"Nikita (1990) is the story of a nineteen-year-old junkie, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) who is given a second chance in life through being trained to be - and becoming - a skilled assassin for the State. Nikita is a cult classic, directed by Luc Besson (with Thierry Arbogast as director of photography) in his powerful style. The film was an international hit, which spawned a TV series and a Hollywood remake." "Susan Hayward develops a fresh and provocative way of understanding Nikita's plot structure as a neo-baroque symphony. She goes in depth into key sequences of the film, examines its reception as a popular film by audiences and critics, and looks at The Assassin, the Hollywood remake of Nikita."--Jacket.