The Big Blue

1988 [FRENCH]

Action / Adventure / Drama / Sport

28
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 62% · 21 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 93% · 25K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.5/10 10 57237 57.2K

dying and death friendship suicide diving sports parent child relationship

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Plot summary

Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques and Enzo are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men. As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest -- determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear -- Jacques meets Johana, a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea.

Director

Luc Besson Photo
Luc Besson

Top cast

Jean Reno Photo
Jean Reno as Enzo Molinari
Rosanna Arquette Photo
Rosanna Arquette as
Kimberly Beck Photo
Kimberly Beck as Sally
Paul Shenar Photo
Paul Shenar as Dr. Laurence
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
1.42 GB
1280*548
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
24 fps
2 hr 48 min
Seeds 16
2.71 GB
1904*816
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles
24 fps
2 hr 48 min
Seeds 43

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by gjdewald 7 / 10

My take on this movie I saw 30+ years ago

I thought the friendship was genuine and interesting and so was the romance. The movie wasn't about diving or competition.Many critics get the 2 main male characters wrong. Interpreting them as unlikable. Reno's character is arrogant and conceited. Barr's character is withdrawn, aloof, and madly unresponsive to Arquette's obvious affection.The magic of the movie is all about the characters imperfections and their respective bonds. It's about imperfect people and their perfect bond with each other.I find all 3 characters genuine and likable. Their flaws are what make them genuine and interesting. The arrogant conceited Reno is pationate and deeply involved in his family and close relationships. Barr is an introverted self-contained personality, perhaps further withdrawn into himself by tragedy that leaves him without family other than dolphins and the sea. The unbreakable bond between Barr and Reno started with the tragic accident to Barr's father and witnessed by Reno.I got this movie when it was released on VHS and watched it 20 times. I always liked the movie, but haven't seen it in around 30 years. My VHS is long gone, but I want to see this movie again. There are not many movies I watched 30 years ago and want to see again.The critics run wild over this movie. They certainly did when it was released. I don't mind liking a movie more than the critics do, especially after reading their reviews. Diving is boring, they don't get it.I was prompted to write this review after reading a review saying the movie was about undiagnosed mental illness. Well, only if everyone has an undiagnosed mental illness. Actually, maybe, everyone is a little mentally ill. Nobody is perfect and imperfect characters are the most interesting.
Reviewed by ayhansalamci 8 / 10

A Fascinating Film.

The film starts with an island view in black and white Greece. Throughout the film I encounter wonderful scenes. Blue color is peaceful and watching the endless expanse of the Mediterranean is enjoyable. I was very happy for acting. I think that people who are interested in diving and the sea should not go on without watching. The final scene was very impressive. It is a very beautiful film that brings happiness and sadness together.

Reviewed by TYLERdurden74 8 / 10

Cult Movies 47

47. THE BIG BLUE (adv.-romance, 1988) Mayol (Jean-Marc Barr) is determined to dethrone current world-free diving champion Enzo (Jean Reno). Childhood friends, they share a fierce rivalry that, nonetheless, has kept their friendship alive. Both of them share an almost spiritual affinity with the sea, especially Mayol who lost his father. His love for his sport, however, is put on hold when he meets Joanna (Rosanna Arquette). But as Mayol and Enzo's competition become more fierce, Joanna slowly feels herself drifting away from Mayol, as his fascination with the sea takes on an obsessive turn.

Critique: Marvelouslly filmed underwater adventure from master-Frenchman Luc Besson, who has specialized on action films. This is his most personal work to date, thus taking on a uniquely surreal quality. The exquisite camera-work is very special, at times almost documentary in quality.

This mix of 'art' cinematography and romance made it a big money earner all over Europe but, not surprisingly, only gained critical acclaim elsewhere. Adding to its failure is a somewhat downbeat ending that, I think, complements the film's mythic storyline.

Besson's 'epic masterpiece' has yet to reach many viewers who would embrace his visionary talents.

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