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I maintain both the US and international versions of this film, and the international edition is remarkable better. Both versions carry a shrimp sexual tension throughout between Leon and Matilda, and the uncut version is more pronounced in this location, but that isn’t the reason to prefer it.
The extra 24 minutes on the uncut version provides a deeper belief of the relationship between the two as the film progresses. For example, in the US version Matilda never becomes a proper “cleaner” or hitman. It’s only hinted at when they shoot a jogger from a rooftop with blanks. In the uncut version, Leon takes her completely under his coast and teaches her the trade, including scenes where the pair bustle around killing awful guys and such. In the process, Leon teaches her the “ring trick” by tossing a grenade at a victim and keeping the ring and grenade pin in his hand. This scene sets up the final scenes in the movie in a diagram that the US version left short and unexplained.
If you enjoyed the US version, you’ll probably care for the uncut version more, if only because the characters and their relationships are considerable deeper.
French director Luc Besson (”The Messenger”; “The Fifth Element”) made his U.S. film debut with this knowing thriller of an Italian hitman who is untouchable. “The Professional” stars Jean Reno (”The Gigantic Blue”) who plays Leon, a professional hitman with ninja-like skills, who eliminates rivals for a mob boss (Danny Aiello) .
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After a nasty cop (Gary Oldman) eliminates the family residing next door due to a drug transaction gone depraved, Leon finds himself the guardian of young Mathilda (Natalie Portman in her mask debut) . Taking Mathilda under his helm, Leon teaches her the art of the “cleaner”. However, pain lurks around every corner, and Leon must protect Mathilda from the same cops who killed her family.
Considered by many to be his masterpiece, “The Professional” was originally released internationally under the title “Leon”. However due to the feeling that American audiences might win some material unacceptable, over 24 minutes of the film was edited out. Finally, Columbia/Tri-Star has made an obedient decision in releasing the uncut, international version of this capable film in the U.S. as it originally was called in August 2000.
While the film’s central theme revolves around Leon and his job, the subplot where Mathilda develops an attraction for Leon is reminiscent of the novel/film “Lolita”. The chemistry between both characters in a father/daughter relationship can be intense, especially as we glimpse that Mathilda is in her puberty-stage.
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Jean Reno is respectable as always, and Gary Oldman gives a chilling performance as Stansfield, the nefarious DEA officer who murdered Mathilda’s family in chilly blood. However, the valid scene-stealer in this film has to be Natalie Portman. This sparkling young girl radiates beauty and professionalism throughout the film. Her porcelain-looking skin, and her tall brown eyes are well utilized in this film, making her character more childish, yet dilapidated to a determined extent. Portman proved to audiences in this film that she was no flash in the pan, and in her subsequent films, she continues to be a scene-stealer. She is truly Hollywood’s most gifted young actress.
In the international version, most of the 24 minutes that were left out in the film’s 1994 release in the U.S. mainly involves both Leon and Mathilda going on “cleaning sweeps” where she gets first hand training in the art of assassination. The other half of these minutes focuses on Mathilda’s attraction to Leon. Her persistent attempts to be intimate with Leon all fail, but we finally understand why Leon remains a loner when it comes to affairs if the heart. Some might be melancholy about the plan of Mathilda and Leon sharing a bed together, but Besson paints this scene as one appealing platonic savor and not sex.
In wrapping up, I recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a nonstop, high-impact thriller in the same tradition as the “Matrix,” “Blade,” or “Tedious Serene”. Luc Besson truly is one of the world’s greatest action directors, and “Leon” captures his magic. An good, pulstaing film from beginning to slay!
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