The Big Blue is out now on 4K Steelbook, and while both versions are included here, it’s the Version Longue which is director Luc Besson’s definitive version about the timeless, magical, mysterious sea – a place on earth as untouched as the far reaches of space. For two men, its unknown depths will become the ultimate test of their courage. For one woman, the ultimate test of her love.
In a place where man has only just begun to venture, Jaques Mayol (Jean-Marc Barr) has discovered a secret. For Jaques can dive without oxygen to depths never before reached… depths beyond human endurance, beyond pain and reason.For Enzo (Jean Reno), who competes against Jaques, it is the glory and the obsession of winning that drives him to these incredible depths. For Johanna (Rosanna Arquette), it is her extraordinary love for Jaques that will bring them together, although she knows his heart belongs to the sea.
As the very lure of the ocean, which once brought these three people together, seems destined to tear them apart, Jaques’ diving achievements go beyond human capability and it becomes apparent that he is something more… something more than just human.
Classic 1988 Luc Besson Movie! – DVDfeverGames
The three main actors in this film all have a solid role to play and each fulfill it perfectly. Jean Reno plays the cocky know-it-all diving champion who is convinced that no-one will ever beat him, no matter how fierce the competition and sets off on that determined path, while Jean-Marc Barr comes across as the sexually-inexperienced young man who just takes life as it comes and tries to do his best.
Inbetween them is the gorgeous, quirky Rosanna Arquette, the actress who has never seemed to be accepted by the Hollywood in-crowd, and off the top of my head, the only films of hers that spring to mind are Pulp Fiction, Desperately Seeking Susan and After Hours, the latter in which she co-starred with this film’s Griffin Dunne who has a brief cameo in two scenes as her boss.
Good support also comes from Marc Duret as Jean Reno’s brother, Roberto, while Besson proves that nepotism rules by giving a cameo to his father, Claude Besson, early on in the film as the father of Jaques.
The film is in 2.39:1 and in 2160p high definition, and ths Technovision image is the only way to do justice to Besson’s underwater visuals, including the stunning opening as the camera zooms across the ocean. The whole thing is a glory to behold. For the record, I’m watching on a Panasonic UB450 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player.
While Besson intended this as an English-language film, there’s also the French version where most of the cast dub their own roles, except for someone dubbing Rosanna’s. Plus, if you want a German-language dubbed version, there’s that, too.
For the extras, there’s the L’Aventure Du Grand Bleu (1:41:14), a French-recorded extensive supplemental, presented in 4:3, which is a feature all in itself. Plus, new to this release are interviews, but not everyone from whom you want to hear. Yes, there’s Jean-Marc Barr (29:57) and composer Eric Serra (57:28), but no Reno, Besson or Ms Arquette. Instead, the other three are Marc Duret (Roberto) (16:32), underwater camera operator Christian Pétron (30:22), and technical director André Labbouz (10:49).
Barr’s interview is the most interesting of the bunch, but it’s still nice to have the others for completeness.
The Big Blue is out now on 4K Blu-ray Steelbook, as well as the 2009 releases on Blu-ray, and DVD.
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FILM CONTENT PICTURE QUALITY SOUND QUALITY EXTRAS |
10 10 8 5 |
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OVERALL |
8 |
Cert: 
Running time: 102 minutes
Year: 1985
Chapters: 12
Cat.No: OPTUSB4632
Distributor: Studiocanal
Released: June 23rd 2025
Picture: 2160p High Definition
Language: French, German
Audio: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 (48kHz, 24-bit), German DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Technovision)
Subtitles: English SDH, German
Disc Format: BD100, and 2*BD50
Director: Luc Besson
Producers: Patrice Ledoux and Bernard Grenet
Screenplay: Luc Besson, Robert Garland, Marilyn Goldin, Jacques Mayol, Marc Perrier
Music: Eric Serra
Cast:
Johana Baker: Rosanna Arquette
Jacques Mayol: Jean-Marc Barr
Enzo Molinari: Jean Reno
Dr. Laurence: Paul Shenar
Novelli: Sergio Castellitto
Uncle Louis: Jean Bouise
Roberto: Marc Duret
Duffy: Griffin Dunne
Priest: Andreas Voutsinas
Bonita: Valentina Vargas
Jaques’ Father: Claude Besson
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.