most realistic portrayal of New York City - Léon (1994) Discussion

[–] TheLankyOne 11 years ago

It takes a foreigner to do that.

A foreigner who learned to appreciate NY from a distance and/or when they were already psychologically developed.

I don't know if Luc Besson is in love with NY, but I'd bet he is.

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[–] playtoyer 11 years ago

yes I totally agree with both of you

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[–] Fellini63 11 years ago

Woody does a great Manhattan and Spike does a great Brooklyn. I don't know what city/borough Leon took place in (Harlem? Spanish Harlem?), but it's way more diverse than Woody and Spike's movies. you see the Puerto Rican flag hanging outside Leon's apartment building, and the diverse kids playing soccer outside the grocery store, etc. and then the overhead shots of the city are amazing

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[–] playtoyer 11 years ago

yes the overhead shots are amazing the best ever made it must be a latino neighborhood it,s one of the first and few movies to show the ethnicity of new york in a realistic way it gives a authenticity to the movie

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[–] pilar_ms73 9 years ago

Chelsea.

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[–] Dominik528 9 years ago

I don't know what city/borough Leon took place in (Harlem? Spanish Harlem?), but it's way more diverse than Woody and Spike's movies. you see the Puerto Rican flag hanging outside Leon's apartment building, and the diverse kids playing soccer outside the grocery store, etc.

Up the Down Staircase did it, too -- which surprised me, considering that it's a film from the '60s.

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[–] Gemma_Philips 11 years ago

I disagree, Please checkout Martin Scorsese's film ... "Bring Out The Dead" .... No film portrays New York City as close to the street as this film, albeit at night ... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163988/?ref_=sr_5

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[–] Hardline_Pro 11 years ago

Geeze, I didn't know NYC was full of 12 year old girls wanting to become hitmen.

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http://www.youtube.com/dinoatcharterdotnet

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[–] playtoyer 11 years ago

there is gang related violence in new york los angeles others cities in the usa and in the world children do hit for drugs or money

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[–] Milkdoesabodygood 10 years ago

I would at that time, it was not safe for kids.
IMDB rulers and moderators as of late, sold out and became like City data, Worthless bureaucrats.

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[–] cjwright79 8 years ago

There's just one baby. Just one.

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[–] mrmuggles 10 years ago

I was just wondering... How realistic is it really? Mathilda shoots in the street from a window and this has no consequences. Shooting in apartments never has any consequence (I'm referring especially to the suicide moment of Mathilda)... Am I supposed to believe that in the early 90s nobody would care if somebody emptied a revolver from a window?
How doesn't the police already have a file of this man that always dresses the same, goes around with a girl and occasionally detonates grenades in apartments while standing in the corridor with a pair of round sunglasses?

I'm not American and if this was all normal in New York let me know.

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[–] DFC-2 10 years ago

This was redesigned from a realistic script into a fantasy with many realistic elements exchanged for ridiculous and comedic scenes (e.g. no paint rounds or attack on a federal building in the original), but guns fired in public with no repercussions were quite common in my Chicago neighborhoods. I would assume the same to be true of NY.

During one 4-year stint on a busy Chicago street, there were murders in the buildings next to mine and a kid lost an eye from a baseball bat to the head in front of mine. Nearly everyone had a family member or friend in prison. Random shots into and out of homes were fairly common, especially around holidays.

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[–] cjwright79 8 years ago

No consequences? Did you not get that they immediately packed up and left to find a new apartmnet?

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[–] TxMike 10 years ago

If you have spent any time in New York City you'd know it isn't possible for one movie to accurately portray the city. It is so large and there is so much variety, it just depends on what the director and location scouts want to portray.

TxMike
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

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[–] wiebejammen 10 years ago

uh....I take it you missed the palm trees.

Wanna make God laugh? Plan something.

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[–] robocat893 9 years ago

I visited Manhattan once in winter and once in summer. Sucked both times.

You've been up here too long man. You've lost your marbles.

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[–] DracTarashV 8 years ago

This is one of the best films to capture the essence of NYC, but it's not quite number one. In fact, I don't think there is one. New York City is a big place with many stories, even some of the most acclaimed NYC films don't show it all.

You want something corny? You got it!

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