The Big Blue (1988): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Big Blue is a 1988 romantic drama starring Jean Reno as Enzo Molinari, Jean-Marc Barr and Rosanna Arquette. It runs 2 hours 48 minutes and earned $4 million worldwide.
French What Is The Big Blue About?
The premise of The Big Blue without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Two childhood friends, Jacques and Enzo, share a love for free‑diving. Jacques, a professional diver with a rare ability to slow his heart and breathe like a dolphin—an inheritance from his father who died at sea—competes against Enzo in a deep‑water challenge. During the contest he meets Johana, an American insurance investigator, forcing him to choose between his devotion to the ocean and his newfound love.
The Big Blue Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- diver
- dolphin
- sea
- obsession
- rivalry
- passion
- free diver
- italy
- greece
- swimming underwater
- diving
- helium
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- deep sea diving
- suicide
- accidental death
- drowning
- sex scene
- tragedy
- dream
- pregnancy
- color in title
- heart attack
- boyfriend girlfriend relationship
- three word title
- love
- ocean
- friendship
- friend
- ambiguous ending
- fish out of water
- free diving
- danger
- escape
- philosophical conversation
- local blockbuster
- famous score
- cigarette smoking
- 1960s
- underwater scene
- male frontal nudity
- female topless nudity
- mermaid
- crash
- balloon
- coffee
- fish
- death
- thief
- eel
- boy
The Big Blue Cast & Characters
Jean Reno leads the cast as Enzo Molinari, with Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques Mayol and Rosanna Arquette as Johana Baker.
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Jean Reno as Enzo Molinari - Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques Mayol
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Rosanna Arquette as Johana Baker - Paul Shenar as Dr. Laurence
Also Starring in The Big Blue
· 24 more- Sergio Castellitto Novelli
- Griffin Dunne Duffy
- Luc Besson Blond Diver (uncredited)
- Paul Herman Taxi Driver in U.S.A
- Andréas Voutsinas Priest
- Jean Bouise Uncle Louis
- Franco Diogene Receptionist
- Geoffrey Carey Supervisor
- Kimberly Beck Sally
- Alessandra Vazzoler La Mamma
- Marc Duret Roberto
- Valentina Vargas Bonita
- Pierre Semmler Franck
- Constantin Alexandrov Dolphin Trainer
- Christian Gazio Wedged Diver (uncredited)
- Jan Rouiller Noireuter
Show all 28 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Eric Do Japanese Diver
- Patrick Fontana Alfredo
- Pierre-Alain de Garrigues Superintendent
- Jacques Lévy Doctor
- Valentina Castellani Lady in Elevator (uncredited)
- Bruce Guerre-Berthelot Young Jacques
- Gregory Forstner Young Enzo
- Claude Besson Jacques' Father
The Big Blue Plot Summary
What happens in The Big Blue from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Two young divers, Jacques Mayol Jean-Marc Barr and Enzo Molinari Jean Reno, grow up in Amorgos, Greece in the 1960s, drawn to the sea’s silent pull and the dangerous poetry of breath held beneath the waves. From the start, their bond is shaped by competition and camaraderie as they push against the limits of human endurance, each trying to outdo the other in the cold, blue expanse. Their early experiments—Jacques quietly defying risk, Enzo buoyed by bravado—fade into a more formal race as adulthood arrives, setting them on two parallel tracks that will define their lives.
Full summary
The whole story of The Big Blue, scene by scene
The Big Blue Box Office
The Big Blue grossed $4 million worldwide. $3.6 million came from the US and Canada and $411,364 (10%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$4M
- US & Canada
- $3.6M
- International
- $411.4K
The Big Blue Videos
The clip of The Big Blue.
How Well Do You Know The Big Blue?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who portrays Jacques Mayol, the quiet diving prodigy at the heart of the film?
The Big Blue Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “碧海情” and “大蓝”.
- Also known as
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- 碧海情
- 大蓝
- Le grand bleu, version longue
- Žydroji bedugnė
- Den stora blåa
- Aperanto galazio
- Veliko plavetnilo
- Det stora blå
- 그랑 블루
- Imensidão Azul
- Det store blå
- Böyük Mavi
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- Dərinlik Sərxoşluğu
- Im Rausch der Tiefe
- Голубая бездна
- 碧海蓝天
- A nagy kékség
- El gran azul
- Vertigem Azul
- Wielki błękit
- Magická hlubina
- Απέραντο Γαλάζιο
- 그랑블루
- グラン・ブルー
- Блакитна безодня
- הכחול הגדול
- Marele albastru
- Derinlik Sarhoşluğu
- Azul profundo
- Безкрайна синева
- 碧海藍天
- Didžioji žydrynė
- Suuri sininen
- Magická hlbočina, ცისფერი უფსკრული
Seen The Big Blue?
Movies Like The Big Blue
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Deep Blue Sea, The Deep Blue Sea and Boy on a Dolphin.
The Big Blue FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of The Big Blue, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Big Blue?
The Big Blue runs 2 hours 48 minutes (168 minutes).
When was The Big Blue released?
The Big Blue was released on May 10, 1988.
Who is in the cast of The Big Blue?
The Big Blue stars Jean Reno as Enzo Molinari, Jean-Marc Barr as Jacques Mayol and Rosanna Arquette as Johana Baker, among 28 credited actors.
How much did The Big Blue make at the box office?
The Big Blue grossed $4 million worldwide ($3.6 million domestic, $411,364 international).
Does The Big Blue have a post-credit scene?
No. The Big Blue has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Big Blue in?
The original language of The Big Blue is French.
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