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... morality is called into question and each character exercises an influence on the lives and fates of the others. The Big Blue Although distinctly different from "Subway", Besson once again takes us below the surface of society in more sense than one. The movie is gentler and different from his other movies because it is based on the true-life story of Jacques Model. Yet, it is stranger than his other movies, maybe because the viewer knows it to be a true story. Jacques is a misfit diver who is passionate about the sea and diving.
He may be a misfit in society and uncomfortable with humans but when in the sea, he is free and feels one with the dolphins whom he believes are kindred spirits. He dives professionally, primarily because of his passion for diving and secondarily to make a living. Diving, to him, is an end in itself. A fellow diver - Enzo Molinari, diving is a way of life but it is also his way of making a living. He is a champion swimmer and wishes to compete against Jacques to prove to himself, above all, that he is the best. He is a sociable character who enjoys his life in society as much as the sea.
Jacques does not wish to compete although in his heart he knows that he is better of the two. He is not driven by ambition or desire, solely by love for marine life. Johana, the third character is drawn to Jacques and he to her. Their chemistry is difficult to define and Jacques finds his interactions uncomfortable. Jacques is unable to cope with the commitment and responsibility of a relationship for his spirit belongs to the sea and that is where he feels himself. Johana ends up coming second to Jacques's true love - the sea.
Once again, Besson deals with a man's place in society. But in this movie, he deals also with the characters and not just society and morality. The main characters have a great influence over each other's lives and Besson has closely examined this relationship in comparison to the characters wishing to follow their own instincts. (Stuart Fernie, 2002) Nikita With "Nikita" Besson returns to the familiar territory of questioning society and morality, the place of an individual in society and his reaction to society. Once again, the movie takes the viewers underground, where Nikita is trained by the government to be an assassin who protects the interests of the state. Morality has little place in this world and yet the people involved have firm belief that what they do is in the interest of the nation. For this purpose, they need people like Nikita whose conscience s unlikely to trouble her after she commits her actions.
Nikita, an orphan who grows up with a bunch of drug addicts and under the influence of drugs kills a policeman is trained by the government and the government gives her a direction in life and is responsible for her development. Once again, Besson reveals the farce of society as Nikita learns how to behave in society and be accepted and at the same time continues her work of assassin which in no way conforms to society's laws. Slowly Nikita develops a sense of independence and self - respect and exhibits greater morality than her masters. She is indebted to the government and so continues to perform their tasks but on her own terms and with little violence. Eventually Nikita gains her freedom but pays the price of losing her fianc Marco and has to leave Bob, her immediate superior for whom she ahs deep feelings. The question of morality is raised where the assassin in the end has more sense of right and wrong than the government and people of society.
Leon Leon is about an assassin who takes in a 12 - year - old girl whose family is killed by the federal police who are acting beyond the law. Besson mocks present age society in the movie by showing Leon's best friend to be a plant "because it never lies and it's always happy." Leon's world is black and yet he turns out to be the hero. The police that are considered to be protectors of society are shown as manipulative, cynical and criminal in nature! Leon trains his young charge to be an assassin just like him and the movie ends with Leon and the girl on a rooftop as she takes aim at a Bill Clinton - like figure jogging in Central Park. (Stuart Fernie, 2002) This again has a touch of love, which is again strange, unusual and tragic for the relationship between Leon, and the girl can never be fully understood and is complicated. Besson used New York in the movie as the scene of action as it is a large town where people can easily be anonymous. In Leon's words - "So, at the beginning, it's very large and very big (Besson's camera sweeps across New York like a comet careening out of control).
Then you come in, in, in, to tell the little teeny story. This is a small, small story in this big town. " It is worthy of note that just as the principal characters appear to develop and grow the societies in which they evolve appears to deteriorate and decay. In "Subway" society is seen as a gray area, in "Nikita" it becomes considerably darker while in "Leon" the police itself is bad and the assassin, Leon, is the protector of the innocent. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Although this movie directed by Besson presents itself as a celebration of a martyr's faith, it shows more interest in the violence and hatred that surrounded her life and how society ill-treated her and finally betrayed her. It is a thoughtful exploration into the life of a courageous French teenager whose "voices" made her lead an army, defeat the English invaders and finally perish at the stake then renounce the justness of her cause and deny existence of the divine guidance. True to form, Besson reveals his agenda in an early scene where Joan watches helplessly as her sister is murdered and raped (in that order) by an English soldier.
In the movie, there is no significance given to Joan's encounters with the saints Catherine and Margaret. There is also no mention of Saint Michael whom she claims to have seen and heard. (Ronald F. Maxwell, 1999) This is because Besson was not interested in the historical aspect as much as he wished to portray a woman's morality and faith in contrast to the weakness of her nation and her society and the lack of morality in a society that finally betrayed it's very savior! Conclusion Besson's movies are all based on social existentialism. They are set in extreme conditions and have extreme characters in order to accentuate the point Besson wishes to make.
His films present interesting and thought provoking observations on life, society and man's nature. There is a progression in the development of these themes in all his movies, with society and morality depicted as being in slow decline and decay. At the same time the character evolves living in the very same society but refuses to bend down to society's laws and has his own set of rules, morality and follows his heart. Family and religion are non existent in Besson's movies and it is only love that makes an appearance in all his movies, always to give a touch of tragedy to his movies. Fred lost his life as a result of pursuing his nature and love for Hand in "Subway." Jacques abandoned his love for Johana to pursue his nature in "The Big Blue." Nikita learns to contain her feelings and pursue her future as an independent woman taking control of her life while recognizing her sentiments but refusing to give in to them in "Nikita." Joan renounces love and marriage for her only goal is to attain freedom for her nation in "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc." (Susan Hayward, 1998) Luc Besson is one of the most thoughtful directors of our times and his movies though at times excessively violent, portray the declining society of today and man's place in society. Art is not what it looks but what it does to us and Besson's movies are works of art for they make the viewer think about his society and raises question on morality.
Bibliography Ronald F. Maxwell, "THE MESSENGER" Dumbed Down Dame - Is poetic license a license to kill? 1999. Susan Hayward, Luc Besson: Filmmaker. Manchester University Press, 1998.
Author unknown, Luc Besson - web 2002. Stuart Fernie, Notes on Luc Besson web 2002 Stuart Fernie, Characters and Themes in "Subway", "The Big Blue", "Nikita" and "Leon." 2002 Author Unknown, The Professional, web 1994. Magnus Kempe, Esthetics and Sense of Life: Movies web movies. html, 1996
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Research essay sample on Place In Society Joan Of Arc
