Bidding for this lot will end on Friday, December 5th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM GMT (7:00AM PST) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Saturday, December 6th or Sunday, December 7th.
A full-size screen-matched light-up Mondoshawan from Luc Besson's sci-fi action adventure The Fifth Element. The Mondoshawan were a race of friendly aliens who served as the protectors and caretakers of the elemental stones, and a large group of them appeared at the opening of the film to acquire an ancient weapon to defeat a great evil. They wore impenetrable metal armour, never showing their true form. Distinctive markings on the torso screen-match this Mondoshawan to the one who incapacitated Professor Pacoli (John Bluthal) before they retrieved the weapon.
First conceived by Besson when he was 16 years old, The Fifth Element was a box-office success and became much loved because of its distinctive aesthetic, including costumes designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. It was nominated for an Academy Award, eight Cesar Awards (winning three) and won a BAFTA for Best Special Effects.
The Mondoshawans were initially sculpted by Mark Godderidge and a team of sculptors, including Mark Coulier, who also designed and fabricated the arms and articulated fingers. The first form of the head was created by John Coppinger in close consultation with Besson, and the head was later refined by Steve Wright, with its movements undertaken by animatronics expert Chris Barton.
The whole head is remote-controlled and is also fully interchangeable. It is easily removed by sliding it up off a plate when the costume is disassembled, allowing a different head with different actions to then be added. A total of six Mondoshawans were made, along with six heads. Each Mondoshawan had a distinctive set of spikes across their shoulders, unique to each creature. One of the heads featured a full-range of movement, two (including this one) could look from side to side, and the other three were static.
The lot stands at approximately 234 cm/7'8" tall and measures more than 152 cm/5' wide. The vast majority is made of fibreglass, with an integral overlay of a stretchy fabric which gives an unusual effect under direct light. The lights present all over the body illuminate when powered. Inside the body is a harness for an actor to wear. The actor's feet clipped into ski boots (not included) and there is a safety bar between each leg to stop the legs moving too far and too quickly. There is also a camera housed above the head, which relayed images to a monitor (no longer present) inside the costume for the performer's benefit, as there is no other way to see out.
Each Mondoshawan required four people to control it and no actor spent more than 15 minutes inside, as it simply got too hot. The harness is labelled "Jerome" for performer Jerome Blake and the body sections are labelled "Richard" for performer Richard Ashton. The Mondoshawan has some additional wear from production use and age, including scratches on the body, most notably on the belly. The original gold colouring of the armour has faded over the years, but is still visible on areas less exposed to sunlight.
A printed still of this lot is also included with its sale.
Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Special shipping required; see special shipping notice in the Terms and Conditions.
Estimate: £60,000 - 120,000 †Δ
View all lots from FIFTH ELEMENT, THE (1997)