Convicted felon Nikita isn’t going to jail; she’s been given a new identity and trained stylishly as a top-secret spy/assassin.
I vividly recall the buzz surrounding the 1990 release of Luc Besson’s “La Femme Nikita.” Everyone hailed it as a groundbreaking film that marked Besson as a director to watch. At the time, my aversion to subtitled movies prevented me from seeing it until many years later. In fact, I first experienced the story through the American remake, “Point of No Return” (released as “The Assassin” in Ireland), starring Bridget Fonda. Smitten with Ms. Fonda, I fell in love with that version. When I finally watched “La Femme Nikita” on VHS, I enjoyed it but felt it paled in comparison to the remake.
Recently, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment provided me with a 4K review copy of “La Femme Nikita.” With at least three decades having passed since my initial viewing, I approached it with fresh eyes and found myself thoroughly enjoying it more the second time around. Nevertheless, “Point of No Return” remains my personal preference, thanks to its stellar cast, including Ms. Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, Dermot Mulroney, Miguel Ferrer, Anne Bancroft, and Harvey Keitel, and the direction of John Badham, one of my favorite action directors.
“La Femme Nikita” introduces us to Nikita, a rebellious teenage junkie played by Anne Parillaud. Nikita and her friends rob a pharmacy owned by a friend’s parents, leading to a shootout with police. Nikita kills a cop while experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms and is sentenced to life in prison. There, she meets Bob (Tchéky Karyo), a government agent working for the shadowy organization known as The Centre. Bob offers Nikita a choice: remain in prison or work as a sleeper agent. She accepts his offer, and after faking her suicide, Bob removes Nikita from prison and begins her training. Upon completion, Nikita is released into the world with a new identity but must always answer The Centre’s calls and complete her assignments. As Nikita navigates her new life and a relationship with her fiancé Marco (Jean-Hugues Anglade), the moral weight of her job begins to take its toll.
Anne Parillaud masterfully conveys Nikita’s transformation from a feral street killer to a government assassin yearning for ordinary life. Nikita’s desire to stop killing and live a normal existence is palpable, but her work for the government perpetually denies her the freedom she craves.
While “La Femme Nikita” showcases Besson’s signature hyper-kinetic, female-fronted action, the film emphasizes Nikita’s evolution over action sequences. The heartbreaking joy on Nikita’s face as she first experiences her perceived freedom is a testament to the film’s focus on character development.
Jean Reno, a frequent collaborator with Besson, appears as Victor the Cleaner, but his role is little more than a cameo. Victor is a ruthless hitman reminiscent of Reno’s character Léon from “The Professional,” but devoid of morality or compassion.
“La Femme Nikita” has become one of my favorite Luc Besson films, though “Léon: The Professional” remains his best work. Besson’s filmography is extensive and impressive, including “Subway,” “The Big Blue,” “The Fifth Element,” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” “La Femme Nikita” has inspired an American remake and a television series, and if you haven’t seen the original, the forthcoming 4K release on June 11th is an opportunity worth seizing.
Available on a Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD™ Steelbook June 11th