Movie of the Week: The Fifth Element

This week I am featuring the 1997 film,"The Fifth Element". It's a science fiction film set in the future. An impending doom is befalling on all life on earth and there is only one hope for the survival, which is the titled fifth element. It's filled with humor, action, and a thoughtful look at humanity from an outside perspective (that kind of gets lost, but it's there). The film stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, and directed by  Luc Besson. 

Not only is the film fun, thought provoking, and action packed- take a look at the cinematography. It's a beautiful concept of what our future can look like. Film design was created by French comics Jean Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières. We as humans take things that are familiar that we have an emotional attachment to and turn it around, inside out to make it more "modern".

Costume design was another aspect of the film that I adore. You can just tell the signature look of Jean-Paul Gaultier. 954 costumes were designed for this film, I don't think another designer has performed a  comparable feat. It fits wonderfully with the futuristic French aesthetic. The film also host a barrage of late 90's super models. It was during a time when our idea of beauty was changing once again and freckles, tattoos and shaved heads were accepted in a celebration of individualism.

I love this movie and I always get, "You're watching this again?" every time I have it playing. I think this is a film worth watching and appreciating.