What editions are available?
- Theatrical Cut (110 min.)
- International version / Extended Cut / Version intégrale (133 min.)
Luc Besson’s Léon or The Professional (as it was known in the States) is widely considered a classic. Although the movie has a large following not everyone knows that a thematically different cut, often billed as the international version or extended cut, of the film is available. And when we say thematically we’re saying the longer cut changes drastically the dynamic of the relationship of its leads, Léon and Mathilda, in the second act of the movie.
The longer cut has been called many names since its premiere in 1996: international version, extended cut, version intégrale and even director’s cut but Besson has often talked about the theatrical cut as his director’s cut of the film. The theatrical cut is the cut that he delivered and wanted to be seen in 1994. Most Blu-ray releases of Léon includes both the theatrical cut and the extended/international cut.
Besson confirmed his preference with This or That Edition during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit:
Source: Interview: Hey, Reddit. I’m Luc Besson, director, screenwriter, and fan of all things scifi. Here’s your chance… AMA!
The director’s preferred edition: International version / Extended Cut / Version intégrale
Comparison of the editions with courtesy of Movie-Censorship.com
List of different editions with courtesy of DVDCompare.net: DVD | Blu-ray | UHD Blu-ray
