Customer Reviews

The Big Blue [Region 2]

5 star:		(174)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I first saw this movie in France and absolutely fell in love with it. I live in the states and when I rented it in the U.S. I could not understand why Eric Serra's soundtrak was not used and why they cut out so many scenes and changed the ending (what a bad call! ). I strongly recommend to all Americans who saw the American version to do yourselves a favor and buy the DVD Director's Cut(Version Longue). It's a completely different movie (so to speak). This is definitely my all time favorite movie, and am ecstatic to have it on DVD. Yeahhh! Thanks to Amazon the Americans will finally have their chance to own a phenominal movie!

I first read about Le Grand Bleu in one of my textbooks when I started lessons at the Alliance Francais. There it was described along the lines of a massive cult movie that had charmed (and completely depressed) a whole generation of french teenagers. Being fifteen at the time, I got hold of a very beat up copy and it has since remained my favorite film of all times.
Jacques, the main character, is a solitary free diver who longs for nothing else than to be at home with his family (i.e. swimming in the sea with dolphnins). That is, until he meets Johanna (Arquette), and soon the story develops and reaches its climax as Jacques is torn between the woman he loves and his quest for the eternal and watery bliss he finds in the depths. The photography is simply perfect, and the transfer to digital media has only enhanced the fact, so definitely get the DVD. Reno is at his finest (and funniest) and Barr stands out as the perfect homo delphinus.
I have seen the US version, which is a moldy disgrace. The omission of Eric Serra's music is utter blasphemy, since the soundtrack is a jewel on its own. The change in ending is also nonsense, so if you have only seen that piece of editing, know that the Director's Cut is entirely different.
Oh, and don't forget. Dolphins, dolphins and more dolphins! What could beat that? I cry every time I see this film. Perhaps this is only because of my weird self, but, what do you think really happens to Jacques in the end?

i have been waiting for this picture on dvd for a long long time! and to finally get it, with additional footage, no less! this was the first besson picture i ever saw. i was immediately taken with his style & feel for subject. the american version was good, only, unbeknownst to me at the time, it felt somewhat incomplete-- now i know why. this director's cut fills in so many gaps, answers so many unspoken questions. it rounds out the romance between jacques & joanna as well as gives more depth to the friendship/competition between jacques & enzo. the "drinking in the diving bell" scene is a riot, mimicking the drinkng in the pool scene. in my opinion the film needs those extra "director's" minutes to evove from a good picture with potential to an awesome picture, period. i am so much happier seeing this movie with those formerly "lost" european additions. Mr. Reno is worth his weight in gold, a great job by Mr. Barr, and Ms. Arquette provides a nice american counterpoint to these euro stars. interesting to see arquette & griffin dunne together again (from "after hours-- m. scorcese"). a great "new" ending... you'll see when you compare it to the version americané.

This is my favorite movie but Why to be careful ? just because there are two versions: the european version and the US version. The European version is just a jewel but (I don't know why) in the US version the wonderful Eric Serra's music was replaced by Eric Contì's very comercial soundtrack and the producers added a happy ending (??!!) so they distroyed the whole concept.

If you are looking for the french version be sure you buy the Director's cut edition.

Felix
Barcelona, Spain

Bring me the Frenchman ...! Why have we had to wait so long for what is undeniably one of the most visually and aurally intoxicating films of all times? This film which pays homage to the world-famous free diver, Enzo Majorca, deals with a subject matter that few could find scintillating. However, Serra's score is both haunting and beautiful while the photography is some of the best use of light and shadow in a colour film. Whilst this all sounds rather "arty", there is a considerable amount of humour and interaction between the main protagonists of Reno, Barr and Arquette (not to mention a dolphin or two!). Many will think that the Director's cut is too long but the short version leaves you unsatisfied. Best watched with ALL the lights turned off and the bigger the screen the better (irrespective of damage to one's eyes! ). Few films today can succeed without graphic sex or violence of which this film has none. The worst crime was releasing this film to the US market with a different ending which misses the whole point of the film. Thankfully the Director's cut stays true to the original version. A cult film it may be - but it stands at the number 1 position on my top films of the past twenty years. It appeals to both sexes and is a must for anyone's library. I have seen it more times than most people could stand, why? - because it does not depend on any one element to keep you hooked.

I can never forget when I saw this movie in Tokyo with 70mm print. It was beautiful, magnificent and very personal film about sea. It was unsucssesfull in box office, thou, the audience didn't forget the beauty of this film. When the movie was re-released as "Le Grand Blue" in director's cut with French Language (Original language is English, by the way)in 1992, it became the instant classic in Japan. Now thanks to the Columbia Trister, the American audience can experience this unseen classic. The quality of the picture and sound are much better than any other version, including expencive Japanese Laser Disc. It does remind my first experience of seeing this one of the best movie in 80's. If you love movie of Luc Besson, this is must-buy DVD.

