Response Paper Nikita

Submitted By Zane-Michalak
Words: 433
Pages: 2

Zane Mandel-Michalak
Professor Nathalie Degroult
FREN207: French Cinema
March 10,2015
Response Paper on La Femme Nikita Within this film Luc Besson uses a variety of different themes throughout, but the major and most powerful of these is the theme of powerful femininity. Nikita in the beginning of the film lacks not only femininity but overall humanity. First she is shown as heartless in killing the officer in cold blood, and throughout her time spent in the criminal justice system up until her training she displays her power over others through anarchy and lack of care. This is also where Nikita lacks femininity most of all, she is shown as disheveled and barbaric. Her rebirth into the secret government agency is where we first see humanity in our protagonist, with her feeling the floor with her feet and recoiling. This shows her disbelief at her both being alive and is shown through the little things we do every day, like feeling the floor underneath her feet. She is given her two week deadline to show improvement and Nikita both shows her power and femininity growing with her progress as she initiates learning with the very same people she rebelled against. She is seen in her height of femininity where she graduates from her three years in the training facility, and is in full make-up with a beautiful cocktail dress. But Luc Besson shows the viewer this femininity just to mix this with the powerful assassin she is killing the VIP in the restaurant. This is done to merge Nikita’s identity of both holding the ultimate power in the form of true femininity. Throughout