A lifelong rivalry between two free divers is explored, along with their romantic interests, and the bond between humans and dolphins.
French writer-director Luc Besson began making films in the early 1980's, and was soon included in a movement that local critics dubbed cinéma du look, due to the bold visual style, romanticism, and supposed artifice of their works compared to the previous generation. His third feature (and first in English) was something much more personal, a semi-fictional portrayal of two famous divers, partly inspired by Besson's scuba diving childhood and early ambition to be a marine biologist.
The cast includes Spanish actor Jean Reno (Leon: The Professional, Mission: Impossible), who had appeared in Besson's two previous features (and has continued to work for the director over the last few decades), American actress Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction, Buffalo '66, and French-American newcomer Jean-Marc Barr (Dogville, Dancer In The Dark) as legendary diver and writer Jacques Mayol.
The film was shot on location in the French Rivera, Corsica, Greece, the Bahamas, Italy, New York, Paris, Peru, and the U.S. Virgin islands, where dolphins from the nearby Dolphin Research Center were loaned out to the production.
The Big Blue premiered at the opening night of the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. It was heavily edited for its U.S. release, including having its entire musical score replaced, and was met with a mixed critical reception and poor box office. In France, it was in theatres for over a year, and was the most financially successful film of the 1980's.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs, 40 min.
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