LE DERNIER COMBAT Movie Review

The Last Battle

Luc Besson was 24 when he directed this visually striking, post-nuke survival pic about a group of youthful survivors who quickly remember what it means to be territorial. The widescreen black-and-white compositions are gorgeous; they have to be, because there's no dialogue in the movie—just grunts and heavy breathing. That heavy breathing you hear on the couch next to you may be your significant other snoring. The French film industry didn't sleep through Le Dernier Combat, however. They took note of this young upstart, who eventually became the most powerful force in France's film universe, thanks to his splashy worldwide hits La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element.

NEXT STOP … Subway, The Road Warrior, Hell in the Pacific

1984 (R) 93m/B FR Pierre Jolivet, Fritz Wepper, Jean Reno, Jean Bouise, Christiane Kruger; D: Luc Besson; W: Luc Besson. VHS COL, OM