Freediving movies...

[glubglub]

Man, no wonder freediving gets bad press...

I just saw The Freediver (2004) and The Big Blue (1988).

Both movies protray freedivers as some crazed maniacs aiming for world record even if that means losing lives. :naughty

I mean seriously... not all of us are delusional trying to best ourselves all the time. Many of us recreational freedivers just enjoy the idea about meeting marine creatures unhindered with tons of equipments. Or just enjoy that dimming ray of sun. Or whatever.

But committing suicides is definitely not our cup of tea, regardless what it is for. Unfortunately movies like these have to have its dramatic moments to sell, and apparently lost human life is the easiest powerful moment to sell.

I just wish we have good freediving movie with happy ending...

 

[shoutatthesky]

I didn't think 'The Big Blue' was negative at all. The ending (on the directors cut version) left you to decide what actually happens to Jacques. If you choose to see Jacques' choosing to trust the dolphin as suicide then I think you missed the story he related about the mermaids.

Maybe if 'The Greater Meaning of Water' ever gets released then you will get your wish. I wouldn't hold your breath thoughrofl

 

[glubglub]

Well, I'm not just talking about Jacques per se. I'm also talking about Enzo, the purportedly AIDA, doctors that allow Enzo to dive after heavy drinking (responsible doc wouldn't allow that at any reasoning), and even Jacques also at the end he had severe nosebleeds and still pressed on to meet the dolphin.

All seem to reaffirm that we're reckless and crazy. And suicidal.

About "The Greater Meaning of Water", I'm scared reading the synopsis already...
"On a single breath, he dives over 400 feet deep in the ocean in an extreme sport that has been castigated by the media as suicidal. "

We should then stop confirming it's suicidal by focusing on deaths in these movies, no?

Anyway, I think it's still bad press for general population; this hinders people from even attempting the sport. I still remember when I told my friends the first time I'm breaking beyond just 30ft under and they asked me, "Do you want to die??" And another said "30 ft? WTF? Not without scuba equipment I would go there". The best one "I hope this guy has life insurance". All fun, but it does give you a pause how people look at this sport.

*sigh* Anyway, one can only hope

 

[octpora]

I would say that it is not the only sport where people compete against themselves and others for more than just the peace and interaction with nature. Skiers, scuba heads, cyclists, and hikers all push themselves past the safety net sometimes. People only want to hear about it if it makes you bleed or disappear. Some of the same people who ask "Are you suicidal?" will watch dozens of men risking life as a vegetable to score a football (american) goal. Or their heart will pop straining to take a crap cause they had a crap low fiber diet. It all comes down to how you want to go if you have to.

 

[shoutatthesky]

No offense, but I think you need to watch the movie again. The scene where Enzo wakes up drunk and tell the doctor he is going to dive regardless of his state is actually a dream scene. I could be wrong but it is about time I watched the movie again anyway.

I agree many people have negative or disbelieving attitudes toward freediving/ apnea, but it is simply because they lack understanding. I believe one important goal of the freediving community is to educate people about human potential.

I don't mind taking part in an activity with risks anyway. The key thing is to know the risks and minimise them as much as possible.

 

[spaghetti]

It's a fact that Enzo was depicted as an idiot in that movie, such that the real-life Enzo Maiorca sewed dirctor Luc Besson for defamation.
The italian version of "Le grand bleu" has been confiscated on Tribunal's order for some ten years. We italians could finally see the movie many years later than the rest of the world, and still it was offensive to see our national freediving hero portrayed that way, not to mention the stupid stereotypes about italians in general. (the scene when the Maiorca family is engorging with - say what? - huge quantities of spaghetti...rofl).
It's one of the best movies about freediving, but the real Enzo is a totally different person than the Enzo of "Le Grand Bleu".
Enzo Maiorca is a great man with a great soul

 

[shoutatthesky]

Spaghetti - That was the single most confusing thing in the movie. How could anyone consume such huge amounts of spaghetti

No wonder they had to find a Frenchman to play his part! I do think Jean Reno is a great actor though. How did you find his Italian accent?

 

[apneaboy]

Yep, i agree, watch it again (Big Blue). You need to take it from a different angle, maybe not as an instructional sports dvd more taken in the spirit of the movie. The phone call was a nice scene, how do you meet a mermaid again?

Maybe watch a few other dvd's inbetween and possibly note that its quite common all this over the top stuff.

Maybe watch it drunk too, ive tried that and it works.

Hope that helps, off to watch it again now, see ya

 

[trux]

It's a fact that Enzo was depicted as an idiot in that movie, such that the real-life Enzo Maiorca sewed dirctor Luc Besson for defamation.

