17.12.11

Don't Forget To Love, part 17 of 24

Welcome to the Single-Minded Movie Blog advent calendar. Between the 1st and the 24th of December every day will bring you a short post about a film or a TV-show you shouldn't forget to love.

Nikita (1990)

Luc Besson is another one of those directors we've just lost. I mean, he just stopped making good movies, but in his early days he was a force to be reckoned with, and Nikita might be his best movie.

There are two parts to this film's success. The first one is the character of Nikita, possibly the most iconic female assassin ever put on film. She starts off as a screaming mad dope fiend, then she's broken down to a frail little bird, and finally - of course because of love - she's reborn as complete human being. Mad probs to Anne Parillaud for her unflinching portrayal of the titular character.

The second part of the equation is Luc Besson's flawless filmmaking. I absolutely adore the look of his earlier films, he could really shoot an action scene back then, and name another filmmaker who can use wide-angle shots this effectively. He lost his filmmaking abilities after Léon (1994), but it was great while it lasted.

Nikita is a modern masterpiece. Nothing less. And the ending still makes me cry. Yeah, I said it.

Never forget to love it.



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