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:

She has no fear, she is sweet, she loves, and she kills.

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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

Nikita shoots a Beretta Model 93R in the firing range scene. This is a selective-fire machine pistol variant of the Model 92. Examples of the 93R are now extremely rare and highly sought after, some allegedly selling for more than $100K.

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Goofs

When Nikita is being taken away after her sentencing, she breaks the top of the wooden bench off. However, you can clearly see it has been cut beforehand to help break off easier.

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Quotes

Marco: You know this could be dangerous.
Nikita: What's the worst that could happen?
Marco: Leftovers?

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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 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.78 (2011)

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Soundtracks

The Dark Side of Time
(uncredited)
Performed by Éric Serra
Words by Luc Besson
Backing vocals by Yvonne Jones & Slim Batteux

User Reviews

Twenty years have done nothing to diminish this solid action-drama.

"You could say I work...for the government. We've decided to give you another chance."

I've been wanting to see La Femma Nikita for ages, as I used to be quite the fan of the TV show based on it when I was a kid. It's nice to be able to say that the movie was just as exciting and entertaining as I remember the show being.

The plot is about a young drug addict who kills a cop when she and some guys are caught robbing a pharmacy. The French government fakes her death, and she's given little alternative but to join a training program to become an agent in the government's employ. The stress of living a violent life that she doesn't want and having to keep it secret from her fiancé eventually becomes too much for her to cope with.

La Femme Nikita has several impressive action sequences, but it's more than just an action movie. Nikita transforms over the course of the story from a drugged-up junkie with nothing to live for to a capable and dangerous woman who wants control over her own life.

All in all I thought La Femme Nikita was a solid blend of assassination and drama. The heroine is probably one of the most interesting female action protagonists ever put up on the big screen, and it's hard to overstate the impact Nikita has had on other female protagonists in these kinds of movies in the last twenty years. Recommended.