Film Analysis: The Fifth Element

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The film The Fifth Element is was co-written and directed by Luke Besson. The film was released in May 1997. The film's main plot is about Korben Dallas, played by Bruce Willis, who helps Leeloo, played by ‎Milla Jovovich, keep the Earth from being destroyed by evil. This analysis will explore the theme of good versus evil that reoccurs throughout the movie. The reader will see through the formal element of mise-en-scene in several examples in the film how this theme adds meaning to the overall motion picture.
The film begins in an ancient Egyptian temple in 1914, the home to the only weapon capable of beating a great evil which comes every 5,000 years. Here the aliens known as Mondoshawans come to take away the fifth element and the stones
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evil can first be observed in how mise-en-scene is used. Mise-en-scene is a formal element of cinema. It is known as staging and it's the overall look and feel of a movie, it is everything the audience sees, hears, and experiences while viewing. A good example of this is when the great evil forms in deep space and then destroys Earth's spaceship. This example of mise-en-scene shows this theme of good vs. evil in this portion of the movie because they introduce the sergeant and his crew in a well-lit and clean place, they have futuristic army attire and appear to be a strong team. Establishing with the audience that these are the good guys. Whereas the great evil is introduced with a chilling deep humming which grows louder as the planet grows larger. The crew sends a probe and it instantly increases in size and solidifies its surface, they then recognize it may be an intelligent life form. The music is ominous and foreshadowing, gradually increasing in volume and tempo creating the feeling that the evil is getting closer. The president who is controlling the situation from his office on Earth is shown through a low angle shot so he appears superior and in charge. He tells his crew to shoot, regardless of the warnings from the priest. When they do, the great evil increases in size by 200%. The captain is then shown close up with sweat on his face, clearly much more nervous than in previous shots. Then the movie cuts to a close up of the sergeant's face who is also sweating and now has dark red blood beginning to drip down from his forehead. It then cuts back to a shot of the great evil coming at the ship. This example of mise-en-scene shows good vs. evil where evil wins, establishing that the good is the underdog and only has one option, to use the fifth