Extended version.

Learning about Leon's past, and the reason why he became an assassin, was an important element to his character that was missing before. I agree, that was a very sad moment for both of them. To me, that entire scene was beautifully captured by everyone involved.

Extended version is better only because it has some pretty memorable scenes like the dinner scene at the restaurant and the montage of the apprenticeship. But perhaps one of the best scenes in the movie is only found in the extended scene. And that is the scene where Leon tells Mathilda about his past lover's fate. It was such a beautifully poignant scene, that I can never watch the theatrical version ever again.

For anyone that has not seen this film,or the long version, there are a couple of post in this thread, that are the perfect example of someone bashing the film because they don't understand it. They always rely on the pedo scenario, when they try to make a point. Then they slam Besson, and anyone involved with the film, because they are unable or unwilling to see the story as it was intended. This story has been told many times and many different ways, this one is no exception. Although the story is complex, it is also very simple. I believe this is a great film, but don't take my word for it, or anyone else's, watch both versions of the film for yourself, and make up your own mind.

All the pedophilia tension in the longer version makes it a completely different movie.
I thought it was an all time great film. Went to show it to someone and it was the longer version, the 1st time I had seen it, and all the scenes they had taken out of the theatrical made me feel like a creep recommending it.
WAY over the top with it.
It would have been hard for me to even be a part of the project with a director wanting to keep shooting those scenes.
If you haven't seen the longer version, don't watch it. It will taint it for you.
To be with another woman, that is French. To get caught, that is American.

I prefer the shorter version mainly just for the pacing and I agree with Besson on the tone it set for the character.
But the extra scenes don't make me uncomfortable and I still watch the longer version sometimes. Both are good.

I'd love to see you in the moonlight with your head thrown back and your body on fire.

I saw The Professional at the theater, but I had never seen the long version Leon, until around 2001 or 2002. It was like seeing the movie for the first time again. A lot of emotional content between the two main characters was added with these new scenes, which may be my favorite thing about the film. It instantly became my favorite version and I believe a more heartfelt story between Leon and Mathilda

Exactly. Me too.
To be with another woman, that is French. To get caught, that is American.

In my opinion the added scenes make their relationship tacky and less believable. Personally I wish I could somehow erase long version from my memory, if you know what I mean.

Then I found out there was a Director's Cut version that included all those missing scenes and it was like a whole different movie.
The shorter version is Besson's director's cut. It was the only version in existence anywhere in the world until the Summer of 1996. When asked why he then released a longer version (interview in 2000), Besson responded that the short version was his director's cut, but he had about 20 minutes of footage that nobody had seen, so he put out an extended version for fans in a few Paris theaters over the Summer of 1996. This version was carried around the world on DVDs, thanks to a request from Japan, and is called the International version.
http://www.imdb.com/board/10110413/board/thread/2406531?d=41099842&p=3#41099842
The original script called for a teenaged Mathilda, someone who would participate in killing and die in the end like Leon(he auditioned girls between 15 and 18, Portman was initially rejected because she was too young).
When he ended up choosing the 11-year-old Portman instead, he changed the script to one where her childhood was protected and she survived. The powerful Russian Roulette sequence set up what he hoped would be a humorous montage, but it also showed her not only as a happy participant in killing but celebrating it all afterwards. That destroyed the premise of the film for those looking for more than explosions and drama.
Using the Happy meal example, it is more like a sandwich with a double helping of spice in it or one with just the usual fixings. There are people who like extra spice, but it is a debatable question.

How is this even a debate?
The uncut version sets up the
ring trick
at the end of the movie and exposes a whole new dimension of character depth. I thought the original was pretty good, but it always seemed like something was lacking. Then I found out there was a Director's Cut version that included all those missing scenes and it was like a whole different movie. The difference was surreal. It elevated it to masterpiece status and became my favorite movie at that point.
Justincblount
: From my perspective, this argument is like saying, "Well, some people want a bite taken out of their sandwich when they get a happy meal it's all down to personal preference."
Hahahah! Exactly!

i have mixed feelings after seeing the longer cut overall i do think the longer cut gave the ending of the film more impact but i do also feel some of the added scenes are a bit weak like the taking Matilda out on hits part was done rather poorly and was not very interesting it also slows the pace of the film down . also im assuming that when thay restored that part of the film thay didnt have any music from the original composer for those scenes so we end up with that generic stock music also the audio was a litle muddy in those scenes
but on the other hand the sexual preposition scene was done very well and added more depth to there relationship as well as the impact to the ending of the film
basically i didn't like the scenes were leon took her on some of his hits as it took a lot of the mystic away from how leon operates but all the other stuff i think made the film better that being sed if the hit training scenes were cut that we would not have the restaurant scene
so its a though one
i would say if you haven't seen the film before go with the shorter cut and if you like it then try the longer cut
that's my 2 cents on the matter
you will have to forgive the lack of full stops lack of proper spelling im dyslexic but not stupid

The theatrical cut was not cut for the USA. The theatrical version was the one and only version released worldwide in 1994. The Integral Cut is not a Directors Cut. Besson does not refer to it as such and it was released years later.

