Leon the Professional - analysis question

analysis
#1

In the film, Leon the Professional, is Leon the MC and Mathilda the IC?

Also, Leon seems to look out for her and teach her the ways of the assassin’s life…which seems to give him elements from the Guardian characteristics.

Since Mahtilda seems to be driving the story…this must make her the Protagonist - which is maybe why people call her the hero of the film.

But, both characters change by the end of the story. He dies. Before that, he lives contedly alone and is kind of forced to accept her into his life. Mathilda changes at the end by walking away with the plant, and is in a new school environment…which seems to be symbolic of her new life.

Thoughts?

#2

Leon stayed the same, mentoring her as Tony did him. She changed, imho, from what I read in the Wikipedia plot summary.

#3

I don’t know the movie, and haven’t had a chance to read over the plot. However, I do have some theoretical knowledge that is relevant to the question.

Keep in mind that death does not necessarily mean that a character actually changed. When deciding whether a character should be considered Changed or Steadfast, it is the perspective of the character that matters. The question to ask, then, is whether Leon had a fundamental shift in his viewpoint that he kept and was communicated to the audience before he died. If not, then he did not change, according to Dramatica.

#4

I haven’t seen Leon but wanted to see if reply to email worked.

Thanks,

Jim

#5

It’s the film “The Professional” that everyone was reading/talking about in the day.

#6

Her change seems to be that at the end she told her teacher what happened (according to Wikipedia plot), where before she had stopped going to school, leaving the assumption she did not say anything to anyone about the abusive relationship she was caught in.

#7

Yes. Early in the film it becomes known that she’s a truant. When her school calls to complain to the parent, Mathilda happens to sneer the phone, pretends she is the parents and tells the school she is dead.

Then, at the end, she is at school again.

There’s a director’s cut version which has the full scene, whereas the cinema release has the shorter version of the scene.

#8

I could argue he did change.

He goes from being a lone assassin on guard, sleeping with a gun beside him to someone who allows a person to live with him, after some reluctance. He grows into her protector and guardian and teacher.

He nurtured a plant at the beginning and by the end, he gives his life to protect Mathilda.

#9

I’ll have to watch it before I could make the argument. However, this actually sounds like he did not change. It sounds like he was giving some of his life in order to protect a life (the plant). Then, in the end, he gave his life to protect a life (Mathilda). As I said, though, since I haven’t seen it, this is conjecture. I’ll have to watch it to find out what I actually think.

I know what I’m doing this weekend.

P.S. Don’t forget that even Steadfast characters can grow, which is what the majority of others seem to mean when they say a character changed. From the description, it seems he grew into a stronger role of protection.

#10

I recommend the cinema version instead of the director’s cut.

I just watched the director’s cut tonight and I was pretty sickened by the blatant pedophilia tone it pushed. Knowing what we know of Weinstein and the casting couch, the Director’s cut of this film is one more piece of evidence of Hollywood as a degenerate cesspool.

#11

The issue here is that this is essentially the premise for the movie. Leon is Matilda’s guardian and teacher by the middle of the story. If you were to look at him there and compare him at the end, is there still a change?