I was 14 when the film Leon came out, the film where Natalie Portman who was 12 plays a young girl taken in by a hitman. I saw it in the cinema with my 17 year old boyfriend, his older brother and older brothers friends so ages up to about 28. Afterwards I distinctly remember these men discussing Natalie Portman's character basically saying how sexy she was and that they all fancied her. At the time being only 14 myself I just thought well she is really beautiful and probably just feeling a bit shit I wasn't as pretty. I certainly remember she was sexualised in her early career, also see the film Beautiful Girls and she was often seen as a legitimate target for adults men's desire.
I just watched the film again for the first time as an adult and it's pretty shocking, yes Portman is a beautiful girl but I don't think those men back then would have made such comments about her if she hadn't been so sexualised in the film. It was really uncomfortable viewing through adult, mother, 2025 eyes. In many ways it is still a good film with some great performances but the way Portman is portrayed is hard to get past. Luc Besson's own personal is dubious at best and apparently the film was toned down quite a but from the original script because Portman was so young and her parents demanded it. I think they still let her down by letting her make this film.