"The Big Blue" is a splendid film that tells a story of love, desire and the endurance of the human spirit. The story line is simple enough. A young man, Jacques has a strange affiliation with the ocean. He grows up to love the sea and all her teaming life, and like his father before him he becomes a professional diver. However he is drawn into the competitive world of deep sea diving, a world where men go as deep as they can without the aid of oxygen. Jacques is able to go deeper than most men and it this ability that sets off a chain of events that will lead to tragedy, heartbreak and finally redemption. Jacques childhood friend Enzo is also his rival, where as Jacques dives for the love of the sea, Enzo dives because it will bring him glory and power. This film is about their friendship/rivalry, as they use the ocean to fulfil their respective dreams. Jacques falls in love with an American girl Joanne (played by Rosanna Arquette) who realizes that the man she loves has a destiny beneath the waves, for Jacques is more dolphin than he is man; more at home in the sea than on land. This is a dream of film, the music score is glorious, the filming slow and languid. The characters are wonderful, even the minor ones, Enzo's mother is a treat as she watches proudly over her sons and feeds them mountains of spaghetti. This is a very eclectic film with something for everyone. There are many haunting moments too, one taking place in Jacques bedroom when he dreams that the sea is above him and he can reach up and touch it. "THE BIG BLUE - VERSION LONGUE" is the best buy if you can get it as it includes many scenes that were deleted from the shorter version on offer. Hopefully the DVD version will include these as a bonus. Well worth including in your video/dvd library for future reference.

I saw The Big Blue three times on the big screen as a 17 year old. I walked a mile each direction from my dad's office where I was working part time that summer. I wanted to become an oceanographer because of this film, despite my irrational fear of water. (I later changed majors, to business.)

Flash-forward 13 years later - I heard there was a "Director's Cut" on DVD and ran out and bought it. And was awed. So many questions were answered, particularly about the relationship between Jacques and Rosanna. I always thought it was ridiculous when Arquette kneeled on the edge of a dock in the pitch black night, screaming pathetically at Barr "I'm here, I'm real," and then begging for acknowledgment of her confessed love for him. **NOW** I understand why she had grounds for being so desperate to stop him from disappearing into the deep dark sea. And the music? I bought the original soundtrack when I first saw the movie and thought it was great music, but had trouble picturing the scenes with the music in my minds eye. When they imported that film and removed the original musical intentions they castrated it. Now it's whole and can stand on its own two feet. Thank you, Besson! The world is a more beautiful place because of you.

One of the early films by filmmaker Luc Besson (the Fifth Element, The Professional (a.k.a. Leon), Subway, La Femme Nikita, Joan D'Arc, producer of Taxi and Taxi 2, etc.). Who likes Luc Besson's Style will ove this movie starring Jean Reno. It's the story of two free divers (without equipment) and reaching their limits, becoming one with nature. Magnific underwater pictures. A must to be seen!

I'm French and part of the so-called "generation Grand Bleu" and I can tell I was marked by this movie a "long" time ago (I've always been a sea lover and I am myself a diver for years now). I have seen the US version (on tape) for the first time and was totally disappointed by the "Hollywood happy ending" and the music that does not translate Besson's feelings. I understand that different tastes lead to enjoy movies differently but I think that the US version is missing the real message that Besson wished to send.

Besson was inspired by the life of the real Jacques Mayol (who died recently at 74 and was the first man to descend to 100 meters or 330 feet) and his very complex relationship with the sea. He made this movie around a (yes!) minimalist scenario to emphasize the tragic loving that a man had for the Ocean. Rosanna Arquette just represents the connection between Jacques and the Earth but this is not (to me) the most interesting part, and you can feel that the movie is not totally comfortable with it. Besson chose to emphasize the other part and the photographic scenes above and below the surface are just amazing. You will not see any white sand beaches or coral fish but only the deep blue of the immensity of the Sea. The Mediterranean Sea surroundings are also just gorgeous. Remember that it was just at his time (almost 15 years ago!) a new way to make movies and it showed the different look of an inspired and rising realisator on a new subject. The pace is voluntarily slow to help you relax and breath a bit of this Ocean (I hope we will get one day "smell-o-rama" video systems !!!), not to have your mind racing. The captivating original score by Eric Serra was made to fit Besson's view of the subject, not for being replaced by another one's sensitivity ! Where does this need to constantly rearrange original productions to the national taste come from ???

As a conclusion, it's a great choice to have reinstated the original ending and score but I think that a DVD support should bring more extras than those proposed here (which is why I give only 4 stars)... Anyway, the dream goes on...