It's a mixed bag, but I tend to lean towards the extended release versions.
Around the same time I bought my first Blu-Ray player, I bought the Blu-Ray of Leon: The Professional. It had both the original US theatrical release and the international version. My DVD was of the international version, and I decided to watch the US version for the first time, and it was really fucking strange to see so much of the material missing (about 20 minutes' worth). Some of it, I can understand why it got cut, particularly the times where Mathilde comes on to Leon, but then again, especially given Leon's obvious coldness towards it and the fact that she's A) of an age where she's starting to be interested in men, and B) grew up in such a fucked-up household that it seems a barely pubescent girl trying to blatantly seduce a man three times her age doesn't seem that strange, it's not that hard to say it works in context (even with the revelations about Besson's fucked-up personal life). Then again, the scenes of her working with Leon, and showing how capable she can be in his line of work really add character to the movie. If those scenes weren't in the movie I first discovered, I doubt I would have fallen in love with it as much as I did. Given that Mathilda is twelve, it makes sense that the 1994 LA audience that rejected those scenes would do so, especially since they're probably conditioned to see her as an innocent being exposed to situations she probably shouldn't even know exist (I'm guessing). Then again, for those who know the film, it's clear she's no ordinary innocent 12-year-old girl. Victim of extreme circumstances, sure, but not quite an innocent.
Then again, I've seen quite a few "extended cuts" where the changes were so small that, even after having explained it to me what the differences are, I can still barely notice them.
Around the same time I bought my first Blu-Ray player, I bought the Blu-Ray of Leon: The Professional. It had both the original US theatrical release and the international version. My DVD was of the international version, and I decided to watch the US version for the first time, and it was really fucking strange to see so much of the material missing (about 20 minutes' worth). Some of it, I can understand why it got cut, particularly the times where Mathilde comes on to Leon, but then again, especially given Leon's obvious coldness towards it and the fact that she's A) of an age where she's starting to be interested in men, and B) grew up in such a fucked-up household that it seems a barely pubescent girl trying to blatantly seduce a man three times her age doesn't seem that strange, it's not that hard to say it works in context (even with the revelations about Besson's fucked-up personal life). Then again, the scenes of her working with Leon, and showing how capable she can be in his line of work really add character to the movie. If those scenes weren't in the movie I first discovered, I doubt I would have fallen in love with it as much as I did. Given that Mathilda is twelve, it makes sense that the 1994 LA audience that rejected those scenes would do so, especially since they're probably conditioned to see her as an innocent being exposed to situations she probably shouldn't even know exist (I'm guessing). Then again, for those who know the film, it's clear she's no ordinary innocent 12-year-old girl. Victim of extreme circumstances, sure, but not quite an innocent.
Then again, I've seen quite a few "extended cuts" where the changes were so small that, even after having explained it to me what the differences are, I can still barely notice them.
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.
![[Image: harmlesskitchen.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/yxR97P23/harmlesskitchen.png)
I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
