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:

A new kind of lethal weapon

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

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

The odd looking gun that Nikita uses in Venice is a silenced Steyr AUG, an Austrian made assault rifle.

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Goofs

Bob claims the gun Nikita gets in the restaurant holds 6 rounds, yet with the first clip she fires 8 rounds and the second one holds 7.

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Quotes

Marco: Time to clean up.

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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 Jean Reno: The Road to 'Léon' (2005)

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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

Exciting, thrilling, with a shade of dark humor

I saw this film when I was young (12 years old maybe) and I simply loved it. We are following the story of this unruly woman who is trying to do better in a world that is not necessarily that friendly. All the actors are excellent, showing a great strength and sensitivity at the same time. As in most films by Luc Besson, there is a dark sense of humor that could ´speak´ even to the young.