Review of Nikita (1990) by Ben F — 26 Aug 2012

"La Femme Nikita" was the film that finally marked the signature style of Luc Besson's unique directing. The peak of all his abilities are represented in full glory in this immensely exciting action thriller that I found to transform into an interesting study of characters. With some great performances, wonderful cinematography, a classic Eric Serra musical score, and of course a wonderfully crafted presentation by the director, "La Femme Nikita" is definitely one of the most potent action films of the 1990's.

Nikita plays a woman who is assigned to be an assassin for the French government. Over time, she becomes indocrtinated into the rigorous lifestlye that simply demands for no emotional attachments whatsoever. It becomes difficult for Nikita to break off all human emotion, and the film shows her attempts to surpress all of her love and all of her desires. It's a wonderfully crafted story which has had its share of attempted remakes and spin-offs, all of which can't touch the beauty of the original. The rich story is further excelled by Anne Parillaud's simply wonderful performance. Her beauty and vulnerability grab onto the audience, allowing a connection to take place. She is so gentle, but so brutal at the same time. It's these polar opposites that make her a great character.

Thierry Arbogast, Besson's go-to cinematographer, simply made this movie for me. This is another person who created their own signature style with the production of this film. Terrific low angled dolly shots and various different unique sequences give the audience the sense of individualism. And for an American audience, its defintiely a breath of fresh air, or french air if you will. European cinematographers definitely push the envelope, and the camera literally becomes its own character. I loved it, and the organic visuals made me feel involved in the film's content.

Now while this movie has its share of artistic integrity and beautiful aesthetics, theres another reason why its so good. It's badass. Nikita is bad to the bone, and the awesome fight sequences and well cooreographed action definitely put a cap on how good this movie was. It literally had everything. Its not only a great action movie, but its definitely an important film to study. It had a deep impact on the action film universe, and though many people might try to implement little nuances from this picture, it will never ever be able to be matched. "La Femme Nikita" is the quintessential action movie, for the ideal movie buff.