The Big Blue

I watched this film again tonight. I've seen it so many times but tonight I saw something different. It may not come to many as much of a revelation but it is such a male oriented film. I know it is about male competitiveness and failure to make commitment and all that typically male behavour. It is also tender and sensitive and nobody can dispute the powerful emotion invoked from the scenes between man and er..... dolphin.

I look at all these stereotypical things that we now recognise, and I wonder whether they were such obvious traits back in the day when the film was made. Looking at it now, it seems dated and naieve.

Don't get me wrong, I love the film for the obvious highlights like the cinematography, Jean Reno's wonderfully charismatic character - Enzo and the supremely photogenic Jacque Mayoll (Jean-Marc Barr), I even enjoyed the 80's soundtrack this time. But I feel the film suffers because of the incredible male perspective on everything. It was almost like "I, the Director, am a man, a French man, and I want all us men to look like we are incredible and I won't make any excuses for our bad behaviour". This doesn't work in this day and age.

I'm not sure I'll watch this film again. It's time has passed; time to move on.... Thankyou Luc Besson, Jean Reno and Carlo Varini (Cinematographer) and welcome to baldness Jean-Marc Barr. You had your time you beautiful man but like the rest of us you could also see it coming. Where's your mermaid now eh? And their I go exhibiting another male trait, envy. Or is that universal between sexes?