March 18 - Luc Besson

Happy 61st Birthday, Luc Besson! Born today in 1959 as Luc Paul Maurice Besson, this French screenwriter, producer and film director is associated with the Cinéma du look film movement. 

  

This was a French film movement of the 1980s and 1990s, analysed, for the first time, by French critic and journalist Raphaël Bassan in La Revue du Cinéma issue n° 448, May 198.

Bassan classified Besson, French film director Jean-Jacques Beineix ('Diva') and French film director, critic and writer Leos Carax as directors of "le look". 

  

Bresson's best known contribution to the Cinéma du look movement with his 1983 French black and white post-apocalyptic sci-fi/disaster film 'Le Dernier Combat' ('The Last Combat'). The film also featured Jean Reno's first prominent role as The Brute. Besson was only twenty-two at the time. 

  

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Besson is known for directing the 1985 French thriller drama/crime film 'Subway', the 1988 English-language drama/comedy-drama film 'The Big Blue' (released in some countries under the French title 'Le Grand Bleu' and the 1990 French/Italian action thriller drama/crime 'La Femme Nikita' (also called 'Nikita'). 

  

In the 1990s, Besson is known for directing the 1994 English-language French action neo-noir thriller drama/mystery film 'Léon: The Professional' (originally titled 'The Professional' in the U.S.), with Natalie Portman in her film debut.

In the late 1990s, he directed the 1997 English-language French science fiction action thriller/fantasy film 'Le Cinquième Élément' ('The Fifth Element'). 

  

In the 2000s and 2010s, Besson is best known for co-writing the 2008 English-language French thriller/action film 'Taken' and for directing the 2014 French science fiction thriller/action film 'Lucy'. 

  

Besson has been active from 1981–present. 

  

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