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Léon: The Professional (1994)
"Léon" (original title)

8.6
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Ratings: 8.6/10 from 417,637 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 721 user | 124 critic | 12 from Metacritic.com

A professional assassin rescues a teenage girl whose parents were killed in a police raid.

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Title: Léon: The Professional (1994)

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Top 250 #31 | 3 wins & 8 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
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Willi One Blood ...
1St Stansfield Man (as Willie One Blood)
...
Keith A. Glascoe ...
Randolph Scott ...
...
...
...
Carl J. Matusovich ...
...
Lucius Wyatt Cherokee ...
Tonto (as Lucius Wyatt 'Cherokee')
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Storyline

Mathilda, a twelve-year old New York girl, is living an undesirable life among her half-family. Her father stores drugs for two-faced cop Norman Stansfield. Only her little brother keeps Mathilda from breaking apart. One day, Stansfield and his team take cruel revenge on her father for stretching the drugs a little, thus killing the whole family. Only Mathilda, who was out shopping, survives by finding shelter in Léon's apartment in the moment of highest need. Soon, she finds out about the strange neighbour's unusual profession - killing - and desperately seeks his help in taking revenge for her little brother. Léon, who is completely unexperienced in fatherly tasks, and in friendships, does his best to keep Mathilda out of trouble - unsuccessfully. Now, the conflict between a killer, who slowly discovers his abilities to live, to feel, to love and a corrupt police officer, who does anything in his might to get rid of an eye witness, arises to unmeasurable proportions - all for the ... Written by Julian Reischl <julianreischl@mac.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

girl | drugs | revenge | hitman | apartment | See more »

Taglines:

You can't stop what you can't see. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of strong graphic violence, and for language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Léon: The Professional  »

Box Office

Budget:

FRF 115,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

JPY 112,586,900 (Japan) (3 January 1997)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (uncut) | (International) | (TV)

Sound Mix:

| (8 channels)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Stansfield (Gary Oldman) is obsessed with Beethoven. Oldman later portrayed Beethoven in Immortal Beloved. See more »

Goofs

When Matilda is watching The Transformers for the final time in the film, scenes from different episodes of the series are used straight after each other. This was a conscious decision by the filmmaker to use scenes to echo Mathida's state of mind. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Tony: Allora, come stai, Leone?
Léon: Bene.
[Tony puts out his cigarette in an ashtray]
Tony: OK. OK. Let's talk business.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Under the "SPECIAL THANKS" heading you will find: Chevalier KAMEN (Prince of the Mash Potatoes) Byblos Bill (King of Saint Tropez) Princess Trudy (Queen of Hearts) See more »

Connections

Referenced in Point Blank (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

"Shape Of My Heart"
Written by Sting and Dominic Miller
Introduction by Dominic Miller
Performed by Sting
Courtesy of Magnetic Ltd. / A&M Records
by arrangement with PolyGram Special Projects
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
a symphony in film
25 April 2003 | by (manchester) – See all my reviews

luc besson will never top this movie. This is his benchmark, his classical composition. Look at the precise, intricate scenes. It's a symphony in cinema. Straight off, it's action. Intelligently shot, and scripted. It makes everything that follows hard to live upto. But it does so easily. It's stylish without being showy, it's deep without being sentimental. And it's just hugely enjoyable. Seeing the friendship between newly orphaned mathilda and skilled assasin leon bloom, is tenderly done. At risk of slipping into a sappy bond, besson keeps it easy on the emotions, without coming off as shallow.

The actors are all spot on, most notably the debut from a young natalie portman as mathilda. Showing an angry, sad, pent up, in love girl is no simple task but she breezes through it, touching all the right notes. And jean reno as the title character, is minimal but very effecting. Hard to understand, but easy to relate too. But gary oldman steals it, with his glorious overacting. He's as scary as he is determind. His line delivery is almost perfect. And his fate is very fitting. If only they made more intelligent action movies, then they could contend with this film. But as it stands right now, leon is one of the best action dramas ever made.


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