It's been years since I've seen this movie but I never understood why people thought Leon was Italian. Is it ever explained in the movie?
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Resolutely Analog In A Digital World!
The character Leon is Italian. That's pretty much it. He's only described that way by police, but clearly that's what the story is implying.
shareIf you really want to get technical ...
Leon is a first name of Greek origin. The Greek λέων (leōn), meaning "lion," has spawned the Latin "leo," French "lion," Irish "leon" and Spanish "león." Perhaps the oldest attested historical figure to bear this name was Leon of Sparta, a 5th-century BCE king of Sparta, while in Greek mythology Leon was a Giant killed by Heracles. During the Christian era Leon was merged with the Latin cognate Leo, with the result that the two forms are used interchangeably. A similar Greek name to Leon is Leonidas, meaning "son of a lion", with Leonidas I, king of Sparta, being perhaps the most famous bearer of that name.
I will suggest that for purposes of the movie it doesn't matter whether he was Italian, Belgian, Greek, Spanish, or French. It only matters how he did his job!
..*.. TxMike ..*..
Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change. Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
Leone would be Italian. León would be Spanish. Leōn would be Greek. But the name above isn't any of those, it's the French Léon.
sharePeople... he's a French actor playing an Italian character. The character's full name is Leone Montana. Italian.
It's a French movie, so the international title is the French spelling. In three US, they just called it "The Professional" because.... well bcz of this thread.
More Americans need to understand foreign culture and nomenclature.
The actor was born to Spanish parents in Morocco. So he's neither French nor Italian. The character is Italian.
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I had always assumed that the idea everyone thought he was Italian was meant to be a kind of joke, as no one could possibly mistake Leon as an Italian; in other words, every one in the movie was clueless and just didn't know the difference between the two. I've since read that there was a deleted scene that's apparently in the director's cut (or whatever it's called) where he talks about his youth growing up in Italy. But it's ridiculous that with his French accent anyone could believe he was Italian. But this movie is filled with some bizarre things like this, like at the end when Leon talks to the other Police officer and the policeman doesn't realize Leon speaks with an accent and just assumes he's another policeman. Sure, that makes sense.
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Resolutely Analog In A Digital World!
The character is Italian. In the opening scene Tony asks him "how are you?" in Italian and Leon answers Bene (well in Italian).
..*.. TxMike ..*..
He answers "bene" which means good in Italian. Good in French is "bien".
"I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" - Don Vito Corleone - The Godfather
Also I just watched this for the first time last night. Gary Oldman's character referred to him as an "Italian Hitman". This happens in the scene where Oldman is complaining about his colleague being killed while showing pictures to Danny Aiello.
Why don't you have another look at the post immediately above yours.
Scariest words in English: We’re from the federal government and we’re here to help. R. Reagan
I agreed with that poster by posting extra information proving their correct point. Why dont you read mine again. Gary Oldman plays a DEA agent. They have access to interpol and thus might be acutely aware of his actual nationality. As a side note, Italians often speak French and vice versa considering they are neighboring countries.
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