The Big Blue (1988)

Synopsis: BIG BLUE, with its gorgeous underwater sequences, its exotic ocean-side settings in Greece and Sicily, and its transcendent 1980s electronic score, is director Luc Besson's "baby." Unlike LA FEMME NIKITA or THE PROFESSIONAL, two signature Besson films that feature stylish urban... BIG BLUE, with its gorgeous underwater sequences, its exotic ocean-side settings in Greece and Sicily, and its transcendent 1980s electronic score, is director Luc Besson's "baby." Unlike LA FEMME NIKITA or THE PROFESSIONAL, two signature Besson films that feature stylish urban backdrops and violent plots about hit men, BIG BLUE combines romantic comedy with a deep spiritual quest. Long shots of the ocean define BIG BLUE, as Besson's camera skims speedily over its silver surface, or floats underwater in deep aqua surrounded by dolphins. A dramatic 20-minute black and white introduction shows protagonists Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo (Jean Reno) as 10-year-old boys free diving (with no oxygen tanks). A transition to color marks a time lapse and now Jacques and Enzo are adults. Enzo is living in Sicily where for 6 years he has been the uncontested free diving world champion. He sends for Jacques, who is living in the Peruvian Andes, and insists that he compete for the title. Jacques comes to Sicily and easily beats Enzo. The competition mounts, each man diving at increasingly life-threatening depths. But when Jacques' girlfriend Johana (Rosanna Arquette) arrives from New York and pleads for the risky dives to stop, the film takes an unexpected turn resulting in an unforgettable dark, mysterious, and torturously beautiful conclusion. [More]