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Thesis: Luc Besson is one of the best French Directors of this century. His works can either be viewed as mere action packed thrillers or the viewer can go in depth and question society and morality. Besson wishes to make the viewer question the importance of individualism, the role of each individual in society and whether the individual should follow the norms of society or follow his heart. Besson's humor, sense of pathos and his reflections on life deserve credit.
Besson draws on his own life in some movies. Besson lacks presence of family and religion and in his movies the protagonist has to sacrifice one love so as to attain another, which he feels to be of greater importance to his life. Introduction Luc Besson was born in Paris on March 18, 1959, and spent most of his childhood living in the idyllic settings of various Mediterranean hideaways between Yugoslavia and Greece where his parents worked as diving instructors. A tragic diving accident when seventeen, put an end to his dreams of a career in marine biology and he diverted his interest to films and directing. He dropped out of school and moved to Hollywood at the age of nineteen where he spent three years working on and learning about American films. There was a time when he used to watch a dozen films a week so as to understand filmmaking.
Considered the French equivalent of Steven Spielberg, Besson is popular for creating fast - paced stylish and hugely budgeted films. What are noticeable in Besson's movies are the visual style, humor, pathos, and sense of direction, reflections on life and declination of modern society. (Susan Hayward, 1998) The Movies Luc Besson's movies can all be viewed not just as movies but movies with a meaning. One of his major themes in all his movies is social existentialism - the decline of society and morality. The protagonist develops his own sense of morality and what is right and wrong in relation to their decline in society as a whole.
What are noticeable in his movies are the absence of family and the demise of the community, which he brings out with great sophistication. His childhood spent near the sea and his passion for it and diving also had a profound effect even on his work as can be seen from his movie - The Big Blue. It is also worth noting that religion plays no major or obvious part in the proceeding of the movie with the sole exception being "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" which although religiously oriented in real life, finds Besson concentrating on the action and adventure and the society and morality of those times. The difference between the story of a young girl who claims to have been visited by specific saints and one who is transfixed by thrashing winds, rushing clouds and a wolf pack on the hunt is the difference between the real life Joan of Arc and the fictitious marionette of this film. (Ronald F. Maxwell, 1999) Besson's films represent the conflicts and tensions of a post-modern age and are perceived as signs of their time. Besson made his first film in 1980, a short black and white film entitled, "L'avant-dernier." The film won a number of prizes encouraging Besson to remake it as his first long film - "Le dernier combat." This too was a huge success. "Subway" starring Christopher Lambert was his next venture.
The story is about a thief on the run who becomes involved in the interesting but weird sub - culture of Parisians living in the city's underground. The drama is set entirely within the Paris Metro and examines the lives and morality of the punks and fringe - dwellers living there. The film received 13 Cesar nominations and became known as a cult classic. Even greater success followed with Besson's next film in 1988, "The Big Blue." Besson's passion for marine life and the sea is evident in this movie and directing this movie gave him a chance to revisit his happy childhood.
The film about Jacques May and his personal interaction with the diver influenced the film greatly. The film had astonishing commercial success in Europe but failed miserably in America due to poor last minute editing, changing of the ending and a change in sound track. Besson's biggest hit came with " La Femme Nikita", in 1990, a lightening paced story of a troubled woman who is trained to become a sophisticated, deadly government assassin. Besson's "La Femme Nikita" spawned a new form of thriller-the neo-noir action film-an influence that still reverberates throughout world cinema.
Next, in 1994, came "Lon" also called "The Professional." The film is about a young girl who befriends a professional hitman so as to avenge her family's murder. The movie contained graphic images of carnage and death. Besson's next movie - "The Fifth Element" was a huge success with the masses and soon acquired a cult following. It is a tongue - in - cheek science fiction based on a story that Besson wrote as a teenager. "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" is his latest release and did not perform well and marked Besson's first commercial failure. The analyzing of Besson's movies separately, throws light on Besson's ideas and views showing great similarities in all his movies even if the basic theme of the movies are different from each other.
The nature of the characters, their relation to each other, their development as a result of the society they live in and the extremity of society are important aspects of all his movies. He attempts to take us below the surface of society in most cases both literally and metaphysically to view society from a whole new angle. The principal characters in most of Besson's movies have at least one thing in common - they are all loners and outcasts from society. They do not conform to the norms and regulations of society. At the same time, the societies portrayed are extreme and probably not to be found on earth. They are invariably societies on the decline that has conflicting principles and ideologies with those of the protagonist.
The worlds explored are dark and uncertain places where conventional views of right and wrong are challenged. The principal characters are the only ones to show any real "integrity" although they have their own sense of morality, which the viewer may not always be able to accept or agree with. Luc Besson makes interesting but challenging observations on life, morality and personal development. The characters are all results of this extreme society and therefore extreme and intense in their own way.
The extremities in his movies actually help in providing greater clarity to Besson's ideas. (Susan Hayward, 1998) Subway "Subway takes us into the underground system in Paris. Fred is a small time thief who steals some important documents from a gangster. The gangster, his wife - Hlna and some henchmen follow Fred into the metro. Fred finds a new way of life in the underground where there are no laws to conform to and are free to do what they please in an attempt to survive and yet have maintained a sense of integrity. The gangsters on the other hand, conform on the exterior to the norms of society and yet lack all morality. They are shallow and superficial and lacking in character.
Their only goal is to make money, however deceitful or unscrupulous the methods may be. Hlna falls for Fred as she finds him a refreshing change from her husband and his friends. Although amoral, Fred has a sense of honesty, sensitivity and understanding. He acts on impulse, doing what he wishes, and yet fully aware of the consequences of his actions.
He is an independent entity having a free spirit, just like all the other residents in the Underground - refusing to be crushed by society's laws and expectations. His ambition is to form a rock group and the armed robbery and money made is a means to this end. Luc Besson has used quotes at the start of the film: "To be is to do" - Socrates "To do is to be" - Sartre "Do be do be do" - Sinatra. (Stuart Fernie, 2002) These quotes are essential in understanding the point that Besson wishes to make through this movie. Man does what he feels he must do and not what is required of him by society. Society may impose laws but his nature and emotions control man more than these laws do. This conflict between civilization and man's nature is one of the key themes of the film.
Fred is not the perfect protagonist but is more attractive than his opponents as he is innocent, direct and acts on what is in his heart. It is a modern play on existentialism, in which the nature and very existence of...
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Research essay sample on Joan Of Arc Sense Of Morality
