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 We never knew why she flaunted so falsely regal we thought. It was that life so tragically imitates art. Of all the black people who heard the stories of "The Beach Lady" who graduated Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio. She studied voice in Paris and London, and sang opera throughout Germany during the mid - 1950s and early 60s in concert halls where she is still remembered for decades. She is known for her roles in Carmen and Madame Butterfly and Dance of the Seven Veils, none knew the ramifications of the story, nor the hidden meaning, nor did they know what the seven veils was, had never heard of Carmen nor Madame Butterfly. Many wondered what in the world had happened to the young lady who went to Europe and became famous who returned and as some thought lost her mind. It was rumored that she fell in love with a rich white man in Europe of whom her family disapproved and he later ditched her, no one knows for sure. Madame Butterfly best depicts her life after Europe, she did not stab herself in the neck and die, her death was a very slow madness.   Let's flash upon a few revealing coincidences, one is in the name of the Diva in the story from The Fifth Element movie who resembles "The Beach Lady" in appearance who lives on the American Beach, an African American onclave on Amelia Island. The diva in the movie is Plavalaguna and is also the name of a real place [Plava Laguna] in Peroc, Croatia which is similar to Amelia Island. In spring 2002, MaVynee was diagnosed with cancer, and surgeons removed her stomach; in the movie stones representing four of the elements [fire, air, water, earth] were found in the stomach of Diva Plavalaguna, placed there for safekeeping.  The Diva Plavalaguna's role in the movie: Taken From The Diva Suite Website The Diva is played during the film by a very talented actress, based on her performance, named Maiwenn Le Besco. She is first seen in the movie wearing a pseudo-arabian gown with veil to hide her beauty from those who would stare relentlessly at her exotic alien form (folks like me, y'know). She communicates to one of her aides with a soft, musical sigh -- it conveys a great deal of information, for the aide tells Leeloo "The Diva is glad you are here. She will give you what you have come for after the concert." So ends her first appearance. Too short.  The concert. The Diva appears on stage before a silenced crowd, appearing almost nervous or shy. Her features stand revealed: very tall, with light blue skin that glistens in the light. Her skull extends far back, into a kind of horn albeit with a rounded tip. Projecting from her head and back are long tentacles that lend a strange beauty to her. Her throat, wrists and along the top of her skull are decorated with what appear to be leather or vinyl items that also shine in the light. Encircling her slender waist is a belt made of an undiscernible material. Her gown seems to be made of vinyl or some other plastic, and opens out at her feet. Her fingernails are decorated with a darker shade of blue, as are her lips. As the music begins, she gracefully steps forward and begins to...sing, or something more than singing. Her teeth are startlingly white, contrasting beautifully with her body and garment. Her voice communicates a tragic story, echoing to every corner of the ship. The audience (both in the hotel and in the crowded theater full of teenagers) watches transfixed. Even Korben's steely features melt away to the musical sound of her voice. As her aides are killed elsewhere in the hotel by the Mangalores, she holds out her hands as if they are stained with blood. She reaches the climax as Leeloo drops in on the Mangalores, and begins a new type of song -- she begins to rock the house! Leeloo goes on dropping Mangalores to the ground to the beat of the Diva's song. The song ends -- too short -- and the last standing Mangalore rushes off to tell of "the ambush". The Mangalores commence to take over the ship, and in the course of rushing the concert hall the Diva, the innocent Diva, is hit with a stray shot into her stomach. As bright blue blood issues from the mortal wound, the Diva touches it with her hand as she stares at it in disbelief. She...gracefully...falls onto the stage, and Korben lifts her from it and gently places her onto the ground.
Thus ends the concert. The Diva, however, isn't finished yet. She told Korben of Leeloo's purpose, her true identity, and her need for him, striving to complete what she was fated to do even in death. She held on for a while as Korben attempted to stem the flow of blood but it was clearly too much for the fantastic creature. She finally sank down into the cool depths of unconsciousness...only to be awakened by Korben, frantically asking of the whereabouts of the stones. The Diva started as if disturbed from peaceful sleep, then said five words: "The stones...are in me." She died afterwards in Korben's arms. A well deserved rest. Korben puzzled over the question, until he finally took it literally and put his hand into the gaping wound in the Diva's stomach. He extracted one of the sacred stones -- covered in the Diva's bright blue blood, a grim reminder of her sacrifice to the fate of the world. Thus ends the Diva's role in the film. Too short.
The Diva Plavalaguna's role in the novelization: Ms. Plavalaguna's place in the book is very much the same as in the movie, with the major differences being in the description of her dress, her features, and the way she "takes" certain events in the plot, including the death of her manager, getting shot, applause, etc. Her song may also be described as different as well as the reactions of the characters. In the movie it was not mentioned (I don't think) that the Diva only sang once every ten years, and that her song lasted only five minutes. However, in the book this fact is stressed. Her associate that informs Leeloo of the Diva's words tells Leeloo that the Diva would like to sing "one last time", implying that the Diva already knew she may not sing again. This would help explain even better the huge turnout for the concert besides "she's really good". If it wasn't mentioned in the movie, it should have been. Of course you all know I'd be there, no matter if she sang every day for three hours at a suspicious night club in inner city Atlanta :-) The Diva in the novel has more pronounced Telepathic abilities than in the film, in that she senses and reacts visibly to her manager's death, and the "static shock" when Leeloo and herself made first contact implies a transfer of information or emotion beyond human comprehension. Also when the Diva herself is shot (gasp!) Leeloo reacts as if wounded in the same way, at the same moment. And the "Diva Dance", in the book as well as the film, reflects a synchronization between the two characters: Leeloo starts when the Diva gets fired up, and stops at the end. The Diva's appearance is described differently here. Her tentacles move, unlike in the movie where they just hung and moved only to the Diva's movements. Instead of being clad entirely in blue as she was so appealingly in the movie, she is dressed in a "shimmering blue-green gown". A little bit of info about the Diva's speciation is thrown in: human-alien hybrid, as I stated before, one incredible form comprised of the "special beauty of all the alien races in the galaxy." It expressly points out, no Mangalore lineage is involved :-) No species name is given. The Diva is shot twice in the novel rather than once implying that maybe this time it had been done on purpose. It had seemed more accidental in the film -- but hey, they're Mangalores. She is shot while on her tenth curtain call, it seems the audience liked her very very much. I'm sure she heard me applauding loudest :-) Or not, whatever. As a side note, previously in the book it had been mentioned that the Diva's tentacles moved "happily" in response to the applause. I just thought I'd throw that in, cuz I'm sure they were doing that up until uh...bang, you know. In the film the audience didn't applaud when she appeared first on stage. One final observation that I make only tentatively is that the Diva did not sing Lucia Di Lammermoor in the novel. I'm only guessing here. The passages in the book seem to imply that her voice itself is telling the story, not the words...which would be something to hear, I'm sure. It should be noted here however that Lucia Di Lammermoor is a tragic opera about forced love.  |
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