The Big Blue

For two years, The Big Blue has been taking up space on my hard drive without any use and all this time I didn't have the desire or courage to watch it, anticipating that I would significantly dislike this effort from Luc Besson. The time when it had something to offer me is long gone, very long gone. I was not mistaken and when I think about it, I get the impression that my 2 stars are quite a decent expression of my conformity with 84% satisfaction on FilmBooster and enthusiastic comments from many users. What Besson offers me, i.e., music and underwater shots, can be offered to me in a more attractive package by any nature documentary. I don't like its Hollywood sloppiness, it is empty in content and besides, I increasingly mind films that pretend to have greater depth and profound messages where all I see is more posing. Overall impression: 40%. (02/12/2014)

At first glance it is an overly long film, but while watching it you realize that everything is in its place and all the scenes are important for the general impression. The Big Blue is a visually captivating film with a wonderful score by Eric Serra and great and convincing performances by the central trio. The actors were able to relate very well to their roles - the downtrodden, slowly sinking into the depths and increasingly absent in spirit Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques; the fortune-seeking, likeable and constantly compromising Rosanna Arquette as Joan; and not least the obstacle-seeking and conquering, family-oriented and charismatic Jean Reno as Enzo. The magical depths hold myriad secrets and it's only a question of why Jacques was so attracted to it. The most powerful moment was Enzo's last attempt to descend into the deep and the final (ambiguous) scene. A quality film that, despite its running time, I found very interesting, entertaining and moving. (05/06/2013)

Great idea. Very interesting execution. What about the result? It’s very hard to express, I had a hard time even with the rating in this case. Besson has a very distinctive style, he can turn an intimate human story into a gripping and compelling spectacle, as he did in Leon or La Femme Nikita. But this one is a completely different film and it will depend a lot on the nature and the tolerance of the viewer. Everyone will probably react differently to a story about the rivalry between two old friends, which is kept at a very slow pace throughout, lacks any special effects and plays on emotions. But Besson put his whole filmmaking heart into it, and that had an impact on the result, with an unforgettable ending that is a beautiful signature over this small but at the same time huge film. (28/05/2012)

The Big Blue is a beautiful film in terms of its depth of thought and the poetics of its story. I’m willing to forgive it for its wild mixing of drama and comedy; after all, it’s French. What I can’t forgive, however, is the stark visual concept, which takes it off the movie screen and puts it on a television screen. I expect visual appeal from the creator of The Professional, La Femme Nikita and Atlantis. (21/05/2002)

I was a bit surprised by how long the film is, and I almost feel that if it were shortened by an hour, the viewer wouldn't actually miss out on anything significant, although this way viewers managed to connect with the characters and understand what happened at the end and what it meant for the main character. But it is the finale that shows the beauty of the love of life and dreams, even though it may appear otherwise. (10/08/2017)