The Big Blue 4K 1988 Director's Cut Ultra HD 2160p

Two friends, Enzo Molinari and Jacques Mayol, grew up together on one of the Greek islands. Jacques' father, a diver, died while harvesting oysters due to faulty diving equipment. Years pass, the boys grow up and meet again after several years of separation. Both became free divers, and the competition at the world championships is practically between them alone.

Joan, a pretty insurance agency employee, falls in love with Jacques at first sight and follows him from Peru to Sicily, where she witnesses the beginning of a dangerous duel between the friends. She is already expecting Jacques's child. And the friends dive deeper and deeper. They pass the 120-meter mark. For Jacques and Enzo, the blue abyss is better than life on earth.

User Review
I thought the friendship was genuine and interesting and so was the romance. The movie wasn't about diving or competition.

Many critics get the 2 main male characters wrong. Interpreting them as unlikable. Reno's character is arrogant and conceited. Barr's character is withdrawn, aloof, and madly unresponsive to Arquette's obvious affection.

The magic of the movie is all about the characters imperfections and their respective bonds. It's about imperfect people and their perfect bond with each other.

I find all 3 characters genuine and likable. Their flaws are what make them genuine and interesting. The arrogant conceited Reno is pationate and deeply involved in his family and close relationships. Barr is an introverted self-contained personality, perhaps further withdrawn into himself by tragedy that leaves him without family other than dolphins and the sea. The unbreakable bond between Barr and Reno started with the tragic accident to Barr's father and witnessed by Reno.

I got this movie when it was released on VHS and watched it 20 times. I always liked the movie, but haven't seen it in around 30 years. My VHS is long gone, but I want to see this movie again. There are not many movies I watched 30 years ago and want to see again.

The critics run wild over this movie. They certainly did when it was released. I don't mind liking a movie more than the critics do, especially after reading their reviews. Diving is boring, they don't get it.

I was prompted to write this review after reading a review saying the movie was about undiagnosed mental illness. Well, only if everyone has an undiagnosed mental illness. Actually, maybe, everyone is a little mentally ill. Nobody is perfect and imperfect characters are the most interesting.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H265 (62.0 Mb/s) 
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Info Audio

#French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
#German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Info Subtitles