"The Big Blue" Luc Besson's breakthrough film: what has changed and what hasn't since the 1980s. *Note! Contains spoilers.

*Please note that this article contains spoilers about the ending of the story, so please be careful if you have not seen the movie.

Index

• Luc Besson's breakthrough film in the 1980s
• Influenced by Jacques Mayol
• Harsh filming and passionate performances by the actors
• Pros and cons over time

Luc Besson's breakthrough film in the 1980s

Japan once saw the "indie theater boom." The French film "The Big Blue" is perhaps the most iconic example of this. The international version of "The Big Blue" was released in Japan in 1988, and a 168-minute long version, "Le Grand Bleu/VERSION LONGUE," was released in 1992 under the title "The Big Blue Blue Complete Edition." When it was re-released, it caught on in France and enjoyed a huge success, becoming a long-running hit.

The Big Blue, like Blade Runner (1982), has responded to the demands of many fans, resulting in multiple versions, which has led to some confusion in later years. The 4K version of The Big Blue, which will be screened in Japan in 2025, will be a longer 168-minute version.

"The Big Blue Complete Edition 4K" ©1988 GAUMONT

It's amazing to think that director Luc Besson was only 29 years old when he made this popular film. It was such a huge hit in his native France that it spawned a young fanbase known as the "The Big Blue The Big Blue Generation," and propelled Luc Besson, who was known as one of the "Enfants Terribles" along with Jean-Jacques Beineix and Leos Carax in the French film industry of the 1980s, into an international film director who transcended the boundaries of French cinema.

The story is a wildly imaginative work of fiction, inspired by the activities of famous real-life freedivers Jacques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca. Jacques Mayol (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo Molinari (Jean Reno) grew up in a seaside town in Greece, and as boys, they became talented divers. Enzo, who continues to make impressive advances in freediving competitions, invites Jacques to compete, and the two become rivals, constantly improving their records.

Joanna (Rosanna Arquette), who lives in New York and met Jack while working as an insurance investigator, was so captivated by his mysterious, otherworldly charm that she even made an illegal business trip to accompany them to their competition. Eventually, she began living with Jack, but a certain incident completely changed their happy situation...

Influenced by Jacques Mayol