SBS Viceland Is Airing ‘The Fifth Element’ On Repeat From Midday Today
Even if you've already seen this sci-fi masterpiece, The Fifth Element is always worth watching again.
At 12:00PM AEST today, SBS Viceland will be airing director Luc Besson‘s iconic 1997 film The Fifth Element, starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. If you already have plans for today, not to worry — there will be a repeat showing at 2:15PM. Then at 4:30PM. Then at 6:50PM, 9:10PM and 11:30PM.
Set in the far future, The Fifth Element follows taxi driver and former military man Korben Dallas (Willis), who meets a mysterious woman called Leeloo (Jovovich) after she literally falls through the roof of his flying car. Quickly forgiving the property damage, Korben accompanies her on an interplanetary adventure, helping her in her quest to save the Earth from an ancient evil.
The pair fall in love along the journey (of course), while they are pursued by Gary Oldman sporting the worst haircut in the history of cinema. There’s also a blue alien who sings opera, Korban’s nagging mother, and Chris Tucker wearing a leopard print jumpsuit. The Fifth Element has it all.
Though critics were split on the film when it was first released, The Fifth Element has since become a cult classic. It’s campy, ridiculous, and plays into a few tired tropes, but it’s a ton of fun. The Fifth Element’s bright, vivid colour palate is also atypical of the greys and browns typically associated with sci-fi, as is its strange but engaging world.
The highlight of course is Plavalaguna (Maïwenn Le Besco), the blue alien diva and true star of the film whose singing voice was provided by opera soprano Inva Mula. The memorable performance has since been covered by numerous YouTubers.
Even if you’ve already seen this sci-fi masterpiece, The Fifth Element is always worth watching again. Plus if you miss part of it today, you’ll only have to wait an hour or two before SBS Viceland brings it back around.