The Fifth Element Missing Scene

[CSchmidlapp]

I saw it during it's Theatrical Run in England back in 1997, and remember quite clearly that the final shot of the film with Korban Dallas and Leeloo making love in the regeneration tube was a sequence and not just a shot to freeze frame that faded to black.
It had slow, blue lit pans across them in the chamber (nothing gratuitus or showing any offending areas, more arty) It ran with overlaying credits to the song 'Little Light of Love' by Eric Serra.

It sticks with me more because I remember thinking the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) have been relaxed with it's PG rating for the film as the british were normally pretty prude with such things.
I even got into a discussion on Sex vs Violence and why is it o.k to show people being shot and not having sex in family friendly ratings, but I digress.

Ive searched the internet and nothing.

Is there anybody here who saw it back in the day and can shed some light on this?
Im sure im not going crazy.

[spoRv]

I haven't watched it in theaters, but I remember it, too... just put the laserdisc on, and the camera "enters" into the regeneration chamber, and Korban and Leloo make love, blue light; duration about 8 or 9 seconds, then freeze frame and fade to black - the same with my italian DVD. Don't know if BD is the same, though.

[CSchmidlapp]

I haven't watched it in theaters, but I remember it, too... just put the laserdisc on, and the camera "enters" into the regeneration chamber, and Korban and Leloo make love, blue light; duration about 8 or 9 seconds, then freeze frame and fade to black - the same with my italian DVD. Don't know if BD is the same, though.

Thanks for having alook. Which laserdisc release do you have?
it's the same as you discribed on the US 'Remastered' Bluray, R2 DVD, R1 DVD or U.K PAL VHS (PAN & SCAN or Widescreen).

[bendermac]

Same scene is on the Superbit DVD and Jap Remastered BD.

[CSchmidlapp]

Same scene is on the Superbit DVD and Jap Remastered BD.

Thanks for checking.
Anybody got a French release?

[Bigrob]

I got a couple of editions of TFE (DVD and VHS) so happy to have a look. massive fan of the film so quite intrigued. I was lucky to see a preview of it a week before it opened in UK cinemas

[CSchmidlapp]

I got a couple of editions of TFE (DVD and VHS) so happy to have a look. massive fan of the film so quite intrigued. I was lucky to see a preview of it a week before it opened in UK cinemas

Hi Bigrob.

Thanks.
Do you have have any recollection of what Im talking about?
I saw it around release date in the u.k, admitedly it was over 20 years ago but I swear by it.
The only other thing I can think of besides seeing a original 35mm print is if there is a DTS disc floating around as it might have a time difference at the end. i always remember it having a much more dynamic sound mix also, the music was really pumping in the theatre I saw it in.

[Bigrob]

I got a couple of editions of TFE (DVD and VHS) so happy to have a look. massive fan of the film so quite intrigued. I was lucky to see a preview of it a week before it opened in UK cinemas

Hi Bigrob.

Thanks.
Do you have have any recollection of what Im talking about?
I saw it around release date in the u.k, admitedly it was over 20 years ago but I swear by it.
The only other thing I can think of besides seeing a original 35mm print is if there is a DTS disc floating around as it might have a time difference at the end. i always remember it having a much more dynamic sound mix also, the music was really pumping in the theatre I saw it in.

I honestly can't remember it now to be honest. There is an independent cinema in London called The Prince Charles Cinema who show loads of 35mm prints and since next year is it's 20th Anniversary, i'm hoping they will show it (I'll drag Jonno along with me as well lol). I'll fish the VHS out and have a look though.

[jerryshadoe]

When this came out, I lived in Hollywood, CA and saw it in the theater shortly after the film premiered. I can swear that I remember seeing a lot more extended ending scene... Well, that's the whole thing, it WAS a scene, NOT just a freeze-frame and I remember my friends and I being typical teenagers and complaining that the scene wasn't "hardcore" enough with how smoking Milla Jovovich was. Ah, raging teenage boy hormones. We sat in the theater, clowning on the scene until it was over. When the film came out to home-video, I was disappointed that the ending was different. The years went by and I never really researched this over the years because it wasn't that high on my "priority" list... BUT, now you mentioned this and I feel obligated to make this post. Unless we both remember this incorrectly, plus my friends who were there with me who still remember this, then I would have to agree with you that this scene is still missing from any official release. When it comes to the sound mix, it boomed in the theater and sounded absolutely incredible. Every home video release has fallen short in this department, like the dynamics have been compressed.

I would be amazed to see an actual 35mm from the original run to verify this...

[jonno]

I honestly can't remember it now to be honest. There is an independent cinema in London called The Prince Charles Cinema who show loads of 35mm prints and since next year is it's 20th Anniversary, i'm hoping they will show it (I'll drag Jonno along with me as well lol).

I would be well up for that!

You'll have to add me to the 'no memory of that' list. I saw it a fair few times on release: I went to the Empire Leicester Square at its pre-digital peak, and as I was working at a cinema at the time I must have clocked up a number of partial viewings.

It would surprise me if that were true, though - there should be some evidence somewhere (and, as others have said, that sort of thing would certainly have made an impression on me at the time!)