Atlantis

My first inclination was to assume Atlantis was done with CGI. But then I came across the year it was made and realized that the technology didn't yet exist in 1991. We were still at the level of "The Mind's Eye" then, an experimental cartoonish attempt at computer animation in a video set to techno and released at Radio Shack if you remember. No, this is real footage, and it is perfect and amazing. It certainly isn't something I could sit through at a theater, but is suitable for meditation and falling asleep. There is no dialog, putting the movie in the same genre as "Samsara" and "Baraka", but a completely underwater experience. The symphonic and ambient music is very easy to listen to, but if it isn't your thing you can always just turn the volume off and play your own music. It's an incredible accomplishment in cinematography and something you can keep around to play at bed time.

I was a fan of Luc Besson since 1997, when I saw "Léon". And since I saw that movie, I scoured every video store looking for his films. Some were easy to find (The Fifth Element and Nikita were broadcasted), some weren't ("Subway" and "The Big Blue" had to be imported). Atlantis was the kind of movie I never expected to get my hands on. So you can see what I looked like when a German site had the video on stock. I waited two long months, expecting to see that movie I always wanted to see. When the movie finally arrived, I turned off all the lights, covered the led of the video, covered the little light of the TV and sat in my room with the stereo real loud. And the movie was a child-like dream. I heard many people saying it was a failure, I heard many people saying it was boring... It's all lies. I can't describe the movie by writing what I thought of it. It's difficult to talk about a movie which doesn't talk to the ears but directly to the heart. Here we have the impression that there is another planet... down there. Like in the snake scene. She moves like the snakes do, but the water is so clear that it seems like she and the others around her are floating in a aetherium. And the impression I got during the movie was that sometimes we just have to open ourselves to the sheer experiences of life and let go. This movie plays in our minds like a beautiful dream, and there are few movies that can do it. The love of the director by the ocean has never been so clear. And by making this movie, he somewhat passes on his message and makes us love the ocean also. Full praise to this work of art! Besson never stopped amazing...

I'll admit to the fact that I never tire of watching films like Winged Migration and March of the Penguins. The wonders of nature captivate me.

Nothing captivates like the world under the sea. There is so much beauty that no explanations are needed. It's just sit back and enjoy. That is what Luc Besson has given us in this film. A hour and a half view of nature's wonders with musical accompaniment. Just a little dialog in the beginning, and we are free to watch and fantasize.

It is easy to see that this film was done by a true lover of the sea. Besson was a diver and wanted to be a marine biologist before an accident caused him to turn to film making.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad that he became a writer and director and gave us such films as Leon: The Professional, Transporter, and Taken. But, I am also glad that he never lost his love of the sea and gave us this film.

Atlantis is more visual art than nature film and a 'must see' for any Luc Besson fan. The film captures the feel of what it's actually like to swim underwater better than any film I've ever seen, perfectly illustrating the form and texture of sea water. Beautiful. Highly recommended for anyone interested in visual arts or diving.

The strange thing about this movie is that there is almost no talking. I guess that is why it is so great! Everything you look for in a great movie is there: Love, hate, adventure, great music and beautiful camera work. It takes you to a whole new world. If you love the underwater world or not, this movie will make you want to go there and stay there forever! If you haven't seen it yet and you get the chance to (and believe me it doesn't come along that often), then take it!