What is the deal with drinking milk?
Why do they drink milk often?
shareBesson wrote that his original conception for Leon, beyond the original Viktor in Nikita, was of a wage slave factory worker in a slaughterhouse. There was a factory worker assassin named Leon (Czolgosz) who spent his days isolated in his room drinking milk before killing President McKinley. Besson was playing off of historical references to Federal agents, it wouldn't surprise me if he built some characteristics off an historical first-generation European immigrant killer like Czolgosz.
Besson also commented about blending in the figure of a medieval knight, calling himself a medieval minstrel at an early premiere. The minstrels enjoyed tongue-in-cheek references to meek and pure knights befuddled by demanding princesses who they must honor, while killing all opponents. Besson does the same in this film, contrasting Leon's gentle and chaste nature against his ability to kill and Mathilda's outrageous demands.
Finally, there are several references to A Clockwork Orange (Alex drank milk and committed mayhem to the tune of Beethoven).
I'd add that milk-drinking symbolizes both childhood innocence, and care. What is important is not only drinking milk, but also that each pours milk for the other, encourages the other to drink it, buys it for the other, etc.
Purchase of milk moves the plot forward - it is because Mathilda was out buying milk for Leon, that she wasn't around to be killed, and had a reason to call on Leon.
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I guess I have the most bland answer of all. I think Leon drank milk because he was stockpiling his money by purposefully living like a poor person, and because milk is high in protein and vitamins. To me, this is supported by the fact that he started every day with a decent amount of exercise, showing that he did indeed care about his health and fitness. Milk was a protein shake on a budget for him.
"Bulls**t MR.Han Man!!"--Jim Kelly in Enter the Dragon
I guess I have the most bland answer of all. I think Leon drank milk because he was stockpiling his money by purposefully living like a poor person, and because milk is high in protein and vitamins. To me, this is supported by the fact that he started every day with a decent amount of exercise, showing that he did indeed care about his health and fitness. Milk was a protein shake on a budget for him.
Yeah that's pretty much how I took it. I figured he drank milk all of the time because it is cost effective, healthy and not only quenches thirst but can also be like food. My dad grew up poor and has always drank milk and water constantly
"The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." ~ A Bronx Tale (1993) share
I would agree with the "it was healthy" option but as for money, he didn't even really know how much money he owned. Tony kept the money for him after all his "jobs" and before Matilda came along he was extremely uneducated (i.e. couldn't read, write, do math very well). In my opinion the milk had nothing to do with money but everything to do with health and moving the story line forward. Also, he wouldn't want something like alcohol to dim his wits. Some jobs would require immediate action and you wouldn't want to be drunk in THAT line of work! LOL
shareAlso, just to point out another Clockwork Orange reference, Mathilda's charade of "Singing in the Rain"...
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