25 Years Later, The Fifth Element Is Still An Enigmatic Sci-Fi Classic

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The genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy have passed some fairly impressive anniversaries recently, being 20 years since the first Harry Potter and first Lord of the Rings hit cinemas, in equal parts making audiences around the world feel both wistfully nostalgic, but also very old. The films stand up even today, but what a difference 5 years make, shown through the datedly scantily clad Milla Jovovich and beautifully 90’s envisioned depiction of the future present in Luc Besson’sThe Fifth Element. It is arguably one of the most divided sci-fi films of all time, being simultaneously one of the best and worst iterations into this vast genre.

The Fifth Element starts in a fairly typical way — overloading audiences with a whole lot of backstory about an almighty evil that wants to destroy all life in the universe. A chaos-swarming fiery ball of nasty audiences see first hand when the president Lindberg (played stoically by the late Tom Lister Jr.) attempts to fire a starship's worth of nukes at it, despite the pleas of Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm). Holm is a long way from home in this role, but his frantic comedic portrayal of a man with the fate of the universe riding on his shoulders is masterful.

This Sci-Fi Series Blends The Genre With Quiet, Heartbreaking Drama

The best way to describe theFifth Element is that it is the personification of delirious cohesion, a vast and often confusing mess of contradictory visuals and themes that somehow manage to work well with one another. It is both funny and serious, heavy handed but somehow also full of intricate and carefully thought out detail. There is a surprising amount of effort hidden beneath the vibrant facade that might surprise many audiences, like how the seemingly