Leon’s childlike innocence means that it is Mathilda who has the emotional strength in the relationship, the emotional power. The cinematography is wonderful, and he presents a vision of New York, in terms of colour and composition that we rarely see in films set in that city. It’s a masterpiece of mainstream cinema that twists all the conventions on their heads, and still manages to thrill, enthral, and move, even now 25 years past its original release. The first line in the lyrics, "this is from Matilda", refers to Léon's last words, shortly before his grenades detonate and kill Stansfield.

When Mathilda learns of his profession, she wants to hire him to avenge her little brother, and when that doesn’t work, she decides that she’ll be his apprentice, and learn how to do it herself. This version is 26 minutes longer than the previously released version and includes, amongst others, one sequence that was removed from the film after the disastrous tests with L. In New York City, 12-year-old Mathilda (Portman) witnesses her family being gunned down by psychotic government official Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) and his team of corrupt cops.For those 4K hounds who are looking to expand their collection with a cleaned-up piece of iconic filmmaking, this new release of Leon looks nothing short of stunning.

I do have every intention of getting around to watching them; it’s just getting around to it that is hard. However, he was not entirely complimentary: "Always at the back of my mind was the troubled thought that there was something wrong about placing a 12-year-old character in the middle of this action. There’s only so much time in the world, and there are so many movies that are definitive in their genre, that mark special moments in time, that revolutionise cinema, or are just simply that good that it is impossible to see them all. It is the most electrifying performance I have seen from Gary Oldman, this edgy, wired, unpredictable sociopath.The additional material is found in the film's second act, and it depicts more of the interactions and relationship between Léon and Mathilda, as well as explicitly demonstrating how Mathilda accompanies Léon on several of his hits as "a full co-conspirator", to further her training as a contract killer.

To celebrate this landmark, Studiocanal has put together a new 4K release of the director’s cut of Leon. Whether you’re rewatching the movie for the hundredth time or checking Leon out with fresh eyes, the film is a classic that still holds up just as a well in 2019 as it did back in 1994.Little girls with guns is a oft-repeated trope in anime, and in the years since Leon came out, I have seen shows like Gunslinger Girl, and Phantom Requiem for the Phantom, which I now realise cribbed liberally from Leon when it comes to imagery and character.