Two childhood friends who are free divers, one of whom has the almost supernatural ability to adjust his heart rate so that his vital signs are closer to a dolphins than a human, meet up after many years and take part in a contest to see who can dive the deepest without scuba gear. Love and friendship vie with the competitive spirit and the allure of the ocean to complicate matters.The Big Blue is another product of the 80's French film movement, the cinéma du look. These films were typified by their adherence to cinematic style over dramatic substance. Director Luc Besson was one of the leading film-makers in this category and The Big Blue is perhaps his most personal film. It is slightly unusual for a Besson movie in that it isn't action-oriented in the traditional sense. The sport angle does of course have an element of drama but it's never really the focus at all and there isn't truthfully much tension in these scenes really. The story essentially focuses on a man who makes a choice between the friendship of a peer, the love of a woman or the elemental draw of the sea. The latter choice wins out quite clearly with the central character having an almost spiritual infinity with the ocean. Some of the underwater sequences here are beautifully presented and the cinematography in general is nice. It's a good looking film, yet despite being about deep water divers it does have a certain lack of depth dramatically. This isn't necessarily an issue for me but it does mean that it's two-an-a-half hour runtime does seem definitely excessive. This is not a story that required the epic treatment to be honest. Acting performances are generally good enough to engage though. Rosanna Arquette appears in a fairly under-written role but I thought she was still quite adorable and only went to serve further the oddness of the central character's decision in rejecting her for a life with the dolphins. On this note, we have an interesting and somewhat depressing ending which veers into dream-like fantasy territory - it's a bit of a downer of a denouncement, yet it is true to the material so I shouldn't complain too much over this. Ultimately, this is definitely an uneven and overlong movie but, like most of the others in the cinéma du look sub-genre, it improves with a re-watch and is certainly somewhat distinctive.

Classic Luc Besson - slightly surreal, other-worldly story about free-diving.Beautifully-shot, this film tells the story of childhood friends and free-divers Jacques and Enzo, and Besson cleverly captures their slowed-heart-rate world, in a relaxed, slow-pace film. Even when there is excitement, it feels slow-motion, from the camera angles and lighting, to the musical score, which also has an ethereal quality.It's a dreamlike film, well-shot and well-acted - on the edge of 'art house' but with enough to be popular with regular blockbuster watchers as well.Give it a look, if you haven't already. 8/10

Is it possible to change, for example, through love, different profession, new circle? When a healthy competition and rivalry becomes a pig-headed and dangerous race with time? Will some people never "grow up"? Those issues/questions are strongly at present in this splendid film by Luc Besson, different from most of his other films. I really enjoyed it in spite of the context uninteresting to me (free-diving). But thanks to subtle dialogs, beautiful landscape, suitable music score and talented cast it is no wonder, that we do here with one of the most successful French films ever.All the actors are premium, but Jean Reno still outperforms all others, including Jean-Marc Barr and Rosanna Arquette. As for the latter, I would have chosen an actress with a more oval face, let's say :). Jean Bouis does a grand small performance as Uncle Louis.Usually I am biased to watch films over 2,5 hours, but this one did not become dull or boring, even the long water-related scenes were appropriate.

Wow! The reviews really do vary here and I notice that the best reviews seem to start at the beginning of this thread, the worse at the end. This explains a lot, and having watched yesterday what is one of my favourite films, I think I can answer why: for someone watching this film today, you'll find that the acting (particularly Arquette's shocking performance) is over the top and dated. It's a shame that this film has not lasted as well as it could have with a better female lead (however you could say it was down to bad directing). Anyway, that's the bad part.The good part is that this is a special film, in places it's very moving and anyone with a connection to the sea will immediately understand this film, and where the director is taking us. I myself grew up as a child on a Greek Island and spent every day of my childhood diving and fishing - each time I watch this film it takes me back to a special time and place and I can relate to the two main characters.If you're looking for a fast-paced action or comedy then this isn't for you. If you want to shut yourself off from the world, and immerse yourself in an underwater paradise with a touching and humorous storyline then you'll love it.The beginning part of the film is shot on the small Greek Island of Amorgos. It's a stunning Island and if you ever visit you can go to the Monastery built into the mountain, visit the shipwreck and there's also a small bar called 'The Big Blue' which also plays this film EVERY night!