The Fifth Element

LOC RHOD

(moving down the aisle)

... And over there is Roy Von Bacon, the king of laserball and the best paid player in the League.

(shakes hands as he goes by)

... And over there is the Emperor Kodar Japhet whose daughter Aachen is still at the bar. "I love to sing, too, but in the shower", she recently confessed to me. She will no doubt prove to be as generous tonight as she always is.

A waiter gives them two glasses of champagne. Track with the WAITER an he leaves the hall with his empty tray. He enters a small room reserved for staff.

INT. STAFF ROOM FHLOSTON PARADISE – NIGHT

The waiter joins some other WAITERS. They are well armed. He opens a cupboard and pulls out a humongous weapon. Suddenly their faces burn off revealing Akanit, the young leader of the Mangalores, and his troops.

AKANIT

It's showtime!

INT. CONCERT HALL

The lights dim slowly in the concert hall.

INT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

President Lindbergh and his staff, including Munro, sit at the desk. Speakers appear.

INT. KORBEN'S SUITE

Leeloo, still a prisoner, listens to the concert.

INT. CONCERT HALL

Korben is tense. The curtain rises. The Diva, in a stunning gown, stands in the center of the stage, head bowed. Behind her, a star filled window. The MUSIC begins. The Diva looks up, a rare beauty, but an alien. And then she begins to sing. Her voice is divine, unmatched. Korben is swept up in the TEARS.

INT. KORBEN'S SUITE

Leeloo has tears in her eyes

INT. DIVA'S SUITE

The manager couldn't care less about the concert. His main problem is the bottle of scotch he can't seem to open. The doorbell RINGS.

MANAGER

(ugly mood)

Yeah!?

VOICE (O.S.)

Flowers for the Diva.

MANAGER

She's allergic to flowers!!!

VOICE (O.S.)

There's champagne as well...

The manager takes one look at the stubborn bottle and opens the door. And finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun. A dozen Mangalores rush in. One of them, with a human face, closes the door and waits out in the hall.

ANGLE ON

Cornelius watching from around the corner.

CORNELIUS

... My God!

INT. CONTROL ROOM FHLOSTON PARADISE

CAPTAIN

Commander, I have a ship with a main malfunction. He requests permission to dock for repairs.

COMMANDER

Did you check out his registration number?

CAPTAIN

Everything's in order.

COMMANDER

Put him in the docking garage and inform the police.

INT. COCKPIT ZFX200 – NIGHT

CAPTAIN (V.O.)

Permission granted. Dock 575. You have an hour. Will that be enough time'?

Zorg sits at the controls.

ZORG

(cold)

More than enough.

EXT. FHLOSTON PARADISE – NIGHT

The ZFX approaches Fhloston.

INT. KORBEN'S SUITE

The ship comes close enough for Leeloo to see it out the window.

FLASHBACK:

The same ships with Mangalores at the controls attack the Mondoshawans at the beginning of our story.

INT. KORBEN'S SUITE

Leeloo is alarmed. She has to act. She seizes the flourescent bar beam with great effort and rams it into the ceiling, marking a hole large enough for her to escape.

INT. CLOSET FHLOSTON PARADISE

Cornelius bursts into the closet he left the Chief of Police tied and gagged in. He quickly unties him.

CORNELIUS

(in a panic)

Mangalores! The Diva's suite! They want the Sacred Stones! They must be stopped. We must stop them!. I'm going to free you but you must promise to help me!

The Chief of Police nods his agreement.

INT. DIVA'S SUITE

The Mangalores have trashed the suite. One of the Mangalores finally finds a case engraved with the four elements.

MANGALORE

I have it.

The Mangalore is about to open the case when... Leeloo descends quietly and gracefully from the ceiling. Time stands still.

LEELOO

(smiling)

Apipoulai!

INT. CONCERT HALL

The Diva switches from classical music to funk, picking up the tempo.

INTERCUT:

INT. DIVA'S SUITE / CONCERT HALL.

A WARRIOR whips out the biggest knife ever made and rushes Leeloo. She disarms him gracefully. A violent fight breaks out. The Diva sings and Leeloo dances. The Mangalores pay a heavy price for the show.

INT. CORRIDOR
 

Hearing noise from inside the suite, the Mangalore by the door gets nervous. He runs for reinforcements.

INT. POLICE STATION

Cornelius enters the police station wearing handcuffs. The Chief of Police is behind him holding a gun.

INT. DIVA'S SUITE / CONCERT HALL

Leeloo knocks out the last Mangalore just as the Diva finishes her song to a burst of applause. The Diva takes a bow. So does Leeloo.

INT. ROOM

Akanit and his men listen to the concert. The Mangalore guard runs in.

