From: canderso@nyx.cs.du.edu (Chuck Anderson)
Subject: Re: the big blue
Reply-To: canderso@nyx.UUCP (Chuck Anderson)
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 01:22:31 GMT

> [I think that...] eprice@sybase.com writes:

>I've only seen the european shorter version. How does the US version end?
>I assume its "everybody smiles and those who died during the film are coming back to life (except the bad guys), the sun is shining and they lived happily 
>ever after"-kind of ending, but could someone describe it a little bit more, 
>please? Thanks!
>

 - slight (very slight) spoilers follow

The version that I have I recorded off of pay-TV about three years ago.  It
doesn't end in the manner described above.  In fact, it sounds exactly the
same as described by Pentti Lajunen.  It's one of the better endings for
a movie (story) that I have seen.  Whenever I show it to someone they
always have something to say about the ending.  In fact they always want
to talk about the ending in order to think it through.  Besides analysiing
and trying to understand the ending, I think it best to just *feel* the
ending.  Very eerie.  A real mixed bag of emotions.

THis is one of the only 4 or 5 movies that I can keep watching over the years
It still makes me laugh, cry, think and get goosebumps.  [The kid that plays
Enzio is a treat every time I see him.

As to the score:  I never even knew there was another score.  I really like
Conti's.  The original must really be something.  Conti's score really
grabs you from the begining with the powerful drone synthesizer chords while
panning over the ocean and showing credits to the great, bittersweet theme,
used throughout, which uses a large wooden flute to play the melody.

I personally believe that the musical score makes or breaks a film ("The 
Bounty" being one example - most of Maurice Jarre's work - it's even why
I *liked* 1492 - anywho...).  Conti's score for the Big Blue kept me 
mesmerized.  It was good for covering the lighter (i.e., dolphin saving) 
scenes in the film, too.

The native South American music during Arquette's insurance visit was
delightful. 

> Then pejulaju@niksula.hut.fi (Pentti Lajunen) writes:

>SPOILER WARNING to those who haven't seen the European edition. I'll
>give the ending away.......

>The European ending goes: Jacques Majol (or something like that) and his
>girlfriend (Arquette's character), who's bregnant, are on the beach (or at 
                                          ^^^^^^^^
This was "hinted" at in the US version. (bregnant? as in "with hat.")

>sea.) Its night. Jacques is going to leave the girl and dive into the sea. 
>He doesn't know that she's waiting baby for him and the girl doesn't say it (if
>I remember this correctly.) He dives and leaves the crying girl on the
>platform. He dives deeper and deeper and finally reaches the final point
>of the pole/rope or whatever they used for their diving competition.
>A lonely dolphin comes from the dark and swims to Jacques and together they 
>swim away. Fade to black. THE END. <snif> (....beautiful, if I may say)

Preciscely what I saw in the US version. 

If people are saying the Conti's score is a let down I can't imagine what
the original must be like.  I guess I'll have to take another trip to Europe
so that I can see this film.

--
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     Chuck Anderson                uucp    :         uunet!nyx!canderso
     Boulder, Co. (303) 494-6278   internet:         canderso@nyx.cs.du.edu
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Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies