La Femme Nikita

(Nikita, Luc Besson, France/Italy 1990, 117 min., 35mm, French w/subtitles)

Convicted for killing a cop, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is given a choice between a death sentence and a contract with the government as an assassin. Soon Nikita is transformed from a junkie street waif into a sexy, sophisticated killing machine, but has second thoughts about her new life when she falls in love with Rico (Marc Duret). This sleek example of the cinéma du look is a high-tech rollercoaster ride that has generated two scene-by-scene remakes. A triangular romance adorned with ultra-violence and spy-thriller suspense, La Femme Nikita paints a bizarre picture of a sociopathic punk transformed into an enigmatic hit person.