For my third plunge into French cinema I selected Luc Besson's 1991 spy thriller, Le Femme Nikita. This film exemplifies strong action and suspense complete with style and imagination. Nikita and her fellow junkie gang membors Zap, Rico, and Coyotte break into a store, that happens to be Coyotte's old home. His father comes downstairs after calling the cops and when they arrive a gun battle is engaged. Everyone in the shop dies but Nikita, who says "No more?", to an approaching cop before shooting him in the head. From the community of St. Denis, she is sentenced to life in prison, with no question of review for parole for 30 years. After being tranquilized, Nikita wakes up in a government agency and is told by a mysterious man named Bob that offially she is dead. He tells her that the prison doctor confirmed that she committed suicide by taking a massive dose of tranquilizers and that she was buried at Maisons-Alfort, aisle seven, number 30. Bob tells her he works for government and that she has been a second chance, and could work for the state. If she chooses not to, she will go directly back to prison. Nikita tries to escape, and even attempts to end her life before she finally agrees to be taught and trained by the agency. Nikita is taught computers, martial arts, and firearms training, amongst other things. Bob has strong faith in her, despite receiving disapproval his superiors. Nikita develops a bond with a woman named Amande who helps her explore the power of her femininity. Years pass and Bob takes Nikita out to a fancy restuarant for her 23rd birthday and gives her a gun at the table. He tells to shoot a VIP sitting behind her and then escape through the bathroom window downstairs. When Bob leaves Nikita brutally murders the VIP and can't escape through the window becuase it is bricked off. She escapes after engaging in a gun battle with guards. Bob later tells her that this was all part of an excercise before the agency released her from their facility. Bob and Nikita share a kiss and he tells her that he has a mission in mind for her that requires a six month setup time. Nikita's identity for the mission is Josephine. During these six months she falls madly in love with a grocery store clerk named Marco. Nikita begins jobs related to her mission and talks to Bob telling him she is engaged. Bob comes to meet Marco as "Uncle Bob" and gives the them two plane tickets to Venice as an engagement present. But it is hardly a vacation. Nikita must gun a woman down using a rifle, while Mraco is in the other room, oblivious. Nikita becomes angry at Bob and tells him she is aware of his cruel little games. It is time for Nikita's final mission said to be a "finesse job, not a tour de force". When the mission is cruising towards failure, the agency sends in Victor the Cleaner to help Nikita finish the mission. The two escape outside only to be greeted by heavily armed gaurds. Victor gets shot, and dies later in the getaway car. Marco is aware of Nikita's spying now. She leaves Marco, who gives the recovered documents from the last mission to Bob. Bob says, ''We'll miss her". The power of femininity is a main issue portrayed in this film. Nikita is given all this power as a governemnt-trained assassin and can use her woman attributes to her own advantage. Amande tells Nikita while giving her a make-up lesson that "There are two things without limit. Femininity and the means to exploit it". Nikita develops a conscience after falling in love and staying out of trouble due to her new duty for law and the state. This conscience causes her to further endanger her missions due to apprehension. Nikita has a hard time sniping a woman target while in Venice, mainly because her beloved Marco is outside the bathroom door spilling his feelings and concerns for the relationship. Le Femme Nikita was extremely well shot and doesn't fit in with other action movies. It doesn't rely on special effects and explosions. There is a strong presence of drama and complex characters riddled with tough circumstances. The brilliant acting is key for the film's mysterious characters. Anne Parillaud gives a chilling performance as the always transforming, and unstable lead role of Nikita. It is truely a unique spy film and a shining piece of French cinema.
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