The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
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An eccentric oceanographer leads a crew on a perilous voyage to hunt a legendary shark and find redemption.
The story
While oceanographer Steve Zissou is working on his latest documentary at sea, his best friend and chief diver, Esteban du Plantier, is devoured by a 10-meter-long, spotted creature Zissou describes as a "jaguar shark". For his next project, Zissou is determined to document the shark's destruction. The crew aboard Zissou's aging research vessel Belafonte includes his estranged wife, a variety of specialists, and a group of interns. The mission becomes complicated when a fan of Zissou's, Ned Plimpton, joins the crew as a financier. As the team sails into dangerous waters, they face internal tensions and external threats while searching for the elusive predator.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After his friend Esteban is killed by a 'jaguar shark', oceanographer Steve Zissou embarks on a mission to document the creature. His crew on the Belafonte includes his estranged wife Eleanor, a Brazilian guitarist Pelé, and a German first mate Klaus. The project gains a mysterious financier, Ned Plimpton, a fan who believes Zissou is his father. A pregnant reporter, Jane Winslett-Richardson, joins to chronicle the voyage, leading to a love triangle between her, Ned, and Zissou. The journey is plagued by mishaps, including the theft of equipment from a rival, an attack by pirates who steal Ned's money and kidnap a bond company stooge, and the desertion of several interns. After a rescue mission in Port-au-Patois, the crew tracks the shark. During a final search, Ned and Zissou crash in a helicopter; Ned dies and is buried at sea. Zissou eventually finds the shark in a submersible but chooses not to kill it due to its beauty. The film ends with a premiere where Zissou is honored for his work and the loss of Ned, who is officially acknowledged as his son.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wes Anderson
- Writers
- Wes Anderson · writer; Noah Baumbach · writer
- Cast and characters
- Bill Murray · Steve Zissou; Owen Wilson; Cate Blanchett; Anjelica Huston; Willem Dafoe; Jeff Goldblum; Michael Gambon; Bud Cort
- Genres
- adventure; comedy-drama
- Themes
- Revenge; Fatherhood; Legacy
- Tone and mood
- Whimsical; Deadpan
- Premise and plot tags
- Oceanography; Survival; Adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- The plot has been compared to Moby-Dick.
- Reception
- The film was released to mixed reviews and was a box office flop, but it has since gained a cult following and been critically reevaluated more positively.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 57% · scale: percentage · review count: 226; Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The film is dedicated to French diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau.; The name of the Mexican rock band Belafonte Sensacional is inspired by the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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