The Fifth Element will celebrate it's 25th anniversary on May 7 and The New York Post have published an interesting piece including input from associate producer John Amicarella and sound designer Marc Mangini.

Its opening scene music - a slowed down recording of Tibetan monks chanting.

Did they get paid royalties? If not, should they be demanding them?

The Mondoshawan and Mangalore languages were created by having actors read their voices, with that triggering sounds like brass instruments, bears, camels and gorillas.

So probably harder for fans to learn than Klingon.

It's no wonder you don't hear it at comic cons.

Sony nearly cut the character of Ruby Rhod fearing he was too "out there" for the general public.

He was saved by teenagers.

No seriously.

The director, Luc Besson, organised a preview with teenagers who were regarded as the core audience.

They loved him so Luc got to keep him.

Hooray!

And the music at the end of film where they're arranging the elements was made by screaming at a piano and recording the sympathetic vibrations.

Next time you're caught yelling at a misbehaving appliance claim that you're exercising musical creativity. It's all about the sympathetic vibrations.

If you're feeling nostalgic or curious to listen to all of these creatively produced sounds, The Fifth Element is available to stream on Stan.

[ Main Image: Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element. Credit: Sony Pictures via IMDb.com. ]

References

Stewart, Sara (April 28, 2022). ‘The Fifth Element’ at 25: Inside the making of the Bruce Willis sci-fi classic. New York Post.