You must be joking, Spago! Enzo was the best personage of the movie - much better than Jacques. And it is complete nonsense telling he was stupid. He just behaved naturally like an Italian roflNo, without kidding, I never came to the idea that Enzo (the movie one) was stupid. It's the first time I hear such accusation (and it comes from Italian mouth). He was the absolute darling of everyone who ever saw the film. If Enzo were not there, the movie would be nothing, zero, nil. You could cut away any other personage, including Jacques, and it would not make a big difference. But take out Enzo, and you can shove the movie you know where ...

 

[trux]

Spaghetti - That was the single most confusing thing in the movie. How could anyone consume such huge amounts of spaghetti

I see you never went to Italy. I was quite surprised, when seeing the movie, why they stopped it at "Primeri Pasti" - sort of an appetizer. Italians normaly eat Antipasti, Primeri Pasti, Secondi Pasti, ... Ultimi Pasti, Tiramisu, and an espresso.

 

[apneaboy]

I agree with Trux. Also there is a good section in the book 'Homo Delphinus' about the film, worth reading.

The whole book is actually

 

[shoutatthesky]

I would love to read the book! It should only take me another year to save enough for itrofl Anyone want to sell a second copy? I'll swap you for a 'rough cut' version of 'The Greater Meaning of Water'?

 

[nostres]

I just wish we have good freediving movie with happy ending...

It wouldn't matter. It would be still just a movie, just like "The Freediver" or "Big Blue". Far from real life probabbly (happy ending)

It wouldn't really matter to me, I don't care for bad press (which btw is not always that bad) I just do my thing and all I care about is to enjoy it, otherwise, why do that?

Adam, the book is U$ 60 now, less than Your fins so I think You can afford it, especially with recent dollar value. It was on sale at Amazon some time ago. Get it and hear from Jacques Mayol himself about the myths of "Le Grand Bleu"

 

[Marwan]

loved enzo in the big blue, actually if anyone should sue luc beson, it should have been mayol, besides the diving scenes, he was portrayed as an introvert sissy, who cries and cant get it on with a woman (ok roseanna wasnt the most attractive choice of acresses )
i didt feel enzo looked stupid at all, he was all macho italian, which like any kind of macho could have its stupidities...
Spaghetti!! Mio palmo !

 

[monkeyhatfork]

if I remember correctly the organization in Big Blue was cmas not AIDA

 

[shoutatthesky]

loved enzo in the big blue, actually if anyone should sue luc beson, it should have been mayol, besides the diving scenes, he was portrayed as an introvert sissy, who cries and cant get it on with a woman (ok roseanna wasnt the most attractive choice of acresses )

I wouldn't say he was portrayed as an introvert sissy, just an introvert. What is wrong with that? Does crying make a man a sissy? I am an introvert(in my opinion) and I can be tough when I need to be; I just don't parade my machoness around for everyone to see. It gives people who try to mess with you quite a fright when the "sissy" fights back:t. (And I certainly wouldn't say no to a girl with Rosanna's looks:inlove)

 

[Marwan]

oh come on shout, dont make this about you mate...in the glorious words of REM:
everybody cries

it wasnt her looks i was mainly against in the movie, it was her attitude, CLINGY and abnoxious!! and i dont recall her looking like that in the movie

 

[shoutatthesky]

Whoa, Chill brother. I was merely standing up for the introverts of this world.

I respect your opinion and offer mine only to add to the discussion on this great movie. We all have our tastes in women and movies.... I think 'The Great Blue' / 'Le Grand Bleu' was a great movie. It certainly wasn't perfect, but hey, has anyone ever seen a perfect movie? I haven't. I have watched the movie in question a couple of times and no doubt will watch it again. I do count REM as one of my favorite bands though, so we agree on something:friday

BTW - It sure is amazing what a camera can do for the looks of a person.roflrofl

Peace brother

 

[Marwan]

i am chilled honest
but now you got me thinking about a perfect movie:
hmmmmmmmm.......

 

[BennyB]

When I first came to Europe a couple of years ago my wife and I went on a holiday to Sicily. In Siracusa I met a man that was friends with Enzo, they went out in this man's boat all the time. The guy pulled a scrapbook out from under the seat of his boat and showed me all his photos of he and Enzo, he was clearly very proud of his mate. We talked about the movie and he said that Enzo tolerated everything in the movie except for one scene: where Enzo made a man pay US$10,000 to rescue his co-worker from the bottom of a boat. He said that the whole idea that Enzo would ever extort money to save someone's life was a slur on his entire family and he refused to have any part of it, and tried to stop the movie's release. I'm not 100% sure but I think the moviemakers may have changed the character's name from Maiorca to Mollinari to remedy this.

Makes for a great movie to have a great big macho Italian ass in it but unfortunately very far from the truth. Whenever someone talks to me about The Big Blue I make a point of mentioning that Enzo is still alive and well and still dives in his late 70's.

Cheers,
Ben

ps. and don't even start me on how annoying Rosanna Arquette is...