Review: 'Becoming Cousteau' brings back the legendary ocean explorer, whose environmental message is more needed than ever

Considering Jacques-Yves Cousteau left for that great diving bell in the sky 25 years ago next June, there are many who don’t know his importance in the worlds of oceanography, filmmaking and environmental advocacy.

Director Liz Garbus’ energetic documentary, “Becoming Cousteau,” does a good job of bringing his adventurous spirit back into view.

The sea was not Cousteau’s first love, it turns out. Cousteau, as a young French naval cadet, aimed to become a pilot. But a car accident, in which Cousteau broke several bones, derailed his aviation career. While recuperating, he met two men, Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Dumas, on the shore of Toulon, France, and learned the thrill of skin diving.

During World War II, the three men did underwater reconnaissance for the Allies. Cousteau and Émile Magnan, an engineer, developed a way to dive deeper than a man could with a snorkel — by carrying modified oxygen tanks on one’s back. It was the prototype for what became known as the Aqua-Lung, the first form of scuba gear.

After the war, Cousteau, Tailliez and Dumas formed the French Navy’s Underwater Research Group, performing diving missions and testing the Aqua-Lung’s capabilities. (One such test cost the life of their friend, Maurice Fargues, the first diver to die using scuba gear.) By 1950, Cousteau had left the French Navy, and had established his research boat, a decommissioned American minesweeper that he renamed Calypso.

If this was a puff piece — a thought bolstered by the fact that The Cousteau Society, the nonprofit Cousteau founded to support his research, provided support and a copious amount of footage — the rest of the story might be one triumph after another, as Cousteau established his international reputation as a filmmaker, explorer and champion of the environment. But Garbus, whose career has included “The Farm: Angola U.S.A.,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?” and the miniseries “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” has too much integrity to soft-pedal Cousteau’s life.

One of the revelations is that Cousteau raised money by renting himself out to petroleum companies, to find underwater drilling locations. (It’s suggested that Cousteau is partly responsible for making Abu Dhabi the center of oil wealth it is today.) There are also scenes from “The Silent World,” his 1956 film that was the first documentary to win the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, of his Calypso crew brutally beating a shark on the deck. In his later years, Cousteau expressed regret for both actions.

Garbus also profiles Cousteau’s first wife, Simone, who managed the finances and Calypso so Cousteau and his crew could mount their expeditions. Simone’s role as business partner came with a cost, though: Emotionally neglecting their sons, Jean-Michel and Philippe. Both boys, when old enough, worked on Calypso’s crew — and Philippe was poised to succeed his father, until he was killed in a plane crash.

The movie draws upon miles of footage from Cousteau’s films, including his long series of specials for ABC, and his many appearances on talk shows. There are few talking-head interviews, as Garbus instead uses audio interviews overlaid on the fascinating views of Cousteau’s explorations and public appearances. 

What emerges is a full portrait of Cousteau’s evolution, from merely an explorer of the oceans to a champion for them, trying to show the world the damage humankind has done to the planet. His remarkable story also acts as reminder that his work isn’t done, and the danger is as great as ever.

——

‘Becoming Cousteau’

★★★

Opens Friday, October 22, at the Megaplex Jordan Commons (Sandy) and Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing (West Jordan). Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some disturbing images and smoking. Running time: 93 minutes.