CANNES A TOUGH AUDIENCE FOR CREW OF WILLIS' MOVIE.

Byline: Janet Maslin The New York Times

Metal detectors at screenings and ``I Survived the 50th Festival'' T-shirts are new items here this year. And forget the diamonds, darling. The accessory of choice is the speedboat for escaping Croisette traffic jams.

That was how Bruce Willis and the rest of the delegation from ``The Fifth Element,'' the splashy, kinky-looking sci-fi adventure that opened the Cannes International Film Festival Wednesday, made an exit from the chilly press conference that greeted their film's arrival. The extravagant ``Fifth Element'' unfolds in high comic-book style, and the crowd that convened here to celebrate 50 years of world cinema doubtless has something different in mind.

``I'll tell you what I really wanted to say to them,'' said one of the seafaring passengers, Gary Oldman, who plays a villain with a futuristic Hitler hairdo and a Ross Perot accent. Oldman has also directed his own film, ``Nil by Mouth,'' which will be shown here in competition on Thursday.

``I'm not so sure you didn't,'' another member of the ``Fifth Element'' entourage replied.

Oh, well: Questions at the session were the sort for which this event is justly famous. Willis was asked when he planned to do Shakespeare (hmm), whether he expected the film to be successful (guess) and whether he enjoyed kissing his leading ladies (oh, come on).

Gamely, and for lack of better prompting, he joked about the differences between doughnuts and scones on American and English movie sets. And this despite the fact that he had hoped to explain how and why his ``Fifth Element'' character saves the world. ``Ask us about the film, come on!'' he urged the crowd. No dice.

Milla Jovovich, who spends much of the film in a white outfit that has been nicknamed the Band-Aid, sat beside Jean-Paul Gaultier (whose neo-bondage costumes are among the film's garish selling points) and managed to describe her role as ``an inspiration for not just me but every single person in the world.'' Jovovich showed off a silver Galliano gown that was not remotely out of place on a white Riviera motorboat. She later showed up in the equivalent of another Band-Aid for the gala opening night screening.

Willis kept his considerable cool with an audience that seemed to forget what a really unfortunate Cannes opening (e.g. ``City of Lost Children,'' the grim sci-fi spectacle two years ago) can be like. ``Look, it's just a way of getting a little ink on what the picture's really about,'' he said en route back to his hotel.

But were there dangers in facing the huge, carnivorous, restless press contingent that has assembled in honor of this festival's birthday celebration? ``You know what's a risk?'' said Willis. ``It's walking across the street in New York City. That's a risk. This is just movies.''

Movies and then some, during this publicity-mad anniversary festival: In addition to a contingent of the world's great filmmakers, the Spice Girls and a 6-foot-long fanged condom (courtesy of ``Killer Condom,'' the latest brainstorm from happy, bottom-feeding Troma Entertainment) are among the extras expected here soon. And in terms of diversity, viewers here can find anything from a 40-minute film starring Michael Jackson to dramas about Queen Victoria, Siegfried Sassoon and Primo Levi. Random, unofficial selections from the marketplace screenings include ``Gummo'' and ``American Beer.''

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Photo

Photo: Bruce Willis kisses wife Demi Moore as they arrive for the screening of ``The Fifth Element'' at the opening of the Cannes film festival.

Associated Press