Le Grand Bleu

There are three versions of this movie out & I've seen them all. Each one left me with a different take on the show. Not bad considering it's basically the same story & with the same stars. The Director's cut 168 min's, the French release 132 min's & the American release 118 min's.It's a show done around the world free diving championships (meaning no air tanks but your lungs). I thought it would bore me but discovered that Jean Marc-Barr, Jean Reno & Rosanna Arquette (I like her) put together a fun, quirky & believable show. Marc-Barr plays Jacques Mayol who starts the show as a little French kid that likes to dive on the same island as Enzo played by Reno. Mayol's father is a sponge diver that dies picking sponges. It has an impact on young Jacques. Fast forward 15 - 20 years & Enzo is the worlds best free diver. He is not content however as his old competitor Jacques is not in sight.We find Jacques diving for the sake of science in the Andes Mountains. The scientific expedition has had an accident that requires the insurance company to send a rep down to investigate. That's Arquette's entrance as Johana Baker a quirky fun lady. She is immediately smitten with Jacques & that begins the rest of the show that revolves around the three of them & the dolphins Jacques admires. Jacques gets involved in Free diving because Enzo has him located & big Enzo who must be first in all things believes he will successfully romance Johana. The competition for Johana & the free diving world record begins. It plays much better than it reads with interesting looks at the world of diving as a sport, as a living, as fun & as science. The world of human relationships isn't left out. The love story is from as slightly unusual aspect due to Mayol's character.The American ending differs from the others but that didn't upset me. It wasn't that big a thing & I'm not big on the integrity of a storyline as I believe the rash of director cuts are more tied to ego than integrity. Their validity or necessity surely isn't much.The Directors cut I thought a travesty of time waste so many of its scenes really served no purpose. The French version was a much better length but I thought it suffered from having the same score as the Director's cut. Done by Eric Serra (the original composer) I felt the music was unrelated to the subject of the movie. The American version was cut a little short but had a new score done by Bill Conti. That score was perfectly suited to the water theme & as the music is a large part of your experience I prefer it by a bunch. The American ending is over dramatic but I'll put up with that for the change in music. I really like this show & when it comes to mind I always hear the American score not the original. Sometimes change is good as they say. I feel you should watch both the French & the American version. The Director's is just not good film.I give the Director' 2 1/2 Stars, the French 4 Stars & the American 5 Stars.I'm rating all three versions together as 4 Stars. Take a look!

To see how a human interacts with dolphins. The main character learns about life from these marine animals. It just touched me deeply . I’m very interested in behavior of humans and animals and how each treats the other. I think it is the director’s cut that has a musical score that blows me away! It’s an older movie but it will never go out of date.

Great movie but wish it was in English

Didn’t like musical score or this version of the movie

My husband wanted me to see this movie that was nostalgic to him. He talked it up for an hour and then found it to rent and was thrilled! He paid for it and started it up and... it was not in English!!! This is like the 3rd movie he has rented that ended up being a foreign language version! Buyer/renter/husbands beware!!!

For some reason this DVD is showing is running late on my account, but I already had it for the last two weeks. LOL.It arrived much quicker than promised, and works perfectly fine. This is one of my favorite movies and I watched many times in a small little culture film theater in Munich called Cinema. I’m very happy that I found the extended directors cut version and very happy it arrived on time or rather sooner than on time in perfect condition.A DVD player that can play multiple regions is required though. Just be aware of that!

This is a pretty good Luc Besson offering. I don't think the directors cut is any better than the released version though.....I've seen both versions and the extra scenes ( in directors cut) were completely unnecessary, the extra scenes did not add to the story. Rosanne A. didnt need to be in there at all in my opinion,....the lead character certainly didnt want or need her to be there, the STORY did not need her to be there...the true story was about the lead and his relationship to the ocean, the dolphins, and to his diving friend Jean Reno (who is always awesome to watch) . . I wish I had not seen the directors cut...just more of the stuff I think they should have cut out. Its still worth watching though......Jean Reno's character and his brother are wonderful.....what a trippy sport! ....so dangerous....the last scene is my favorite.....

A European, French, classic from 1988, the time when many movies made a lot more sense than today. The great movie based on the true story about two childhood friends who as adults became the utmost competitors in deep diving without breathing equipment. Also a very romantic story about long distance love. The calling of the sea depths reminded me of a great earlier Soviet movie, Amphibian Man, from 1961 based on the story written by Alexander Beljajev. And a very similar sad ending made much more sense than the happy endings in a lot of Hollywood movies. Those who were swimming with the dolphins as I did, also experiencing touch with their mind through telepathy, can understand how strong the calling of a wild can be.

Un film culte pour une génération

Film culte de notre enfance rempli d'humour et un bel hommage aux apnéistes en particulier Messieurs Mayol et Molinari.

映画の世界観も素晴らしいが、何よりタイトル画面が素晴らしい。その余りの美しさに、当時部屋にこのポスターを貼るのが流行った事がありました。私も貼ってました。

Un classico! In parte commedia, in parte favola.Qualità molto buona

Ha llegado todo perfecto. Muy recomendable.