Search - The Big Blue on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 08/15/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 48 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 20 Genres: Adventure, Romantic Adventure, Sea Adventure

Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy adventure. Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo (Jean Reno) are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men (he even considers a school of dolphins as his extended family). As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest - determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear - Jacques meets Johanna (Rosanna Arquette), a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea. Le Grand Bleu ran 132 minutes in its original French version, but it was trimmed to 118 for American release, with the original score by Eric Serra replaced by music from Bill Conti. While the film did middling business in the U.S., it was a huge success in Europe, and director Luc Besson released an expanded 168 minute version in 1998. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jean-Marc Barr - Jacques Mayol
Jean Reno - Enzo Molinari
Rosanna Arquette - Johanna
Paul Shenar - Dr.Laurence
Griffin Dunne - Duffy
Sergio Castellitto - Novelli

Director Luc Besson presents his stunning drama The Big Blue. The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks excellent. The rich colors and dark black levels are all wonderfully detailed with only the slightest amount of edge enhancement showing up in the picture. Overall, Columbia has done an excellent job on this transfer of the film. The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in French, as well as Dolby Digital 2.0 in English. Both of these tracks do a fine job, though neither is overly exciting. The dialogue, effects, and music are all clear and concise without any distortion marring the mix. Also included on this disc are English, Spanish, and French subtitles. The extra features on The Big Blue are rather slim -- all that's included on this disc is a previously unheard score by Eric Serra, plus theatrical trailers for other Besson films. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide