I completely agree with you. After reading all of the comments online, I was expecting a weirdo, creepy vibe from it. I hadn't seen either version of the movie, so I went straight for the "extended" cut.
Yes, Mathilda obviously has a crush on Léon. This is clear, and given the circumstances, not surprising. She's grown up without a real "man" in her life since her father was a drug addict who hit her. Léon was her savior, he was like Superman to her, it was the man in her life that she had always needed/wanted to just be there for her and protect her, so as a "coming of age" 12-year old heading into puberty, her obsession with Léon is understandable.
However I felt that it was made VERY clear several times that Léon has NO interest in her as a lover, and ONLY as a fatherly figure. He rejects her advances several times, very bluntly. I think sometimes there's a slightly awkward "tension" between the two because HE'S experiencing that same social awkwardness. He hasn't dealt with young children before, he's slightly slow (possibly) or at the very least, immature, and not exactly a social butterfly. So when Mathilda starts saying these things to him, he obviously doesn't know exactly how to handle them without completely being a jerk, so we can sense his awkward tension in these situations. Nevertheless, it is still made clear that he has no interest in her as a lover, but his feelings towards her are a fatherly-love. Don't people see how uncomfortable and stiff he was when she asked him to sleep in the same bed as her? He clearly wanted no part of it.
People who've gotten that vibe are either sheltered prudes or are just completely missing the point of the unique (and unconventional) dynamic of Léon and Mathilda's relationship. She has misplaced feelings for him, understandable, but they are definitely not reciprocated.
reply
share