The Silent World/Le monde du silence (1956)

Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau takes us on a voyage of discovery in this groundbreaking underwater documentary. We are shown exciting new vistas teeming with exotic life, all the wonders that are contained in the cold dark depths of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Among the wonders we will encounter in this strange silent world are sea turtles, an ancient shipwreck and a baby sperm whale…

Witness the birth of a new kind of documentary, as legendary diver, conservationist and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau takes you deep beneath the waves to explore a wealth of life that was previously hidden from view. As much of the technology for shooting film underwater was developed by Cousteau’s team, this was the first time such amazing sights could be captured on film. The result, a Technicolor 1950s masterpiece, succeeds both in revealing an untouched world of beauty, life and drama, as well as evoking a sense of adventure, freedom and boundless possibility. Set on board and below the good ship Calypso during an exploratory expedition, this feature-length documentary was co-directed by Cousteau and Louis Malle, whose first film this was (Cousteau selected Malle for this assignment immediately upon the latter's graduation from film school). Highlights include a shark attack on the carcass of a whale, and the discovery of a wrecked, sunken vessel. A window into the world beneath the sea as well as the colourful and nostalgic world of the 1950s, The Silent World was the start of an entire movement.

Les expeditions sous-marines du commandant Cousteau et de son equipe a bord de la "Calypso".

Directors: Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Louis Malle
Stars: Frederic Dumas, Albert Falco and Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Production land: Italy, France
Premiere Date: May 1956 (Cannes Film Festival)
IMDb - 7.5 (406 votes)