Review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by Filipeneto — 30 Mar 2021

How does it feel to be trapped inside our own body? Honestly, I can't even imagine, it must be stifling. But this is precisely what this film addresses, thanks to a first-person testimony, adapting the autobiographical book written by Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Elle, in his last months of life, shortly after a stroke left him totally paralyzed, except for one single eye, which he used to communicate thanks to an ingenious and slow communication system.

It is an impressive film, starting with the theme and narrative in the first person. Like him, we started the film without realizing what is going on, but gradually we go, with him, to discover the harsh reality. Bauby was, then, a man in the force of his life and with a reputation as heartthrob, adventurer and sportsman. This abrupt beginning immediately takes us to the environment of the film and to the desolate feeling of that man, who suddenly saw life disappear and confined himself to a bed, where he cannot even move or speak. He's devastating.

One of the aspects that draws the most attention in this film is the masterful mastery of shooting techniques and camera angles to show us exactly what that man saw, and to put us directly in his skin. Taking advantage of all the cinematographic techniques, from close-up to blur, we can see through Bauby's only good eye, and that gives the film another kind of impact. The sets and costumes are extraordinarily realistic and give the film all the weight of a true story of suffering, but also of overcoming beyond what could be thought possible.

The cast is very good. Being a French film, the language used is, of course, French, but I confess that I quite liked it, since several of the actors involved are regulars in English-speaking films, and it is pleasant to hear them in their native language. Mathieu Amalric is an excellent actor and was perfect in the role of Bauby, and in the way he expressed it, albeit in a static way, without moving, his voice being heard as if it were his thoughts. Emmanuelle Seigner and Marie-Josée Croze are also noteworthy for their positive work.