La Femme Nikita (1990)

Convicted felon Nikita, instead of going to jail, is given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.

Director:

Luc Besson

Writer:

Luc Besson

Stars:

Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Parillaud	...	Nikita / Marie Clément
Marc Duret	...	Rico
Patrick Fontana	...	Coyotte
Alain Lathière	...	Zap
Laura Chéron	...	La punk
Jacques Boudet	...	Le pharmacien
Helene Aligier	...	La pharmacienne
Pierre-Alain de Garrigues	...	Flic pharmacie
Patrick Pérez	...	Flic pharmacie (as Patrick Perez)
Bruno Randon	...	Flic pharmacie
Vincent Skimenti	...	Flic pharmacie
Roland Blanche	...	Flic interrogatoire
Joseph Teruel	...	Stagiaire flic
Jacques Disses	...	Avocat
Stéphane Fey	...	Président tribunal (as Stephane Fey)

Storyline

An urgent life-or-death dilemma befalls Nikita--the feral street girl and violent drug addict--after killing a police officer at point blank. Hopeless, Nikita is given a new lease of life, when she reluctantly exchanges her doomed fate for a secret government program that promises to mould her into a cold-blooded assassin under the wing of her sadistic mentor, Bob. Now--with a new set of skills, a new identity, and lethally sophisticated looks--Nikita is the ultimate weapon and the perfect puppet for doing the government's dirty work; however, what happens if this trained killer chooses love over death?

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Plot Keywords:

female assassin | france | shotgun | hidden door | undercover agent | 

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Taglines:

Hard to Kill.

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

-Excerpt from this film -The official trailer

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French Italian English

Release Date:

April 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

La Femme Nikita

Filming Locations:

Rue Louis Codet, Paris 7, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$44,047, 10 March 1991

Gross USA:

$5,017,971

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,017,971

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Les Films du Loup, Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bridget Fonda who starred in the remake Point of No Return (1993) would later work with Luc Besson and Tchéky Karyo in Kiss of the Dragon (2001).

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Goofs

Nikita's shoes change when she dives into the trash chute in the restaurant.

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Quotes

Nikita: Why ain't my mother here?

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Alternate Versions

The English dubbed version featured John Tremaine as the voice of Tchéky Karyo's character Bob.

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Connections

Referenced in Ji dao zhui zong (1991)

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Soundtracks

LA PETITE MUSIQUE DE NUIT
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as MOZART)
Performed by Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Conducted by Raymond Leppard
Courtesy of Erato

User Reviews

Femme Fatale

Welcome to the world where a woman can handle a gun and be as merciless and seemingly unemotional as any man. The anti- heroine, a woman named Nikita (Anne Parillaud in a performance of her life) is given a reprieve from a death sentence by government agents that want to use her as an undercover assassin. Stylish, ultraviolent, cynical but strangely engrossing - this is a must see for the fans of clever action movies.

Director Luc Besson somehow manages to keep a high level of energy and our interest - from the opening scene – a violent drugstore shootout until the very last moment.

Terrific cast include also Jean-Hughes Anglade (Queen Margot, Killing Zoe), Tcheky Karyo (Kiss of the Dragon, Addicted to Love 1997), Jeanne Moreau - the legend of the French cinema ("Jules and Jim", "Elevator to the Gallows", "Going Places"), and Jean Reno ("Leon", "Ronin")

Don't bother with the American remake (Bridgett Fonda) or TV series with the same title - see only original.