Synopsis:

This is Luc Besson's "Leon" re-framed to be more Mathilda-centric, with Leon's story revealed more slowly, but also in a more ambiguous way. What brought him to this moment? You decide. Featuring many songs from the 80's and 90's, and leaning heavily into female vocalists, the soundscape taps onto Mathilda's motivations and emotional states at key moments in the story.

Intentions:

I enjoyed Leon immensely in my 20's, and I still have the black overcoat to prove it, but the overtly romantic moments between this man and this 12 year old girl always left me with discomfort. After learning more about the original intentions of the story, the way Jean Reno and Natalie Portman's parents pushed Besson to avoid the romance angle, and the way the actors were largely tricked into filming the scene where Leon and Mathilda discuss having sex, I wanted to create a cut of the film that removed as much of that as possible. In this edit, 12 year old Mathilda recognizes she's falling for Leon, but it goes no further than that. When they profess their love for each other in the closing moments, it's a genuine love born of shared experience and kinship.

Change List:

* Removed opening scene at Supreme Macaroni (moved further down the timeline). * Removed the entire "Fat Bastard" scene. We begin to learn about the nature of Leon's work later. * Shortened title sequence. * New music during initial titles ("Leon's theme"). * Different music for Mathilda's introduction. * Mystery dream/flashback... * Leon's apartment montage removed. We primarily stay with Mathilda for this opening section, but one shot of Leon in the shower is added to the "next day" scene as we transition to Leon. * Shortened antics with the "pig". * Mystery dream/flashback... * When Leon leaves the apartment, he goes to see Tony instead of seeing Singing in the Rain. * Leon's meeting with Tony adjusted to be vague about talking "business", and whether Leon is "free on Tuesday". * Different music while leaving home #1. * Different music during training montage. * Removed over-sized bras from training montage. * Removed "the game". * Removed all discussion around Mathilda's age. Nobody pretends she's 18. * During discussion with hotel manager, removed "He's my lover". He draws that (false) conclusion without being told. * Different music when Mathilda follows Stansfield in the taxi. * When Leon returns with a present, we don't see what it is. The dress is completely removed from the movie. He's interrupted by the hotel manager. * Different music while leaving home #2. * Tony no longer warns Leon about being "careful with women" * During "Russian Roulette": * Removed "I want love or death". * Removed "...for life" (instead she just says, "You keep me with you.") * During meeting with Tony, fixed the actor jumping his cue. * Different music during the first job. * During "fine dining": * Removed Mathilda forcefully trying to kiss Leon. * Shortened Mathilda's laughing. * Added music (Beethoven). * Different music during assassination montage. * Removed "faggot" from the dude's diatribe. * Removed discussion around growing up and getting older, as it's only relevant in the context of a romantic relationship. * Different music when Mathilda is alone in the apartment. * Removed "...my love" from Mathilda's letter. * Mathilda no longer says, 'I love you' in the letter. Just ends on, "I'll know I'll feel better after I do this". * Different music when Mathilda goes to the DEA building. * The scene where Mathilda and Leon discuss having sex is removed. * Mystery dream/flashback... * Waking up in the same bed is removed. We see Leon wake up, but Mathilda is not there (she's gone for groceries). * Moved reminder of "the code" to an earlier scene. * Different music during "The Assault". * Different music when Leon is shot from behind. * Different music during final scene with Mathilda and Tony. * Different music on the way back to the Spencer school. * Removed meeting with School principle at the end. We're music-only after the scene with Tony. * Closing shot changed; we now end on tableaux of Mathilda / Pot / Plant (in the ground) instead of the skyline shot. * Added movie title after closing shot. * Special thanks... * Removed blue tint from end credits.

Additional Notes:

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Other Sources:

La Femme Nikita (Blu-ray).

Special Thanks:

This edit is perfect expression of what I wanted to create back in February, but I lost my way a bit along the way. @ArtisDead brought me back from the edge and worked very hard (and with great patience) to help me fill out the musical soundscape and hit all the right notes. He provided insight along the way, motivated me, and pointed me towards the perfect music for the trailer and some key moments in the film. As a result, I feel @ArtisDead deserves editor credit for this release. Additional thanks go to @FrameSniffer who previewed an early copy and provided the objective ear the work needed. He deserves an award for sitting through an early cut of this movie that featured no less than 30 minutes of Bjork.