The Big Blue

FADE IN:

EXT. GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

CREDIT SEQUENCE:

The image is in black and white.

The sun disappears behind arid cliffs which cast giant

shadows on the sea.

A little boy around 8 years old -- tanned from head to toe

SPRINTS ALONG THE CLIFFS, SCRAMBLES FROM ONE ROCK TO

another with amazing agility.

In one hand, he carries a transparent plastic bag. In the

other, a net bag containing flippers, mask, pants and

sweater.

The only thing that slows him down is his bathing suit --

obvious hand-me-downs -- way too big. He tugs on them as

he goes, holding them up... Until they slide again... as

he leaps again... and pulls them up...

The little boy is JACQUES MAYOL.

End credits.

EXT. GREEK ISLAND - SUNSET

JACQUES reaches a ledge jutting out over a deserted cove.

He spits in his mask... expertly spreads the spit with a

finger... locks his feet into the flippers... and dives.

He surfaces a long way out... adjusts his mask... and swims

away from shore.

IN OPEN SEA:

The boy stops swimming -- starts to gulp air -- sucks it

in -- oxygenating his blood in a series of deep rapid

breaths -- almost hyperventilating, almost alarming if

we've never seen this before.

His gaze is glued to the ocean floor. Clear clear water.

40 feet deep. And intensely blue.

Suddenly, he catches his breath and dives -- into the blue.

UNDERWATER:

JACQUES touches bottom. Clamps his legs around a rock to

hold himself down. Unhurried, thoroughly at home, 40 feet

under... he opens the plastic bag. A huge speckled moray

eel appears in a hole in the rock, slithers toward him.

The carnivore's jaws are bigger than the boy's head.

The boy smiles at him. Pulls a piece of raw meat out of

his bag and holds it out. The eel takes the morsel

delicately -- and slithers back into his hole.

Gravely, JACQUES takes another morsel out of the bag.

EXT. VILLAGE - DUSK

JACQUES walks up a steep road bordering the port, almost

dry now.

Two boys about his age run up the streets; call out, catch

up with him and gesture toward the port.

THE BOYS:

Jacques! Come quick!

EXT. PIER - DUSK

The little boys tug JACQUES to the end of the pier and

point to something in the water.

BOYS:

Look! Right there! It's shining!

JACQUES walks over, and sure enough sees something shining

a few feet down in the water.

JACQUES:

(squinting)

A coin.

FIRST BOY:

I found it.

SECOND BOY:

Liar!

Camera pans and we see a middle-aged PRIEST loading supplies

into a small boat. He stops to watch the children's

negotiations. Little JACQUES is putting his flippers on.

JACQUES:

Ok. I'll get it, but no fighting,

all right?

The two boys nod as they point to the coin.

JACQUES:

We'll split it.

FIRST BOY:

You can't split a coin. That's

stupid.

SECOND BOY:

He's right. You're stupid.

The pope smiles.

JACQUES:

Then we'll buy something and split

that.

SECOND BOY:

A helicopter...

JACQUES:

It's a small coin.

FIRST BOY:

A Ferrari.

SECOND BOY:

I don't want a Ferrari... What is

it?

JACQUES:

(interrupting them)

Maybe a little radio.

The two boys look at each other.

JACQUES:

Well. We'll decide later. The

light is going.

SECOND BOY:

I get the radio from after school,

until midnight.

FIRST BOY:

Since when do you stay up until

midnight?

JACQUES:

All right, all right... Can I

concentrate? And you can stop

pointing. I've seen it.

VOICE (O.S.)

I've seen it too.

The voice is ENZO'S. Another young boy wearing little

round glasses.

FIRST BOY:

(annoyed)

Sh*t, it's the Italian!

He is slightly older than JACQUES but he is taller. ENZO

is with ROBERTO, his younger brother, the only one allowed

to carry his flippers. Five kids are behind him.

ENZO:

Well, if it isn't the little

Frenchman! How is the little

Frenchman?

JACQUES:

(cool)

Fine!

ENZO pats JACQUES on the shoulder and leaves his hand there --

a lightly intimidating gesture.

ENZO:

You don't mind if I go instead, do

you?

JACQUES:

(intimidated, and

pretending not to

be)

No...

ENZO:

If you did mind, you'd tell me,

wouldn't you?

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