Luc Besson started writing The Fifth Element when he was sixteen. It took him more than twenty years to get it made. He directed Léon: The Professional first, in eleven months, just to give financiers enough confidence to fund it.
When it finally went into production, Prince was offered a role. He saw Jean Paul Gaultier's costume designs and passed. He found them too effeminate.
Chris Tucker came in and turned Ruby Rhod into one of the most outrageous characters in 90s blockbuster history. Gaultier ended up designing over a thousand costumes for the film. The visual identity you remember was never an accident. It was the whole point.
The Fifth Element is back in theaters this weekend. If you've only ever seen it on a screen the size of your hand, this is the version you want.
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