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

Luc Besson had Anne Parillaud train extensively with guns so that she would be completely at ease with them. Parillaud took to practicing loading and unloading a fake gun in her car which led to her being pulled over by the police and having their guns drawn on her in traffic one day as they thought her weapon was real.

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Goofs

When being dragged from the courtroom after being handed a life sentence, Nikita's back is protected by cardboard inserted into the waistband of her pants.

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Quotes

Bob: You died Saturday at 5:00 p.m. The prison doctor confirmed suicide after an overdose of tranquillizers. You're buried in Maisons-Alfort, row 8, plot 30.
Nikita: [looking at pictures of her funeral] Titi... That's Titi!
Bob: I work, let's say, for the government. We've decided to give you another chance.
Nikita: What do I do?
Bob: Learn. Learn to read, walk, talk, smile and even fight. Learn to do everything.
Nikita: What for?
Bob: To serve your country.
Nikita: What if I don't want to?
Bob: Row 8, Plot 30.

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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 Finding Interest (1995)

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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

Parillaud Is THE Nikita

This 1989 French film was justifiably so popular that an American re-make followed later and then a cable television series followed after that.

In this - the original - you see "Nikita" at its beginning and, most people agree, at her best. Anne Parillaud, an actress I've always found fascinating, is riveting as the lead character. Jean-Huges Anglade, Tcheky Karyo and Jean Reno provide a very strong supporting cast.

The characters were believable and it was refreshing to see a no-nonsense approach to a murder story, meaning if someone had to be killed, they were shot quickly with no questions asked. Some of the action scenes are brutal.

Parillaud's character is memorable. She can change appearances, from a hard- nosed hysterical animal to a real lady. It's also interesting to see Reno in a familiar role as a "cleaner," a role he made famous four years later in "Leon: The Professional."

The DVD provides either easy-to-read subtitles or a well-done dubbed version. If sound is important to you, you'll hear better stereo with the subtitled version.