The Big Blue
Short description
Jacques Mayol and Enzo Molinari grow up together on a Greek island, both drawn to the sea and to the risks of diving without breathing equipment. Years later they meet again as adults and become rivals in competitive free diving, chasing ever greater depths while their friendship survives the contest between them. Jacques, whose father died at sea, has an unusual physical tolerance for the water, and his bond with the ocean shapes everything else in his life, including his relationship with Johana, an American who follows him to Sicily.
Luc Besson directed the film, the second of the twenty features he has made, following Subway and preceding Nikita, and wrote the screenplay with Robert Garland and Marilyn Goldin. Jean-Marc Barr plays Jacques and Jean Reno plays Enzo, with Rosanna Arquette as Johana, Paul Shenar as Dr. Laurence, Sergio Castellitto as Novelli and Jean Bouise as Uncle Louis. Patrice Ledoux produced; the credited cast runs to 28 names.
The production cost around 80 million dollars and returned roughly 4 million at the worldwide box office. On IMDb it holds 7.5 out of 10 from about 59,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.4 out of 10 from over 1,600 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 6.1 out of 10 from 21 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is dedicated to Luc Besson's daughter, who became seriously ill during his work on the film.
- The original French version had a runtime of 132 minutes. The initial American version was 119 minutes long and received a “PG-13” rating. After re-editing, it was reduced to 118 minutes, achieving an even milder “PG” rating. The version shown in other European countries was also 118 minutes long. The most complete director’s cut ran 168 minutes and received a strict “R” rating in the US.
- Luc Besson wanted to show the beauty of freediving in his film. And the most spectacular element of freediving is the dive itself. He asked the great diver Enzo Maiorca, who was consulting on the film, which fins he considered the most beautiful, and Maiorca replied that the choice was actually limited. At that time, the most beautiful fins were also the best. These were the first detachable fins with a long, effective blade featuring longitudinal channels that kept the water flow on the blade during the stroke. To this day, these fins are the most recognizable in the world – the Elit model from Hugue Dessault.
- "The Big Blue" became one of the most successful French films of the 80s. The film's theatrical run lasted a whole year, and during that time it was seen by 9.2 million French viewers.
- The underwater filming proved particularly grueling – fifteen dives each day. All scenes were filmed without the use of stunt doubles.
- Jacques Mayol worked closely with the filmmakers, acting as a technical consultant.
- Underwater filming with dolphins was done in the Virgin Islands. The dolphins themselves were flown in from a dolphinarium located on Grassi Key off the coast of Florida.
- For the American theatrical release, the film underwent significant re-editing. Its ending was completely changed, and Eric Serra’s critically acclaimed soundtrack was replaced with a version by Bill Conti specifically written for the American release.
- The role in the film was the last for renowned American actor Paul Shenar. He died of AIDS at the age of 53 on October 11, 1989.
- The majority of the film's shooting took place in the Cyclades archipelago in Greece (Amorgos Island).
- The film was based on the real rivalry and friendship between record-breaking divers, Frenchman Jacques Mayol (1927-2001) and Italian Enzo Maiorca (1931-2016). The latter received a slightly altered name, Enzo Molinari, in the film. Unlike the film, they were four years apart in age and never competed face to face.
- Luc Besson himself is one of the underwater cinematographers.
- Director Luc Besson appears in a cameo as one of the divers.
- Luc Besson struggled for a long time to find the ideal actor for the role of Jacques Mayol. His initial choice was Christopher Lambert, who preferred to star in Michael Cimino's crime drama “The Sicilian” (1987). Next on the list was Mickey Rourke, who declined the offer due to a fear of deep-sea diving. Gérard Lanvin and Mel Gibson also turned down the role. Ultimately, the key role went to Jean-Marc Barr, who was completely unknown at the time.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
