15-minute sequence from the entrance of Willis to where Jovovich dives off - The Fifth Element - Science Fiction/Action movie directed by Luc Besson.

Authors Avatar

15-minute sequence from the entrance of Willis to where Jovovich dives off.

The Fifth Element is Science Fiction/Action movie directed by Luc Besson.  The movie also has comedy elements in it and elements of the sub genre dystopia.  The section I have chosen shows the meeting of the two main protagonists, introduces the villain/s and establishes the main outline of the story for the audience.

On first seeing Dallas (Willis) he appears to be normal - he has pets.  ‘Keep Clear’ is written on the wall, he refers to this...now the audience can see that he might even be a ‘failure’.  He is trying to quit smoking.  There are hints here that he is trying to sort himself out.  He has lost his wife, and seems to be looking for another woman ‘the right woman’.  Here there are no real suggestions that he will be the hero as he seems to have what can be perceived as normal aspirations and an average lifestyle.  The only hints that there may be or has been something different about him are the military trophies and such in his room and the comment ‘I drive a cab now not a space-fighter’.  As this sequence plays on the number of suggestions that he may have once been a ‘hero’ or at least a figure of respect grow.  But now he seems so normal that he can be perceived as a failure, he used to have a respected job, he used to have a wife, for some reason he has to ‘keep clear’.  As in classic Hollywood narrative there is an equilibrium; the protagonist has a relatively normal existence until something happens in his life to transform him.  In this film we meet the protagonist (Willis) after other sequences which tell the audience that the states equilibrium is already upset but Willis isn’t affected yet.

Join now!

Conventions of the Sci-fi genre are seen throughout this scene, such as, the bed that ‘knows’ when Willis gets up, fantastical technology has always been a common element of Sci-fi.  It is used to shock the audience, to stretch their imagination, to create questions about the future in the minds of the audience.  The room in which he lives holds hints of the sub-genre of future dystopia common in Sci-fi, the setting plays on the fears of the audience.  The media constantly informs our culture of the dangers of overpopulation, and other films such as ’The Matrix’ show audiences the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay