THE FIFTH ELEMENT

US, 1997, 129 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich, Luke Perry, Chris Tucker, Lee Evans.
Directed by Luc Besson.

Luc Besson has been given a huge budget to make a story he dreamed up when he was a teenager. It has been strongly influenced by a lot of futuristic movies from Blade Runner to Stargate. It is a likable extravaganza blending some terribly serious themes concerning the power of evil to destroy the universe with a casual humour that undermines the moves towards being pretentious. After an intriguing and pacy opening in 1914 Egypt, we move 300 years into the future and the inability of the American president and his arsenal-happy military to ward off the advancing planet of evil.

By then you know that the genially laconic Bruce Willis (who drives an airborne taxi, but who is really a retired major) is going to be involved in saving the world, especially when the potential saviour, a woman this time (Milla Jovavich) comes crashing through his taxi roof. There is a priest with the key to the temple of the elements (Ian Holm) and a heavily southern-accented arch villain (Gary Oldman). (There is also an excruciatingly unfunny TV host (Chris Tucker) who should have been blown up!)

Visually splendid, with some wonderful effects, this futuristic adventure is a perfect blend for the 90s: absolutes of good and evil and saviour figures with post-modern flippancy and techno-excellence.

1. The films of Luc Besson? His ambitions for this film? Boys' Own adventure, science fiction and Hollywood? Opening the Cannes Film Festival, 50th anniversary? Impact in Europe? All over the world? Europe meets Hollywood?

2. The big budget and Besson's imagination? Locations, Egypt, the future? The futuristic sets, costumes and decor?

3. The film and its film buff references? Its use of a range of genres? Its post-modern style?

4. The blend of the serious and the flip: the themes of human nature, the need for salvation, the struggle between good and evil? Apocalyptic themes? The contrast with the flip-side: Ruby and the television show, the effeminate manner and style? The appearance and style of the creatures from the future and other planets? The humorous dialogue? Bruce Willis and his offhand heroism? Gary Oldman and his villainy? Corbin's mother and her telephone calls - especially as the climax of the film? The contrast of the music with the popular styles, the styles of the diva?

5. Post-modern issues, good and evil, the yearning for the transcendent and for values?

6. The title and its focus? The four elements, earth, air, fire and water? The personal fifth element for redemption? Elemental aspects of life on earth and redemption? Good and evil, life and destruction? Zorg and his theory of the creativity of destruction? His story of the breaking glass and its consequences?

7. The prologue, Egypt at the beginning of the century? The professor and his assistant? The sleeping boy? The priest and his anxiety? The hieroglyphics and reading their secrets? The invaders and their secret? The professor's amazement, the priest trying to kill him? His collapse? The information about the coming of evil? The passing of 300 years?

8. Bruce Willis as Corbin Dallas? In the 23rd century? The style of his apartment? Waking up? His flip style, manner, the apartment and its gadgets? The mugger and his arrival at the door, his attempt to rob Dallas, their confrontation? The style of the mugger and his leaving? Dallas and his past, driving the taxi? His way of life?

9. The President of the United States and his council? The advance of the sphere of evil? The nuclear advisers and the military tactics, military decisions? Nuclear destruction? The hesitation of the president and his advisers? Father Cornelius and his plea? The assistant to the President and the decision to commission Corbin to confront the evil?

10. The episode of the destruction of the space vehicle? Lee- Loo, her survival? The doctors and their examination, the operation? Their surprise at her structure? Her reviving, her escape? On the building, her fall into the taxi? The rescue mission? The mystery? Her identity?

11. Father Cornelius and his assistant? The handing on of the secrets? His protecting them? His advice to the President? Dallas bringing Lee-Loo? to him? His decisions of how to protect the secret as well as the nature of the mission? His capture and his betrayal? The confrontations with Zorg and the discussions about good and evil?

12. Gary Oldman's style and appearance, manner of speaking as Zorg? The comic-book villain? The cliches of capitalism? Evil and taking over the world? His plan and his henchmen? The desire to get the stones? His office, his treatment of Father Cornelius? The alliance with the monsters from space? The attack on the hotel? The diva and her concert and his declaration of war? The bomb in the hotel - his self-satisfied plans? The irony of his destruction?

13. Corbin and his relationship with Lee-Loo? The stones and trying to get them? To protect her? Father Cornelius and the search? The commission? The irony of his mother ringing up and nagging and having no idea of the seriousness of situations? The plan, with Lee- Loo, going to the concert, listening to the diva? The mystery of the stones and her holding them? The countdown for the bomb? His escape? The encounter with Ruby, Ruby and the television show, the concert, the strategies? Ruby and the need for help during the attack on the hotel? Going on the space mission, Father Cornelius, Lee-Loo? and Ruby? Using his wits? Communication with the President?

14. The character of Ruby and the comic style? Flip, post-modern? The parody of the media personality and keeping on the air, the breathless descriptions of crises? At the concert, with the entourage? The camp style and appearance, clothes? With the hotel under fire, the dangers? Present at the fulfilment of the mission?

15. The President, the closing of time, the advisers? Decision and indecision? The destruction of the world?

16. Lee- Loo and the confrontation with Zorg, in the hotel, her being shot at, the desperation and the chase? Wounded? Vulnerable? The rescue - and the diva dying? Going on the mission with Corbin?

17. The appearance of the diva, human and machine? The range of music, classical and post-modern? The performance and the concert? Her being shot? The secret of the stones? Destroyed in the chaos?

18. The mission to Egypt, Father Cornelius's assistant? Having the stones but trying to use wits to understand how to use them? The correspondence to the earth, air, fire and water? The assistant and his breath and opening up the communications? Placing the stones, the opening up of the weapon, the destruction of the evil and the saving of the universe?

19. Lee- Loo as the Christ figure? Coming from another planet to save the earth? The ironic post-modern incarnation? The feminine redeemer? Her mission, the stones? Corbin as her disciple? The experience of learning earthly knowledge? On the journey to Egypt and the video material on war and her grief? The importance of love? Her love for Corbin, her seeing that love was the value that would give importance to the saving of the universe?

20. The restoring of order? Humanity saved? Beauty and love being saved and rescued? The sexual encounter - and the flip ending with Corbin's mother ringing?

21. The blend of the science fiction and fantasy traditions with more serious themes? The Bruce Willis action films? The importance of the look and sound of the film, decor, costumes? An extravaganza of film-making, 100 years after the invention of cinema?