MANGALORE

They were waiting for us! It was an ambush!

AKANIT

If it's war they want it's war they'll get! Enact the Final Plan!

All the Mangalores cock their weapons.

INT. DIVA'S SUITE

Leeloo is about to open the case when the door EXPLODES. Zorg is there holding a ZF1.

ZORG

My compliments, little lady! ... And thanks for doing all the dirty work! I couldn't have done it any better myself!

(sharply)

... Now hand over the Stones!

Leeloo smiles and hands him the case. Zorg arms the ZF1 and gets ready to kill her.

ZORG

Nice knowing you.

Leeloo catches on quickly. She kicks the scotch bottle on the floor into the gun which throws Zorg's shot off. She jumps to the ceiling and disappears in an air vent. Furious, Zorg fires at the ceiling.

INT. AIRSHAFT

Leeloo dodges the bullets as best as she can.

INT. SUITE

Zorg fires his 3000 round clip. The ceiling looks like a piece of swiss cheese. Zorg sticks a small cylinder in the wall and flicks it on. The numbers flashing by tell us it's a bomb. The timer reads: 19 minutes and 59 seconds.

ZORG

(with a crafty smile)

You can run but you can't hide...

INT. POLICE OFFICE FHLOSTON PARADISE – NIGHT

Cornelius is seated opposite the Chief of Police. A MEDIC is bandaging the chief's head. The door explodes. The cop outside in riddled with bullets. A dozen Mangalores attack the police office. Akanit is at their head. The policemen are caught unaware.

AKANIT

Nobody move! We're taking over this ship!

The Chief of Police is goggle-eyed. Cornelius leans toward him.

CORNELIUS

(pleased with himself)

I told you...

INT. CORRIDOR

Zorg has the case and exits the suite just as the general alarm goes off. He sighs in exasperation.

INT. CONCERT HALL

Three Mangalores suddenly rush into the opera hall shooting.

MANGALORE #1

Everyone down!

There is panic all around.

LOC RHOD

(broadcasting, panic stricken)

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we're being... attacked. The place is crawling with warriors.

INT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

President Lindberg and his generals look very worried.

INT. CONCERT HALL

Some security guards open fire one of the Mangalores is hit. The others turn their guns on the cops. People scream, diving for cover. Korben bides his time.

More Mangalores rush in from all around shooting. Two cops are killed. The Diva... takes a bullet.

She falls from the stage into Korben's arms. He lowers her to the floor. Korben ignores the panic all around and wraps her in his dinner jacket, trying to stop the blue blood spurting from her wounds.

EXT. / INT. SPACE AROUND FHLOSTON

Zorg's ZFX200 speeds away from the boat. Zorg is at the controls, a devilish smile on his lips.

ZORG

You want something done, do it yourself!

INT. CONCERT HALL

Fighting rages all around in the concert hall, but Korben is oblivious to it. He sets the Diva's head delicately on the floor. Loc Rhod is hidden nearby, still on the air.

LOC RHOD

(voice low, panicked)

They're hideous. They've got a crest on the head, the eyes of a toad and fingers all over their hands. Totally hideous!

INT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

MUNRO

(worried)

... Mangalores!

PRESIDENT

Send a battalion out immediately!

INT. CONCERT HALL

KORBEN

(to the Diva)

I was sent by the government to help you.

DIVA

Don't worry. This is my fate... How was the concert?

Korben is a little surprised, but... the Diva is an artist.

KORBEN

I've never heard anything so beautiful in my life.

A Mangalore jumps on them from the stage. Korben makes short work of him and grabs his gun.

DIVA

(weak)

You're a good man... She was right to have chosen you...

KORBEN

Who?

DIVA

The Fifth Element... The Supreme Being... Your wife...

Korben is floored.

KORBEN

Leeloo... is... she's...

DIVA

Yes, and more than that... You must give her the Stones, she's the only one who knows how to use them.

KORBEN

(to himself, suddenly realizing)

... So Cornelius was telling the truth!

INT. POLICE STATION

The Mangalores tie up Cornelius and the Chief of Police together.

CORNELIUS

(to the Chief of Police)

Of course I was telling you the truth!... If you had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this predicament now!

INT. CONCERT HALL

Korben wastes two more Mangalores.

DIVA

She needs you. She needs your help and your love. She's more fragile than she seems...

Korben looks around, ready for another attack.

KORBEN

... Yeah, so am I.

The Diva takes his hand.

DIVA

She was taught to love the life of others... but not her own. You have to teach her to love if you want her to truly live!

KORBEN

(uncomfortable)

I'll help her, I promise, but I think you should tell me where the Stones are!