Review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by Ben L — 04 Dec 2014

Holy Hard-to-Watch, Batman! The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a film based on the true story of a man who suffers a massive stroke which results in him having locked-in syndrome. This is the condition where a person is completely mentally aware but loses all ability to move or communicate. All he can control is one eye. Naturally this is going to be difficult to watch, but it is accentuated even more when we spend large portions of the movie looking from the main character's point of view. So we are subjected to the same uncomfortable feeling of being locked-in with one view and only seeing things if they happen to pass within his vision. It's actually staged really brilliantly, and we are allowed to hear Jean-Do's thoughts just enough so we can sympathize with his ordeal. Mathieu Amalric has the unenviable task of trying to emote without being able to move a muscle, yet somehow I really do feel it all coming from that one eye.

I absolutely love the parade of nurses, friends, and family that interact with Jean-Do. The acting is so convincing that you would think they are really dealing with the frustration of communicating with someone who can't talk back. My favorite is Henriette who devotes herself wholeheartedly to helping him communicate again. Her exchange with him, particularly when he's still feeling sorry for himself, is one of the most heartfelt moments of the movie. The other scene, which had tears streaming down my face from start to finish, was the phone conversation Jean-Do has with his father played by Max von Sydow. I have just come to naturally expect this kind of stellar acting from von Sydow, but he is masterful here. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is definitely an emotional film. It doesn't feel particularly manipulative either, because these are simply real situations as they would play out. It's hard to nail down a rating, though. It was well-made, and it definitely touched me, but I can't imagine I will want to watch it again any time soon. Yet I can recommend you watch it, because it is inspiring how much Jean-Do does with his life despite what is wrong with him. If you're looking for a good cry, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the film for you.