10 Greatest Unspoken Action Movie Plot Points
5. Léon's Plant Definitely Dies At The End (Just Like Him) - Léon
It's in no way a subtle plot point in Luc Besson's Léon that the titular assassin's (Jean Reno) house plant is basically symbolic of the man himself - rootless and, at the end of the movie, planted in place by Mathilda (Natalie Portman).
But the metaphor actually goes a little deeper than you might realise, whether intentionally or not.
The plant is a type of aglaonema, a Chinese evergreen known for its intolerance of cold temperatures.
And so, when Mathilda decides to plant Léon's plant in a field near the local school, she doesn't realise that she's actually killing it.
The plant has no chance of surviving the harsh New York winter while taking root on the field and being exposed to the frosty elements.
Within that context, the true symbolism of the plant can be interpreted a multitude of extra ways - perhaps most obviously that it died when it "took root," just like Léon himself.
Does that betray the message of the movie? If you consider that Léon died for something worthwhile, probably not.