The 1990 film, La Femme Nikita, aka Nikita, tells the story of the titular young woman’s (Anne Parillard) journey from drug addict to secret service agent and explores what it takes to be part of the world while maintaining a life-work balance. Luc Besson’s (The Professional) film is a stylised presentation of coming out of youthful aggression and into maturity and civilised life. It speaks of how there is a place for everyone in society even if we don’t recognise it, as suggested by Nikita, who is originally shown as an aggressive no-hoper, eventually working for the French secret service. The film also states that sometimes it takes other people to recognise the goodness in us, as represented Bob (Tchéky Karyo), Nikita’s handler, sparing Nikita from a death sentence because he recognised how she could channel her aggression into the role of assassin. Eric Serra (Goldeneye) provides a stylistic, electronic score for the film, using cool beats and warm synths to accentuate the film’s drama and action. The film plays on the concept of the femme fatale archetype, making Nikita, the central protagonist, fill this role instead of being a character who tempts the protagonist. Unfortunately, the ending leaves audiences with numerous questions and while this can be a good thing in stories, in this case, the questions concern plot holes. Fortunately, they aren’t big enough to ruin the film. With its high impact action sequences, emotional intensity, and character driven drama, La Femme Nikita is a visually, aurally, and narratively stylistic film that I recommend. 4 Stars |
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