Léon: The Professional (1994)

Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl, is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.

Director:

Luc Besson

Writer:

Luc Besson

Stars:

Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman

Top Rated Movies #31 | 6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Reno	...	Leon
Gary Oldman	...	Stansfield
Natalie Portman	...	Mathilda
Danny Aiello	...	Tony
Peter Appel	...	Malky
Willi One Blood	...	1st Stansfield Man (as Willie One Blood)
Don Creech	...	2nd Stansfield man
Keith A. Glascoe	...	3rd Stansfield man
Randolph Scott	...	4th Stansfield man
Michael Badalucco	...	Mathilda's Father
Ellen Greene	...	Mathilda's Mother
Elizabeth Regen	...	Mathilda's Sister
Carl J. Matusovich	...	Mathilda's Brother
Frank Senger	...	Fatman
Lucius Wyatt Cherokee	...	Tonto (as Lucius Wyatt 'Cherokee')

Storyline

After her father, step-mother, step-sister and little brother are killed by her father's employers, the 12-year-old daughter of an abject drug dealer manages to take refuge in the apartment of a professional hitman who at her request teaches her the methods of his job so she can take her revenge on the corrupt DEA agent who ruined her life by killing her beloved brother.

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Plot Keywords:

girl | hitman | teenage girl | older man young girl relationship | neo noir | 

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Taglines:

A professional hitman, an innocent witness, a corrupt detective who went too far

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for scenes of strong graphic violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the interiors of Léon's apartment were shot in Paris; all of the shots of the outside corridor were shot six weeks earlier in New York.

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Goofs

When the taxicab pulls up to the DEA building, the rearview mirror is on the windshield. Immediately afterwards, the spot for it is evident, but the mirror is missing.

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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.

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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)

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Alternate Versions

In the USA cable version, a flyover of Central Park in the beginning has been cut for no apparent reason, and the main titles moved to the first scene.

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Connections

Referenced in The Big Bang Theory: The Peanut Reaction (2008)

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Soundtracks

I Like Myself
from It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
Music by André Previn
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Performed by Gene Kelly (uncredited)

User Reviews

Amazing and quite a bit original (international version)

If you watch the extended cut/international version, there is a lot more of the romantic connection between Leon and Matilda, so it's kind of extra romantic. But the movie itself is amazing, Oldman is at his best and the violent scenes are top notch. Must see action romance.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English Italian French

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Léon: The Professional

Filming Locations:

7th Avenue and W 54th Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

FRF115,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,306,558, 20 November 1994

Gross USA:

$19,501,238

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,552,639

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Les Films du Dauphin, Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 136 min (uncut) 133 min (International)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels) Dolby SDDS DTS Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1