Longer version is much more provocatite, thus far better.
Shorter version is made only for US puritans.

Bbethany7 Slap yourself in the face twice, really hard. The original director's edit of the film is definitive. Removing 23 minutes only throws away important pieces, of what I see as a work of art.

This message has been deleted.

Bbethany7 Slap yourself in the face twice, really hard. The original director's edit of the film is definitive. Removing 23 minutes only throws away important pieces, of what I see as a work of art.

This message has been deleted.

The uncut version is markedly superior. The Russian roulette scene is the best thing Portman has ever done and practically sells that cut by itself. You do see the occasional opinion in favor of the cut version, but in my experience those opinions usually boil down to little more than misplaced and tiresome moral squick over one or both of two things:

1. Leon bringing Mathilda along on hits. Sure Mathilda never kills anyone or even handles a real gun in action, but she watches Leon shoot a dude down at close range and doesn't even blink. The fact that both of them are apparently deadly serious about her training irritates people who want to view Mathilda as an unsullied soul and Leon as merely humoring her. To this I say, whatever man, a young girl being trained by a hitman is sort of the plot of this movie. It's edgy, it's French, deal with it.
2. Mathilda's fizzled attempt to seduce Leon. I mean sure he rejects her attempt out of hand, but the fact that he never actually says "Because you're way too young!" in the process bothers the beep out of some people. To these people I say, beep off already. He never shows any sexual interest in her and it's sure as hell not because he's afraid of the law, so how about shutting up already.
   Anyway, I fell in love with the cut version when it was all there was, but in my opinion the uncut version is the definitive one.

Just another quick note: My local Cineplex/Galaxy theater is replaying Leon next week as part of there Most Requested Movies offering. However they are showing the damn 1 hour and 50 minute cut the dumbasses. If they were showing the 2 hour and 13 minute version or the illusive 2hr 16min version, I'd go see it in the theater, but I'm not going to pay to see the chopped up version again.
My body's a cage, it's been used and abusedand ILIKE IT!!

I'm not so sure it's right to call the 110 minute version the theater version, simply because the international theaters originally showed the 133 minute version. The 110 minute release was strictly a North American release only, due to the wishes of the producers the film was cut because they believed that shorter films in North America tend to get bigger crowds. It had little to nothing to do with censorship from what I've heard, it was more about generating interest in the film.
I first saw the 110 minute version, in fact I saw it twice and I only rated the film at that time a 7.5 out of 10. Once I saw the full cut, I changed my rating to an 8.5 out of 10. I think the films longer version is actually much better, there's more character development, the whole film just works a lot better. The Matilda - Leon relationship/characters, as well as the Stansfield character are really the most interesting aspects of the film to me. So definitely, the more the better.
Apparently now there is another cut with an extra 3 minutes, I wonder how true that is???
My body's a cage, it's been used and abusedand ILIKE IT!!

dont bother with the shorter version Nerdglaze. its terrible

I'm just now finding out that there is a shorter version, the longer one is the only one I ever knew. Interesting.
What I wanted to say is, I never took the scene to mean that he's planning on taking her to bed. He really isn't planning anything in that scene, where they're both scared to death and she's crying heartbreakingly. He says that in the emotion of the moment. "I love you" is something that a father could say to his daughter as well. I'm obviously not saying that there's not a kind of sexual tension between the two, but I like to think that Leon just wouldn't do it. Even if they went off to live together. If they really loved each other, they could also wait until she's really grown up.
But it doesn't come to that, and that's another point. Him dying at the end can be seen as the conclusion of a morality tale. First, Tony warned him about being careful with women. As it turns out, that is what Mathilda has become to him even though he resists and doesn't like that fact. Second, as you said, he crosses a line by telling her he loves her. The relationship can't go anywhere from there. Therefore he dies. And before he does, he shows and gives his love to Mathilda by avenging her which is what she wanted from life most badly, and leaves her alone to grow up like a more or less normal kid and have a normal, ideally non-murderous relationship when grown up.
OT, Natalie Portman's performance is mindblowing for that age.

I was wondering if there was any common preference.
Dude, it's the internet. You won't find a common preference about using both side of piece of toilet paper.
I prefer the shorter version. The longer version adds some interesting tidbits, but also one sequence that destroys a very important element of the film.
(Some spoilers ahead.)
Mathilda's apprenticeship is interesting, but dispensable. What really irks me is the sequence where Mathilda openly asks Leon to have sex with her. In the regular version, the sexual connection was hinted at, and given Mathilda's age, that is the only way to handle that. Their farewell has a very different mood if you assume that the reunion will end up in child abuse.