Directed by:
Luc BessonCinematography:
Carlo VariniCast:
Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno, Paul Shenar, Sergio Castellitto, Jean Bouise, Griffin Dunne, Valentina Vargas, Eric Do, Luc Besson, Paul Herman (more)VOD (1)
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A dreamy adolescent, Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) has grown into a solitary man, caught between the solidity of the real world and the spiritual beckoning of "the big blue" - and in particular the dolphins swimming below. He possesses a unique connection to the sea, the ability to slow his heartbeat and circulation on deep dives, a phenomenon previously only observed in whales and dolphins. Enzo (Jean Reno), however, has become the World Champion at his sport with a very different approach. Their rivalry reignited, the pair spur each other on to deeper and deadlier dives. Besson's first English-language production is a story of extremes; of love and solitude, friendship and rivalry, life and death. The highest-grossing French film of the 1980s, The Big Blue, charts the competition and friendship between divers Jacques and Enzo - first in their youth and then when they meet again at the World Free-Diving Championships in Sicily years later. (Madman Entertainment)
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Reviews (11)
For two years, The Big Blue has been taking up space on my hard drive without any use and all this time I didn't have the desire or courage to watch it, anticipating that I would significantly dislike this effort from Luc Besson. The time when it had something to offer me is long gone, very long gone. I was not mistaken and when I think about it, I get the impression that my 2 stars are quite a decent expression of my conformity with 84% satisfaction on FilmBooster and enthusiastic comments from many users. What Besson offers me, i.e., music and underwater shots, can be offered to me in a more attractive package by any nature documentary. I don't like its Hollywood sloppiness, it is empty in content and besides, I increasingly mind films that pretend to have greater depth and profound messages where all I see is more posing. Overall impression: 40%.
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I like movies that look like their storyboards, I like Cinéma du look, I like the sea and Jean Reno. By contrast, however, I find sports in general to be eminently moronic performances, and watching overgrown kids measure their depths then makes it impossible to accept this great, fatal, fateful plane rising above the rules of civilization.
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I was a bit surprised by how long the film is, and I almost feel that if it were shortened by an hour, the viewer wouldn't actually miss out on anything significant, although this way viewers managed to connect with the characters and understand what happened at the end and what it meant for the main character. But it is the finale that shows the beauty of the love of life and dreams, even though it may appear otherwise.
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It lacks a proper visual concept. Occasionally, it looks like a cheap made-for-TV production rather than a work of the famous Luc Besson. A few nice deep shots, several scenes with dolphins, and that's about all that’s worth mentioning. Only Eric Serra didn't disappoint, he gain composed perfect music that can easily rival his greatest works (La Femme Nikita, Leon).
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At first glance it is an overly long film, but while watching it you realize that everything is in its place and all the scenes are important for the general impression. The Big Blue is a visually captivating film with a wonderful score by Eric Serra and great and convincing performances by the central trio. The actors were able to relate very well to their roles - the downtrodden, slowly sinking into the depths and increasingly absent in spirit Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques; the fortune-seeking, likeable and constantly compromising Rosanna Arquette as Joan; and not least the obstacle-seeking and conquering, family-oriented and charismatic Jean Reno as Enzo. The magical depths hold myriad secrets and it's only a question of why Jacques was so attracted to it. The most powerful moment was Enzo's last attempt to descend into the deep and the final (ambiguous) scene. A quality film that, despite its running time, I found very interesting, entertaining and moving.
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Gallery (81)
Photo © Gaumont
![The Big Blue - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/160/441/160441174_298694.jpg)
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