Leon Deconstruction

Leon is a criminal thriller written and directed by Luc Besson. It shows all the classic codes and convenions of a thriller.

In the opening scene, a long tracking shot is filmed down a street to show the place and also surroundings of where the following events are going to happen. The film is typically set in dark and dingy surroundings and denotes gun, drug crime and also a 'hitman' of some sort. However this 'hitman' is kept a secret for the opening of the film, for example; close ups are used so that his identity isn't revealed to the audience. Leon is also always wearing dark glasses when hes on a 'job'. This is his trademark and also shows he's undercover and obscured. Obscure shots are also used to add mystery and hook the audience, as they want to find out the full story. Leon is very revelatory and slow unwinding which also creates a hook for the audience. However, the opening does have some establishing shots, for example; of the house that the other 'gang' are in. This is to show their surroundings and give us a taste of where abouts they are. This group are all dressed smartly and are hiding drugs and carrying guns which gives us the impression they belong to some sort of mafia or gang. These establishing shots also begin to show us the main characters in the film. For example; they give an indication into an italian background through accents of characters.

Throughout Leon, a non diegetic score is used to create tension and also add ambience. Drums are used to add atmosphere and create the feeling that something is about to happen.