fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3241 ]

[ SECRET POST #3241 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3241 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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05. [posted twice]

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07. [too big]

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08.

Notes:

Working late again, sorry!

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 018 secrets from Secret Submission Post #463.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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08. http://i.imgur.com/IzPsEmd.png

Ew.

That was once canon.

"5. In the original draft, Mathilda (aged 13 or 14) and Léon become lovers. Besson reportedly altered the script to remove this aspect of the story (possibly due to pressure from Portman's parents). The initial cut of the film had more scenes with "awkward sexual tension" between Mathilda and Léon. These scenes were later removed for the American release, dubbed The Professional, but were included in the 1996 European release, as well as in the deleted scenes of the special edition DVD. They were reintegrated back into the film for the "International Cut," which is now available on Blu-ray/DVD. When the film was first tested in Los Angeles, the movie included a short scene where Mathilda asks Léon to be her lover. However, the audience became extremely uncomfortable and began to laugh nervously, completely destroying the tone of the film. Because of this, the movie received terrible test scores and Besson and producer Patrice Ledoux decided to cut the scene for the American theatrical release."

http://www.zimbio.com/Beyond+the+Box+Office/articles/UeZ2d6FD2ub/20+Things+May+Not+Know+L+Professional

You're not alone, OP. I was closer to her age than to his age when I watched the movie and I shipped them badly.

...I shipped it too, OP (but then I always pretended Matilda was older).

If it's any consolation,apparently the makers also shipped it...but decided against it for obvious reasons.

Yeah, I don't find it surprising that so many people ship it since the creators shot and wrote it with the intention of it being a ship. It filters through in how the story is told

I always feel kind of odd when age issues crop up now because some things I liked as a kid was where I was the same age or even younger than the character being shipped. Whereas now that I'm closer in age to the adult, it just feels wrong retrospectively even though I was a child myself.

Like..I had the hugest crush on Zuko while watching Avatar The Last Airbender and I was a little younger than him.

But now watching it in my mid twenties, I just feel weird because Zuko's only 16.

Wow I'm pleasantly surprised. I expected more kneejerk "KILL THE PEDO!1!!" type reactions.

Depends on if OP is male

Honest question am I a pedo for finding her attractive in this film?

Yeah, she's prepubescent in the film and being attracted to that is the literally the definition of pedophilia.

She's not prepubescent?

What kind of "attractive"?

She's a kind of attractive character in a way. But if this is your sexual fetish you are asking for trouble. She's still mostly a child physically.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 01:59 (UTC) - Expand

twitter.com/nathanfillion/status/270967327003119617

Depends. Are you talking about like, you watch the movie and just think 'that person is kind of sexy - oh, um, shit'? If so, consider:

1) Are you also/more attracted to adult natalie portman?

2) Are you attracted to adult women with the trappings of the character? (the haircut, the style of dress, the way she presents herself, whatever)

3) Are you attracted to other girls her age?

Like, it's possible to look at this picture and recognize that those are some amazing cheekbones, this is a beautiful person, without being attracted to her youth or to her because she's underage. It's possible to just have some things that *ping* you without actually processing the entire character. If you said yes to either of the first two but no to the third, you're probably okay.

OTOH if it's gone beyond 'huhn that person kind of is attractive tho -' to any kind of actual fantasy about having sex with her as this character, you should probably take steps not to let yourself be alone around kids.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 02:06 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 02:10 (UTC) - Expand

I used to be friends with a guy who was a huge fan of this film. Talked about it a lot, made a copy of the special laser disk edition, etc.

Lost track of him for a few years only to find out he was now in prison for possession & production of child pornography and molesting one of his underage nieces. He'd been on the run and even profiled on America's Most Wanted before surrendering himself.

Needless to say, it kind of ruined the film for me since then and I do side-eye folks who are way into this relationship.

People can like it because they identify with the child. That's a thing that happens.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 14:44 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 22:51 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 23:28 (UTC) - Expand

Err, I mean, I don't know if it makes any difference but I'm a 23 year old woman and I've loved this movie since I first saw it in the early 00's, so I first started shipping it when I was like around her age in the movie. I don't watch every movie I see and perv on kids or anything, but knee-jerk reactions like this are exactly why I submitted it as a secret, something I would never tell people.

I always really enjoyed Natalie Portman's acting in this movie, and this turned me onto other Luc Besson films (my personal favourite is The Fifth Element), and I mean...I think there are definitely things that shine through in the script that they didn't remove, since originally they were lovers in early drafts of the script (and yes, Mathilda was still 13/14 in the script), so I don't think I'm psychotic for seeing something that the audience was [i]intended[/i] to pick up on, even if they removed any overt evidence of consummation. Leon and Mathilda don't exactly have what can be called a father/child bond or anything.

Re: OP

arcadiaego - 2015-11-19 23:42 (UTC) - Expand

I shipped this, too. Also Miette/One in City of Lost Children. It's so wrong, yet I love it.

As a European, I can tell you you are /suppose/ to find her attractive as well as notice the blossoming but awkward due to the age difference tension between them.

She's a lolita character, it's obvious from the sexualized clothes and haircut they make her wear, the things she says and does, if she was meant to be a regular child they would've given her a regular 12 year old girl haircut and clothes like, for example, Hermione from Harry Potter when she was younger.

I think it might refer to her history with abuse too. I'm not saying she was abused by her parents, but she wasn't protected from it by them either.

It's not uncommon that sexually abused kids learn to use sex as social currency: dressing "slutty", giving sexual caresses etc. Compared to normal, non-sexualized behaviour it is really sad and disturbing, but if you have learned that that's the norm, what choices do you have?

Leon in the film really grows in my opinion for not exploiting her for it.

(no subject)

(Anonymous) - 2015-11-19 22:01 (UTC) - Expand

I mean, Mathilda clearly has a complex father figure slash crash relationship with Leon so the idea is there from her perspective. The subtext is definitely intentional. As long as you don't think it would be a good idea irl I think you're OK.

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