DirectorLuc Bessonhas responded to Natalie Portman’s criticism of his 1994 crime thriller,Léon: The Professional. The actor had previously toldThe Hollywood Reporter, “It gave me my career, but it is definitely, when you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it. So, yes, it’s complicated for me.” Besson defended his work by highlighting the evolution of perspectives over time. During an interview withThe Playlist, Besson raised a valid point about the fluid nature of societal norms and values and how, as we grow and experience life, our understanding and interpretation of art can shift.
Léon: The Professional
Portman’s feature film debut as a young actress has continued to spark discussions due to its depiction of a complicated relationship between an older assassin and a preteen girl, what she has called “cringe” in hindsight. Besson stated,
“Are you the same [as you were at] 19 years old, at 25? I mean, my first short film, I was 17. My parents divorced, and they put me in boarding school;I had no education. I am living 60 kilometers from Paris. I know nothing about life. I don’t know anything about love. I know nothing about anything. And I’m just in love with movies.So, then you learn, and you go to different countries and start speaking English and meet great people. You’re able to lose and fall in love, then break your heart, and then fall into love again, and you have a child and a normal life.”
It’s obvious that what was once seen as acceptable might now be perceived as problematic. This can affect the way we appreciate or udnerstand older movies likeLéon: The Professional, which has a relationship that is scrutinized more now than it was 30 years ago. Besson further continued,
“So, you always go with society the way it is at the moment. We can always criticize. It’s very hard for me to [look back] like 30, 40, 50 years ago. What’s the point? I don’t understand.Things change, lots of things change for the better. A few things are worse. And that’s society, in the end. And then we have to adapt.I’m not the same today at 65, for sure. I have five kids — and I was left alone from zero to basically 14.”
Natalie Portman Revisits Her Role in Léon: The Professional with a Critical Eye
Natalie Portman, now an Oscar-winning actress, has said that her depiction in the film has had long-lasting impacts on the way she perceives herself, and especially her sexuality. “I was definitely aware of the fact that I was being portrayed as this ‘Lolita’ figure,” Portman said in a 2020 episode ofArmchair Expert with Dax Shepard. “Being sexualized as a child, I think took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid, and it made me [feel] like the way I could be safe was to be like, ‘I’m conservative,’ and ‘I’m serious and you should respect me,’ and ‘I’m smart,’ and ‘don’t look at me that way.'” She continued:
“So many people had this impression of me that I was super serious and conservative and I realized I consciously cultivated that because it was always to make me feel safe. Like, ‘Oh, if someone respects you, they’re not going to objectify you.’ When I was in my teens I was like, ‘I don’t want to have any love scenes or make-out scenes.’I would start choosing parts that were less sexy because it made me worried about the way I was perceived and how safe I felt.”
The remarks made by Portman have sparked renewed debates about the film, despite it remaining a classic for most people (with one ofthe best Gary Oldman performances). Nonetheless, it’s emblematic of the broader conversations happening in the film industry and society at large.
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As for the possibility of a sequel or reboot, Besson’s planned follow-up was shelved, with the script eventually morphing into the movieColombiana. Considering the contentious aspects of the original movie, a revival ofLéon: The Professionalappears improbable in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, Besson has a new film out calledDogManstarring Caleb Landry Jones, and the two of them are working on a new version ofDraculatogether, also starring Christoph Waltz.
Léon: The Professionalis currently streaming on Netflix. Besson’s latest film,DogMan, is now in theaters.
