Le Grand Bleu (Luc Besson) - Blu-ray Forum

pro-bassoonist · 08-22-2008, 05:23 AM

Gaumont are set to release Luc Besson's Le Grand Bleu a.k.a The Big Blue (1988) on November 26th (French territories only).

Variety:

Quote:

Luc Besson, the French wonder boy who moved into the commercial major leagues with his $3 million Gaumont picture Subway, joins the international spendthrifts club with The Big Blue, a waterlogged yarn about a couple of rival championship divers. Produced on a disproportionately large scale ($12 million budget, a 9-month shoot on international locations from Greece to Peru), this English-language adventure is indigently plotted and lacking in genuine dramatic and human interest.

Besson was in part inspired by the life and exploits of French champion free diver Jacques Mayol, who served as technical adviser on the film and allowed his name to be retained for the protagonist, played by Jean-Marc Barr.

Barr is a renowned experimental diver based on the French Riviera. During an assignment at a frozen lake high in the Peruvian mountains, he runs into Rosanna Arquette, a flightly New York insurance agent who immediately falls in love with him and trails him to Taormina where he is facing off life-long competitive friend Jean Reno in a diving contest.

Apart from Arquette's increasingly giddy pursuit of the somewhat absent Barr (more concerned with dolphins he befriends than humans who love him), nothing much happens until a climactic runoff in which latter tries to beat his friend's world free-diving depth.

Besson fatally misjudges the cinematic interest of his theme. The underwater sequences, as splendidly lensed as they are, have little intrinsic suspense and quickly become repetitious. The land scenes are boring because Besson has been unable to give his characters any psychological density.

[In the US, pic was released in a 119-min. version with a new score by Bill Conti; in the UK, the original score was retained. In 1989, a 166-min. Version Longue was released in Paris.]

(Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1988. Running time: 136 MIN.

Pro-B

Blaumann · 08-22-2008, 08:33 AM

awesome!

geto10 · 08-22-2008, 12:22 PM

I hope this will have the English track. French Amazon doesn't show it yet.

Konrad · 08-23-2008, 01:06 AM

Didnn't find it either, searched amazon.fr and fnac.com. Terrific news though!

pro-bassoonist · 08-23-2008, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konrad

Didnn't find it either

Pro-B

geto10 · 08-23-2008, 09:50 AM

Maybe it's released in Canada (like Amelie) and not in France?

swifty7 · 08-23-2008, 04:44 PM

oh! man....I wish it was released in the states as well. Big Blue is one of my favorite movies, it's going to looks fantastic on blu-ray, all we need now is Leon.

pro-bassoonist · 08-23-2008, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geto10

Maybe it's released in Canada (like Amelie) and not in France?

Amelie is being released in France by TF1, TVA are bringing it to Canada. Besson's film is indeed coming to France and at present there isn't a Canadian date announced.

Pro-B

silversnake · 08-23-2008, 06:19 PM

hope to get it in canada

thanks for the news OP

pro-bassoonist · 08-24-2008, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Konrad

Didnn't find it either, searched amazon.fr and fnac.com. Terrific news though!

Now up:
http://www.alapage.com/-/Fiche/DVDVi...ee_appel=GOOGL

Ciao,
Pro-B

geto10 · 08-24-2008, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Now up:
http://www.alapage.com/-/Fiche/DVDVi...ee_appel=GOOGL

Ciao,
Pro-B

Cool! Gonna wait for Amazon to list it. Still, no info about the track and subs.

katharsis · 08-24-2008, 08:39 AM

I really hope for a US release. I love this film!! When done right the picture should look awesome!

HUNgaryBLU · 08-29-2008, 02:44 PM

PLEASE use both US

and the better EUROPEAN original

SOUNDTRACK with DOUBLE high def audio DTS MA tarck !!!

so do better as OTHER DID IT !! go the BLU WAY !!!!

quexos · 08-30-2008, 03:28 AM

Nice movie to be released. Wonder what will be in the extras and how the PQ and SQ will be

Konrad · 08-30-2008, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Now up:
http://www.alapage.com/-/Fiche/DVDVi...ee_appel=GOOGL

Ciao,
Pro-B

This will make a nice birthday present - for myself!

pro-bassoonist · 08-30-2008, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quexos

Nice movie to be released. Wonder what will be in the extras and how the PQ and SQ will be

There is a US print that has been making rounds on HDNET here in the US. Unfortunately, it reveals plenty of inconsistencies in terms of video quality. I suppose the French release will offer a different print. Suffice to say at least partial restoration efforts should be warranted.

Pro-B

Rob Tomlin · 09-04-2008, 12:31 AM

..

pro-bassoonist · 09-24-2008, 06:33 PM

update:

Pro-B

Rob Tomlin · 09-24-2008, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

update:

Pro-B

..

geto10 · 09-25-2008, 09:42 AM

Perfect cover!

08-29-2008, 02:44 PM	#13
HUNgaryBLU Member Top contributor Member since:Aug 2008 Location:somewhere around Budapest, HUNGARY - European Union Blu-ray collection:220 Blu-ray reviews:3	correct US release ... PLEASE use both US and the better EUROPEAN original SOUNDTRACK with DOUBLE high def audio DTS MA tarck !!! so do better as OTHER DID IT !! go the BLU WAY !!!!

09-04-2008, 12:31 AM	#17
Rob Tomlin Blu-ray Guru Member since:Sep 2006	.. Last edited by Rob Tomlin; 11-06-2008 at 12:47 AM.

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08-22-2008, 08:33 AM	#2
Blaumann Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:verge of breakdown	awesome!

08-22-2008, 12:22 PM	#3
geto10 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2008 Trading Score:20	I hope this will have the English track. French Amazon doesn't show it yet.

08-23-2008, 01:06 AM	#4
Konrad Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Jul 2006 Location:Vienna, Austria 4K collection:432 Blu-ray collection:2183 Blu-ray reviews:7 Trading Score:1	Didnn't find it either, searched amazon.fr and fnac.com. Terrific news though!

08-23-2008, 09:50 AM	#6
geto10 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2008 Trading Score:20	Maybe it's released in Canada (like Amelie) and not in France?

08-23-2008, 04:44 PM	#7
swifty7 Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Trading Score:3	oh! man....I wish it was released in the states as well. Big Blue is one of my favorite movies, it's going to looks fantastic on blu-ray, all we need now is Leon.

08-23-2008, 06:19 PM	#9
silversnake Blu-ray Champion Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:22 Blu-ray collection:497 Blu-ray reviews:6 Trading Score:31	hope to get it in canada thanks for the news OP

08-24-2008, 08:39 AM	#12
katharsis Power Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:SoCal Home Theater Gallery:16 Blu-ray collection:379 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	I really hope for a US release. I love this film!! When done right the picture should look awesome!

08-30-2008, 03:28 AM	#14
quexos Banned Member since:May 2007 Location:Brussels, Belgium	Nice movie to be released. Wonder what will be in the extras and how the PQ and SQ will be

09-24-2008, 06:33 PM	#18
pro-bassoonist Blu-ray reviewer Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:X Home Theater Gallery:47 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Blu-ray reviews: 26 Trading Score:23	update: Pro-B

09-25-2008, 09:42 AM	#20
geto10 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2008 Trading Score:20	Perfect cover!

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