The Big Blue (1988)

VHS CASE/ SIDE

Length of film:  132 Minutes (Director’s Cut : 168 Minutes)

Rated: 15

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sport

Director: Luc Besson

Starring: Jean- Marc Barr, Jean Reno, Rosanna Arquette, Paul Shenar, Sergio Castellitto, Jean Bouise

IMDB Rank: 7.5 /10

Part 1 Time:  N/A Minutes (Director’s Cut : 94 Minutes)

Part 2 Time:  N/A Minutes (Director’s Cut : 74 Minutes)

Where does the first part end? Jacques Moyol (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo Molinari (Jean Reno) speak following Johana (Rosanna Arquette) leaving for New York.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “We’ll make a great team, the two of us. You’ll see. Okay?” Enzo states to Jacques.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “One hundred feet,” an oil rig operator states over the speaker, as Jacques and Enzo sit in a submersible.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Jacques wins the World Diving Championships by beating Enzo by 1 metre. Although there is a friendly rivalry between them, Enzo has invited Jacques to come to his next job at the oil rig. With Jacques and Johana now living on different continents, will they ever see each other again?

Which part is better? The film explores the lives of two deep sea divers, who both enjoy the thrill and beauty of traversing underwater. Part two is somewhat better as Enzo and Jacques continue to push the limits of freediving, which ultimately leads to dire consequences.

Academy Awards: None