Saturday 21 July 2018

DOLPHIN MAN

Recommended. I saw the VR version first and at the beginning the ordinary 2D screen was disappointing. For a larger part it's some biography intertwined with technicalities of freediving but the deeper you get into the film the more it engulfs you. You learn trivia like the impact of Zen on freediving: Zen meditations require you to stop thinking which, in turn, makes your brain use less oxygen hence lets you dive longer on a single breath. Yoga breathing techniques are more obvious. Mountain training turns out to be vital too since it makes your body produce more red blood cells. It's also incredible that with lungs being such sensitive organs so many people risk their lives, in one case day after day till the guy died after spitting blood on all 4 occasions, to set records in freediving. Visually, I felt impressed with everyone's beautifully toned muscles. This sport certainly makes your body look amazing. No wonder Luc Besson shot "Le Grand Bleu" ("The Big Blue") - you see him at the premiere. The interpretations of Jacques Mayol's death are also fascinating. An old dolphin separates from the group to die, just like the dolphin man did. On the other hand I heard that there was nothing disgracing in suicide in Japanese culture - he must have absorbed it through Zen - which made me wonder if a suicide is shameful in other cultures. To me it has never been. I don't associate it with samurais, like his Japanese friend did, but perceive it as sad rather. In spite of being so sociable he just felt lonely deep inside.

LE RETOUR DU HEROS (RETURN OF THE HERO)

Watchable. I didn't laugh but I smiled a lot. A very pleasant comedy with serious undertones, i. e. how little people care about the truth, how far boldness can take you or what makes you fall in love.

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