Leon the Definitive Edition – 4K BLU-RAY STEEL BOOK

As a film enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of cinema, I can confidently say that Luc Besson’s “Leon” is one of those rare gems that transcends language barriers and genre classifications. Having grown up watching European art-house films, it was intriguing to see Besson venture into more commercial territory with this masterpiece.

In a shift from his initial art house roots, Luc Besson ventured into more commercially viable territory with ‘La Femme Nikita’, a film about Nikita, a former criminal transformed into an assassin. This movie was a success, but it was the character of Viktor, a euphemism for someone who disposed of bodies, that particularly captivated Besson. Viktor would later be reimagined as Leon, with Jean Reno reprising the role in what marked Besson’s first English-language film. An audacious decision was made to cast an actor relatively unknown outside of France in the lead role, and even more so, to give a young, debuting Natalie Portman her first film role, which included several challenging scenes. The ensemble was completed with Gary Oldman delivering a chilling performance as a corrupt DEA officer, known for his unstable and trigger-happy character.

In a different rendition, Portman portrays Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl who is unwillingly taken in by Leon, a skilled assassin, following the murder of her family. An unconventional bond forms between them as she apprentices under him and learns his deadly profession. This bond was intriguing enough to spark controversy, but a particular scene where Mathilda expresses her desire to have a baby was deemed too explicit for American and British audiences. The film was re-named ‘The Professional’ in America, and the same scene was removed there, as well as in Britain. However, it wasn’t just that scene that was eliminated; a series of scenes showing Leon taking Mathilda on her first assignment were also cut, although this was primarily due to time constraints rather than content concerns.

Leon, with its remarkable scenes, outstanding acting, and heart-wrenching final moment where the orphaned and troubled Mathilda begs him not to depart and Leon recognizes she has renewed his zest for life, is widely considered Besson’s most successful film thus far. This film, innovative in style, also paved the way for many of Besson’s subsequent action screenplays such as Taxi, Kiss of the Dragon, The Transporter, Unleashed, Taken, and Columbiana, several of which produced multiple sequels.

This newest version, titled “Leon: The Ultimate Edition,” was recently launched in 4K Blu-Ray format, and it’s never been more visually stunning with its vibrant, high-quality colors. Bonus features on the disc include:

Both director’s cut and theatrical version of the movie
New Andre Labbouze, technical director – 10 min
New Thierry Arbogast, cinematographer – 20 min
New Sylvie Landra, film editor – 30 min
New Alain Kruger, journalist – 15 min

For once the directors cut is arguably the superior and well worth a look if you’re not familiar with that particular cut. But is it a definitive edition? Its true that the interviews with the cinematographer, and editor as well as Besson’s own colleague Andre Labbouze make an interesting watch with a number of amusing anecdotal tales about the making of the film. But what would have made this really a definitive edition would be contributions from Besson himself – no directors commentary, no standalone interview and its major omission. Equally some input from Reno, Portman and Oldman would not have gone amiss either. Leon made Reno an international star that landed him roles in Mission Impossible, Godzilla &Ronin, it introduced the world to what would be an Oscar winning star in the making with Natalie Portman and cemented Oldman’s star after a run of great roles in Dracula & True Romance.

Leon, while primarily filmed in the U.S., maintains a unique European flair in its action sequences (with all interior scenes shot on a French soundstage). Although this may not be the ultimate edition fans crave, it has been graced with a lavish transfer, making it the most stunningly beautiful rendition of the movie ever seen.

We ask Luc Besson, ‘Will there be a Leon 2?’…..

Here’s the Leon trailer…..

2024-11-30 03:23

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