The depiction of overtly sexualised girlhood is tiresome at best, and dangerous at worst. Change of scene.

Before they leave Mathilda burns the drugs in the apartment. Comparison between the Theatrical Version and the International Version. International Version 5:21 Min.

Was this review helpful to you? Though Besson’s film was critically acclaimed and in many ways has stood the test of time, its representation of girlhood has long been seen as problematic – and still jars. J. S. Golden. The symbols that do appear in the movie, however, provide the viewer with information about the inner workings of Leon and Mathilda. Mathilda drinks lots of champagne and wants Leon to kiss her.

Whether we consider a film made 25 years ago – or a novel written 125 years ago – we see that girlhood is often framed by the wilful misunderstanding of young women’s experiences. Yet many film-goers informed by #MeToo and intersectional views – which consider the overlapping of social categories such as race, gender and class – expect more. Use the HTML below. Adolescent girls’ stories have long been presented in terms of their sexual precociousness. Some, including French director Céline Sciamma are trailblazers in their depiction of female adolescence, eager to redress the balance.

cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims. Léon presents the story of Mathilda (played by a 12-year-old Portman in her debut role), who is orphaned when her family is murdered and seeks refuge with her neighbour Léon. Lois Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Mathilda tells Léon that she is 18, though she is clearly prepubescent. The scene wasn’t rehearsed, so that Reno’s response would be one of genuine surprise when Portman croons Like a Virgin and Happy Birthday (Mr President) while clad in make-up and costumes.

When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

The films of Sciamma and her contemporaries indicate that a sea-change is possible. Check out our editors' picks for our favorite Prime Video original movies and TV series, including "The Boys," "Fleabag," and more. Rated R for scenes of strong graphic violence, and for language, Tony puts out his cigarette in an ashtray, ‘One Night in Miami’ Stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Aldis Hodge on the Burden of Playing Iconic Figures, ViacomCBS International Studios Announces Upcoming Mia Presentation, New Award – Mipcom Roundup, Studiocanal Set to Re-Release ‘Breathless’ Following Success With ‘Flash Gordon,’ ‘The Elephant Man’, Top 100 Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb in 2016, The Top 200 Movies as Rated by Women on IMDb in 2018, Greatest Movies Without Any Oscar Nominations.

In 'The Professional', they just wake up in bed together. Her films such as Water Lilies (2007), Tomboy (2011), Girlhood (2015) and this year’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, all place girl characters at the heart of the story. The International Version continues only when Tony helps them to blow out the candles. Her impression of Marilyn Monroe is part of her cultural arsenal, despite never having seen Monroe’s films. It is undeniable that latent sexual potential has defined girlhood for many writers and creators, whether they have realised it or not.

With Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello. Research Associate in English, Edinburgh Napier University.

Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl, is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered.

Title: What are the tablets which Stansfield takes twice during the course of the film? You just look a little young." In 1995, the film caused a stir on its release over its portrayal of the relationship between the two main characters, the loner hitman Léon and his girl apprentice Mathilda. 'Leon' has the entire scene where Mathilda tries on the dress and attempts to seduce Leon, who rejects her before they platonically share the bed. Leon agrees to kill Stansfield. A former neo-nazi skinhead tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did. A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery. Leon: "How old are you?" Her home-made magazines are held in the Women’s Library at the London School of Economics. Leon: The Professional is about an Italian killer living in New York (Jean Reno) who starts taking care of a girl named Mathilda (a very young Natalie Portman) after her family is killed. View All Videos (9) Léon: The Professional Quotes. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Luc Besson’s controversial thriller Léon: The Professional – and a special director’s cut has been released to mark the event. An example of 19th-century girls’ appropriating culture can be seen in the youthful writings of Eglantyne Jebb (1876–1928), who went on to co-found the Save the Children Trust and define the rights of the child.

Mathilda glues the door viewer shut with her bubblegum and asks the person inside to open the door because it is dark in the hallway.

Exclusive scenes in the Theatrical Version: The International Version is 22:28 Min.

The representation of Mathilda as a sexually precocious pre-teen was shocking to both viewers and critics, but the film made stars of both actors, Natalie Portman and Jean Reno, and catapulted Besson into mainstream Hollywood. Léon: The Professional (1994) was a controversial film at the time of its release. It was only a few months ago that convicted child rapist Roman Polanski won the César award for best director, sparking protests in France and condemnation from actresses including Adèle Haenel, star of the recent French hit Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.

At the changeover to Tonys birthday party, the International Version is missing something this time.

View All Photos (12) Léon: The Professional Videos.

They drew on the media they were immersed in at the time, much like Mathilda. Sexualization of a child is simply disgusting. Before mimicking celebrities from film and popular music, 19th-century girls would imitate the magazines they read, and write homages to, or critiques of, notable authors.

It's easy to forget 17 years later this was a rather controversial movie, particularly the European cut, simply known as Leon. Due to her traumatic formative experiences, she believes that she has “finished growing up” and “just getting older”. Aloof Jean Reno alongside tiny punk Natalie Portman make a compelling duo in what has to be on the top of the list for action/thriller […] 7th Avenue and W 54th Street, New York City, New York, USA, The Best TV Shows About Being in Your 30s.

When the victim opens the door Leon cuts the door chain. A young F.B.I.

), Leon: The Professional is a fairly straightforward narrative with little overt symbolism or subtext. Change of scene. He declines appalled and Mathilda starts laughing at him. Now we see Leon and Mathilda at work. They need to look to the real experiences, interests and creative lives of young women, instead of pandering to tropes of sexual precociousness favoured by the male gaze for far too long. The main and most obvious symbol in the… Léon: The Professional

My research into the history of children’s cultures demonstrates that girls have long experimented with appropriation and imitation. Leon and Mathilda are having dinner in a restaurant. In fact, the European version was so risque for American test screen audiences the movie's questionable scenes were removed and the film was retitled, The Professional. Léon: The Professional Photos. An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soapmaker form an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. Experts in sociology and education have also observed children’s tendency to appropriate. Leon: "No.

Unlike other 1994 crime films (Pulp Fiction, Natural Born Killers, etc.

If you watch the extended cut/international version, there is a lot more of the romantic connection between Leon and Matilda, so it's kind of extra romantic. The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape, yet who has a mysterious gift. Choose an adventure below and discover your next favorite movie or TV show. Natalie Portman has spoken out about the “sexual terrorism” she experienced as a result of appearing in Léon, leading her to say in 2019 that “no one would make Léon today”. Yet the history of youth can offer insights into girls’ culture that provides an alternative view to the more common perspective of the male gaze. After a tragic accident, two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.

Sciamma’s example shows that stories of girlhood relationships, pastimes and creativity all make for dynamic cinema.

Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives. longer than the Theatrical Version! Must see action romance.

The last victim starts shooting through the door and Leon finishes him off with a grenade. Copyright © 2010–2020, The Conversation US, Inc. American audiences responded poorly to many of the scenes between Léon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman), so much that the film was edited down by almost a half hour and re-titled for American theatres. Mathilda : "Wanna see my license?" Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional is one of the most popular dramatic crime movies of the last 25 years, enjoying a strong rating of 8.5/10 while sitting at #31 on IMDb's Top 250 Films.

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