The Big Blue

It lacks a proper visual concept. Occasionally, it looks like a cheap made-for-TV production rather than a work of the famous Luc Besson. A few nice deep shots, several scenes with dolphins, and that's about all that’s worth mentioning. Only Eric Serra didn't disappoint, he gain composed perfect music that can easily rival his greatest works (La Femme Nikita, Leon). (12/18/2004)

Great idea. Very interesting execution. What about the result? It’s very hard to express, I had a hard time even with the rating in this case. Besson has a very distinctive style, he can turn an intimate human story into a gripping and compelling spectacle, as he did in Leon or La Femme Nikita. But this one is a completely different film and it will depend a lot on the nature and the tolerance of the viewer. Everyone will probably react differently to a story about the rivalry between two old friends, which is kept at a very slow pace throughout, lacks any special effects and plays on emotions. But Besson put his whole filmmaking heart into it, and that had an impact on the result, with an unforgettable ending that is a beautiful signature over this small but at the same time huge film. (05/28/2012)

This avid diver and amateur oceanologist made himself and me happy. His film revels in the sun, in various shades of blue, and makes you want to put on a swimsuit and jump into the sea. And even though the plot itself is not very optimistic, it breathes comfort and Besson's love for the sea. And Eric Serra? He’s superb here! He applied his penchant for synthetic sounds, which he transformed into ambient surfaces that are beautiful to listen to. I own the soundtrack, it's a very relaxing album, totally different from his sound cacophony in The Fifth Element. (08/23/2003)

I was a bit surprised by how long the film is, and I almost feel that if it were shortened by an hour, the viewer wouldn't actually miss out on anything significant, although this way viewers managed to connect with the characters and understand what happened at the end and what it meant for the main character. But it is the finale that shows the beauty of the love of life and dreams, even though it may appear otherwise. (08/10/2017)

For two years, The Big Blue has been taking up space on my hard drive without any use and all this time I didn't have the desire or courage to watch it, anticipating that I would significantly dislike this effort from Luc Besson. The time when it had something to offer me is long gone, very long gone. I was not mistaken and when I think about it, I get the impression that my 2 stars are quite a decent expression of my conformity with 84% satisfaction on FilmBooster and enthusiastic comments from many users. What Besson offers me, i.e., music and underwater shots, can be offered to me in a more attractive package by any nature documentary. I don't like its Hollywood sloppiness, it is empty in content and besides, I increasingly mind films that pretend to have greater depth and profound messages where all I see is more posing. Overall impression: 40%. (12/02/2014)