The Fifth Element (1997) The Fifth Element (1997)
Gaumont's 1997 sci-fi space-opera, written and directed by Luc Besson. In the 23rd century, a New York cab driver and ex-Federal Major is recruited to escort a divine humanoid weapon — the Fifth Element — to combine with four ancient stones and stop a planet-sized embodiment of Evil from destroying Earth.
Quick Facts
| Director | Luc Besson |
| Writers | Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen |
| Producer | Patrice Ledoux |
| Stars | Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker |
| Composer | Éric Serra |
| Cinematographer | Thierry Arbogast |
| Editor | Sylvie Landra |
| Production Design | Dan Weil |
| Costume Design | Jean Paul Gaultier |
| Concept Art | Jean "Mœbius" Giraud, Jean-Claude Mézières |
| Production Company | Gaumont |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures (US), Gaumont Buena Vista International |
| Budget | $90 million |
| Box Office | $263.9 million worldwide |
| Release Date | May 7, 1997 (Cannes); May 9, 1997 (US) |
| MPAA Rating | PG-13 |
| Running Time | 126 minutes |
| Filmed at | Pinewood Studios, UK; Mauritania |
Key Pages
- _Index — Full page index with editorial introduction
- Plot Structure (The Fifth Element) — Two Approaches structural map
- Backbeats (The Fifth Element) — Scene-by-scene narrative structure