Called "the French Steven Spielberg" by some, Luc Besson made an impressive debut at age 24 with "Le Dernier Combat" (1983), an apocalyptic drama noted for its striking black-and-white photography and bold lack of dialogue (a clever low-budget strategy). His subsequent films were box-office hits at home, more popular for their exhilarating visuals than for their thin storylines. After going underground to helm "Subway" (1985), starring Christopher Lambert and Isabelle Adjani, this son of scuba divers mined his first love (the sea) to make the underwater epic "The Big Blue" (1988), a huge
Dream of following in his parents' footsteps shattered by a serious diving accident at age 17 (date approximate); told he would never dive again, he has since resumed diving
1976
Turned down by France's national film school at age 17 (date approximate)
Moved to Hollywood, where he worked doing various jobs
1982
Founded production company, Les Film du Loup
1983
Worked as second unit director on "Le Grand Carnaval"
