“The Fifth Element” is a scientific fiction movie about the critical need of the Four Elemental Stones; Earth, Fire, Wind, and Rain with the aliveness of the Fifth Element (which came in form of Leeloo acted by Milla Jovovich) to save the earth from its demolition by a dark planet. The story of the movie starts in 1914 in Egypt. Egypt is the inception of civilization in the world and it was there the movie about saving the world began.
This essay will concern itself with the fundamental characters of “The Fifth Element” movie. As much as the plot of any drama or movie is important, a drama is insufficient without the characters.
The first character to be considered here is Korben Dallas. The character of Korben Dallas was played by Bruce Willis. Korben Dallas was a Major who had retired from the military of the Federation six months before the advent of the movie. The military had allegedly ruined his marriage, and he’d retired to get his life back on track.
However, in the course of driving to a friend and a boss, Finger, an alien who had been turned into a human had escaped the scientist’s laboratory and fell up high into his car which was driving through space. This set the stage for the significance of Korben Dallas in the movie. Korben Dallas protected this alien lady from the police even when he was shot at, he took her to Father Vito Cornelius with whom she stayed.
Korben Dallas was eventually hired by the state to acquire the Four Stones from a Diva, the stones with whom Leeloo, the Fifth Element, will use to save the world from the destruction by the dark planet. Korben was reluctant at first, but he eventually went to Fhloston Paradise and after a series of fighting, he got the stone from the shot Diva, shot at the Mangalores and killed their leader.
He eventually escaped with Father, Rudy and Leeloo, drove them to Egypt where they opened the Four Stones and saved the world a few seconds before it could be wiped out by the dark planet.
Mr Zorg owns a magnificent edifice and he is the betrayal of mankind. The role of Zorg, the villain, was acted by Gary Oldman. Zorg had sent the Mangalores to hijack the Four Elemental Stones. It was later disclosed that he communicated with the dark planet: his mission was to get the stones that should save humanity and deliver it to the evil dark planet. In return, he would be given money.
Zorg eventually went to Fhloston Paradise where the stones are and when he got there, he hunted Leeloo and set a bomb at 20 minutes countdown to destroy the paradise. He got a package but unfortunately, he got to his building and realized that the package he thought had the Stones was empty. He went back to paradise in search of the stones. He disabled the 5 seconds countdown bomb which was later activated by a wounded Mangalore. Zorg was destroyed with Paradise.
Father Vito Cornelius is a priest of the long line of priests who had the knowledge of the Great Evil and has been charged to prevent it. He knew the significance of the stones and he is determined to protect the world with his life. When the evil from the Dark Planet secured contact with the earth, he went to the President of the Federation to explain the situation to him. The president doubted until the evil destroyed and killed one of the federation’s powerful war space ships.
He felt powerless because he thought the world would not be protected until Korben Dallas came to him with Leeloo with whom they saved the world together in Egypt.
Leeloo: Leeloo was the Fifth Element. She was barely a relic of the warfare with the Mangalores before she was found and discovered that she had over 200,000 DNAs when a man has just 40 sequences. The scientist turned her heart into the body of a woman. Leeloo, acted by Milla Jovovich knew what she came for.
She fought her way out of captivity, and went into the Diva’s lodge to protect the stones against the Mangalores although she was eventually wounded by Zorg. Korben Dallas who had fallen in love with her came to rescue her and together, they flew to Egypt. Here, she was very weak and was disappointed with humanity. The Fifth Element had learned the history of the world 500 years since she’d left and she confessed that man only creates the things that will destroy him.
She’d learned of the many wars and had cried. She doesn’t want to save humanity but Korben Dallas told her about saving love and how much he loves her. Eventually, the four stones which had been put in place and activated for their functions hastened into Leeloo who screamed. She emitted a form of white fire that eventually destroyed the dark Planet. With this, she saved the world.
President Linderg’s character was acted by Tommy Tiny Lister JR. The President gave a listening ear to Father Cornelius although it was too late. However, he put in place parameters to ensure that the world isn’t destroyed. In the movie, the President is unveiled as a person who cared for his people and was overwhelmed with sweats when he thought the world would be destroyed.
The world wasn’t destroyed. His major role in it was to provide an undercover agent to retrieve the four stones which could save the world. The undercover agent was eventually Korben Dallas.
General Munro, a character acted by Brion James, was charged by the president to find an undercover agent for the Fhloston Paradise stone recovery mission. This agent was to retrieve the Four Elemental Stones which will be used to save the world. General Munro selected Korben Dallas. General Munro was with the president until the end of the movie and tried to calm the President’s fear due to Rhod Rudy’s report.
General Staedert: he was charged to investigate the mysterious formation of a dark planet and when he found it, the president ordered that he should destroy it. While this happens, Father Cornelius informed the president that shooting at the planet will make it stronger. The president agreed, and ordered General Staedert to stand down but he had already shot at the dark planet and he was consumed with others in the spaceship.
Rudy Rhod: this character was acted by Chris Tucker. Rudy was a radio host. He was supposed to interview Korben Dallas who had won a Gemini Contest to Fhloston Paradise in the Paradise. However, when the shooting of guns began, his connection with the other world where the president and the people were served its importance.
Rudy was a carefree man who dressed like a crossdresser for entertainment. He gave a commentary on the shooting between Korben and the Mangalores. He served as a comic character throughout the movie and his humour was exhibited at the right time.
Other characters in the movie include Billy, played by Luke Perry who was the assistant to professor Pacoli at the beginning of the movie in Egypt. Professor Pacoli uncovered the importance of the four stones and the Fifth Element. He talked about their role in saving the world before the Mondoshawan came. The Mondoshawan were aliens who are quasi-biblical beings saddled with the responsibility of guarding the Four Stones and protecting the human race.
There are many other minor characters but the movie was a fundamental success with the activities of the characters reviewed above.