Léon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Léon is a 1994 thriller film directed by Luc Besson, starring Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
Léon is an Italian-American hitman (or "cleaner", as he refers to himself) working for a mafioso named "Old Tony" in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City. One day, Léon meets Mathilda Lando, a lonely twelve-year-old who lives with her dysfunctional family in an apartment down the hall from Léon and has stopped attending class at her school for troubled girls. Mathilda's abusive father attracts the ire of corrupt DEA agents, who have been paying him to stash cocaine in his apartment. After they discover that he has been stealing from their stash, DEA agents invade the apartment, led by their drug-addicted boss, Norman Stansfield. During their search for the missing drugs, Stansfield murders Mathilda's family while she is out shopping for groceries.
Production
Written by Luc Besson, the film was produced by Gaumont. Éric Serra composed the score. Thierry Arbogast handled the cinematography. The film runs 111 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $16,000,000, Léon grossed $45,284,974 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
Its legacy endures through a remake, a sequel and a lasting franchise; later cinema cites its influence and symbolism.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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