Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74446 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 78 minutes

Amazon.com
A fitting companion to his globally popular feature The Big Blue, Luc Besson's Atlantis presents a mesmerizing, nonverbal experience of undersea wonders. Described by one critic as "a thinking person's Fantasia," this 75-minute documentary belongs on your DVD shelf next to Baraka and Koyaanisqatsi, glorifying ocean wildlife with a refreshing absence (apart from a pretentious spoken prologue) of narrative interference. In fruitful collaboration with composer Eric Serra and cinematographer Christian Petron, Besson traveled the world to capture the grace and beauty of such amazing creatures as Floridian manatees, Bahamian dolphins, Australian great white sharks, sea snakes in the Seychelles, and many others. Divided into thematic "movements" like Disney's animated classic (including a stunning sequence of manta rays set to a Maria Callas performance of La Sonnambula), this glorious film has been visually overshadowed by the spectacular BBC series The Blue Planet, but it serves a different purpose: It's not so much a documentary as a meditative journey, perfect for all-ages viewing. --Jeff Shannon

From the Back Cover
ATLANTIS is acclaimed filmmaker Luc Besson's awe-inspiring celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, expanding upon themes touched on in his huge hit The Big Blue. Combining stunning underwater cinematography and a hypnotic score by Eric Serra, Besson's singular vision defies dialogue or narrative structure to explore ocean life as you've never seen it before. At once thrilling, lyrical, and mysterious, ATLANTIS' spell-binding images - with its graceful visuals of mantas, whales, dolphins, sea snakes, and even ferocious sharks at play - will haunt your memory long after the film ends.

Customer Reviews

Yes ... It Really Is That Good....
I saw this film in the theaters. I was a die-hard Besson fan from La Femme Nikita and The Big Blue -- two movies that got me into the film business. When I saw Atlantis in the theater I was one of five people in the audience. We were all awe-struck. Besson must've angered the head of the studio that released it because it vanished soon after. He had spent two years traveling the world (Besson's an avid diver and grew up in Greece where his parents were divers) and photographing the incredible images in this picture. I actually found a French VHS that i had for a while, then got a LaserDisc via Hong Kong, and people used to come to my house, watch it and beg me to tape it for them. Lucky divers around the world have a couple bootleg copies they were grateful to receive. So when my laserdisc player barfed, i could no longer watch it. So now its finally coming out on DVD. Well if you can't gather my opinion from what i've already written, not much more will help. If you're interested in the ocean -- or just want something to put on in the background to calm you down after a long day -- this is it. But watch Atlantis the first time very carefully. It's all about the last scene to find meaning in what Besson was getting at in this gorgeous visual underwater opera, and i think it's point is as poignant as the DVD's arrival is exciting.

Outstanding. Finally released on DVD!
I am so pleased to finally be able to watch this on DVD. I remember seeing the movie's origianl release in France in 1991 and being amazed by Luc Besson's brillant camera work and vision. Set, as usual, to Eric Serra's music, there is no comparable underwater film.

Finally surfacing
At last. Long had I heard rumors of the magnificence of Luc Besson's ATLANTIS, but found nary a showing in the years since becoming enamored with the serene moments of Besson's THE BIG BLUE. [The DVD's release date] couldn't have arrived too soon.

ATLANTIS is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with a French Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. English subtitles are optional for the opening prologue. Chapter-title cards display only in French, but a printed insert lists the chapter breaks in English. Also included are the trailers for this and one other Besson film. What's notably (and thankfully) NOT included is a voice-over narration beyond the prologue. Press Chapter Next to skip even that much, and move on to:

[1] premier jour / Start
[2] la lumière / The Light
[3] l'esprit / The Spirit
[4] le mouvement / The Movement
[5] le jeu / The Game
[6] la grâce / The Grace
[7] la nuit / The Night
[8] la foi / The Faith
[9] la tendresse / The Tenderness
[10] l'amour / The Love
[11] la haine / The Hatred

dernier jour
[12] la naissance / The Birth

ATLANTIS is a pleasure-piece of a documentary, marveling at and frolicking with the undersea creatures. No soapbox or proselytizing, Besson and company had a good time making the film and pass that right along. Eric Serra's score runs from typical, if familiar with his work, to stunning. The score gladly steps aside for the chattering of dolphins, penguins, and sealions, however. Sound editing and foley crews are allowed to shine, in fact, with some of the best humor (school's out and the manatee snicker come to mind). The little bumps against the camera are fun but don't distract from the majestic, operatic rays, rubbing shoulders with dolphin buddies, or thousands of little moments, such as the coral fans bowing in the "wind".

Of parental concern: No orcas toss any cute critters about. One reef-shark feeding frenzy, but very mild (tag, keepaway flavor). Close-ups of the great whites might be scary, and you could have a bit of fun explaining portions of L'amour (nothing graphic).

Credits roll with a pictoral cast list in French of the featured performers, beginning with les dauphins.

Highly recommended.