The Big Blue

“The big blue” is my favourite film of all time.

It was produced in 1988 and directed by Luc Besson staring Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno and Patricia Arquette. It’s set in and around the Mediterranean, (big blue is the French nickname for the Mediterranean Sea).

The film is about two guys, Enzo and Jacques, who knew each other when they were kids in Greece. The death of the Jacques father separated two boys and they don’t meet again until both are grown men.

Enzo is the one who goes looking to Jacques because there is a question that he’s desperate to answer that in bugging him all his life. The question is, who is the better freediver, Enzo or Jacques? You see, both men free divers. Enzo enters competitions and is currently the world champion, was Jacques travels the world taking part in experiments because of his unique physiology.

It seems in fact the Jacques is part dolphin because when he dives he seems able to manipulate his body in a way that only seagoing mammals are able.

There are some lighter moments in the movie because Enzo is larger-than-life and the likes to fool around.

But the movie ends in tragedy with the death of Enzo as he tries to outdo Jacques in a dive to far.

Jacques seems unable to deal with human emotions and tragedy, he is more at one is more one with dolphins than humans.

He become so distraught that he tries to take his own life and is aided by his girlfriend played by Patricia Arquette. The movies you wondering whether Jacques dies or becomes one with the dolphins.

Although the movie seems quite morbid I love it because of the scenery, the atmospheric music, and the shooting of the underwater scenes.

Enzo is played fantastically by Jean Reno, who Hams it up to the max. It only really did well in Italy and France, it went straight to video in the UK and the States.