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The Big Blue by Luc Besson. Have you seen it? Do you remember it? For me it was probably THE movie which impacted my life the most. In the long run, it permanently changed the trajectory of my existence. Brought me to the oceans and from there to places and jobs I would have never even known existed.
For me, movies have never only been a piece of evening entertainment. I see them as works of art, and also often as a means of learning about the human condition.
The Big Blue (original French title Le Grand Bleu) by French director Luc Besson came to theatres in 1988.
It is a true story but is heavily fictionalized and dramatized.
A visually captivating story as well, it tells us about the friendship and sporting rivalry between two leading contemporary champion free divers in the 20th century: Jacques Mayol (played by Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo Maiorca (renamed “Enzo Molinari” and played by Jean Reno).
The rivalry between the two freediving professionals becomes a beautiful and perilous journey into oneself and the unknown.
I was 17 when the movie was released. And, just to see it, I ventured for the very first time outside the small Southern German town I lived in (and its even smaller cinemas and screens), to rather go see The Big Blue on a big screen it deserved – in the town of Stuttgart.
I am not even sure what drew me to the movie back then. Most likely it was my deep love of nature. And some fleeting, yet profound experiences I had had as a child at the North Sea.
I remember sitting in the movie theatre for almost three hours (the length of the movie was 168 min), utterly mesmerized, and so emotionally invested in it all that for the last thirty minutes of it I could not stop crying.
I kept crying throughout the end credits as well, of happiness as well as sadness, then went outside, back to the real world, still so distraught that I walked straight in front of a car and almost got run over.
I dreamt of becoming a good swimmer, a freediver, and a scuba diver. All goals I eventually accomplished, and even surpassed by becoming a Master Instructor in 2007, teaching other people to become SCUBA instructors as well.
Just like Jacques in the movie, there is nowhere I feel more at home than underwater. It is in the oceans I am truly and completely at peace with myself and the world around me.
I keep going back to the ocean and spend as much time beneath the waves as I can.
And, I must admit, during times when I am landlocked, I often re-watch The Big Blue. It is the best way of going diving from my couch. By now, I must have seen the movie fourty times or more.
Eventually, my love for the underwater world which was sparked by The Big Blue brought me to work as a performer trainer and show diver in Macau, China, for the – back then – biggest show on Earth, The House of Dancing Water.
This unexpected endeavour then led to me working as stage manager for other circus shows as well. A path I never thought of taking and never really knew existed.
A path I have now, due to Covid and other life circumstances, most likely left behind me.
It was great while it lasted. Intense, to say the least. But, far more importantly, my love for the oceans and being underwater is, and always will be, undiminished.
Some years ago, I even met the director of The Big Blue, Luc Besson, and was able to tell the grand master how much his movie changed my life. I’ll be forever grateful for the initial glimpse into a different universe Mr. Besson gave me in 1988.
And, as a matter of fact, I will probably spend this fine Sunday afternoon re-watching The Big Blue yet again.
The Big Blue on Wikipedia
The Big Blue on IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
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Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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