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The Big Blue (1988)

The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques, two childhood friends and now world-renowned free divers, becomes a beautiful and perilous journey into oneself and the unknown.

The Big Blue
The Big Blue
PG
Adventure
Drama
Sports
Release Date
August 19, 1988
Director
Luc Besson
Cast
Jean-Marc Barr , Jean Reno , Rosanna Arquette , Sergio Castellitto , Jean Bouise
Runtime
168 Minutes
Main Genre
Adventure
Writers
Luc Besson , Robert Garland , Marilyn Goldin
Studio
Gaumont, Les Films du Loup
Tagline
Between what you know and what you wish, lies the secret of... [The Big Blue]

Summary

Enzo and Jacques have known each other for a long time. Their friendship started in their childhood days in the Mediterranean. They were not real friends in these days, but there was something they both loved and used to do the whole day long: diving. One day Jacques' father, who was a diver too, died in the Mediterranean sea. After that incident Enzo and Jacques lost contact. After several years, Enzo and Jacques had grown up, Johanna, a young clerk in an insurance office, has to go to Peru. There she meets Jacques who is being studied by a group of scientists. He dives for some minutes into ice-cold water and the scientists monitor his physical state that is more like a dolphin than human. Johanna can not believe what she sees and gets very interested in Jacques but she's unable to get acquainted with him. Some weeks later back in her office, she finds out that Jacques will be competing in a diving championship that takes place in Taormina, Sicily. In order to see Jacques again she makes up a story so the firm sends her to Italy for business purposes. In Taormina there is also Enzo, the reigning diving world champion. He knows that only Jacques can challenge and probably beat him. This time Johanna and Jacques get closer, but Jacques, being more a dolphin than man, cannot really commit and his rivalry with Enzo pushes both men into dangerous territory.