced primarily in France and the United Kingdom.
- Studio work took place at Pinewood Studios in England.
- The story moves from Egypt to futuristic New York to the luxury space cruise destination Fhloston Paradise.
Behind-The-Scenes
- Jean Paul Gaultier designed the film’s costumes, including Ruby Rhod’s famous leopard-print outfit and Leeloo’s bandage costume.
- French comic artists Jean “Moebius” Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières contributed to the film’s visual design.
- The Divine Language spoken by Leeloo was created by Luc Besson and further developed with Milla Jovovich.
- The film grossed approximately $263.9 million worldwide against an estimated $90 million budget.
Nostalgia
- The Fifth Element became a cult favorite thanks to its wild production design, quotable dialogue, and bright comic-book energy.
- The movie’s mix of action, comedy, sci-fi, opera, fashion, and weird alien mythology gives it a style unlike most 1990s blockbusters.
- Leeloo’s orange hair, Korben’s cab, Ruby Rhod’s scream-filled broadcasts, and the Diva sequence remain signature images from the film.
Easter Eggs
- The title refers to the classical four elements — earth, air, fire, and water — plus Leeloo as the living fifth element.
- The film’s visual world pulls heavily from French comics, space opera, cyberpunk, and pop-art design.
- The recurring “multipass” gag became one of the movie’s most quoted bits among fans.
Misc.
- The Fifth Element opened the 1997 Cannes Film Festival on May 7, 1997.
- The movie runs 126 minutes.
- The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Effects Editing.
- Your 3 Guys and a Flick ratings page lists Don at 4.00, Ken at 4.25, Jon at 4.00, and the Overall Rating as 4.08.
Sources Cited
3 Guys and a Flick — Ratings
3 Guys and a Flick — Episode 105
IMDb — The Fifth Element
IMDb — Full Cast & Crew
IMDb — Awards
IMDb — Quotes
IMDb — Trivia
Box Office Mojo — The Fifth Element
Rotten Tomatoes — The Fifth Element
Wikipedia — The Fifth Element
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