Review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by Blake P — 01 May 2013

With art-house films, there are always two options on your opinion on it: 1) it was boring but well-made; 2) it was artistic but it went nowhere-- possibly "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" is more groundbreaking because it's as unconventional as an art-house movie should be, but is so easily absorbing that it moves you by the end. It's as if Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut made a film together, because the beauty is all there, and so is the story.

Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) is a high-powered editor for "Elle" magazine who finds his world shattered when, out of the blue, he has a stroke that paralyzes his entire body. His mind is still in perfect condition, so basically he's in a "prison". At first he has a cynical outlook on everything that's happening, but when he learns to communicate just by using his eyes, he decides to put his new skill to test by "writing" a memoir, with the help of a nurse (Anne Consigny).

"Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" is a film experience unlike any other. It's claustrophobic, scary, and strange beyond belief, at least for the first half. But it should be. We don't really watch the film as much as live it, as we see the world through Bauby's eyes. It's uncomfortable, but fascinating; most of us luckily won't get the chance to face paralyzation, and it's here. Experimentation like this really shouldn't work, but it remains to be artistic and unique throughout.

As Bauby becomes more well-acquainted with his handicap, the film opens up. The cameras rid of the first-person view and the aura goes from pessimistic to optimistic. Whether or not it's symbolism, it comes across in a way that surprisingly isn't jarring.

Julian Schnabel doesn't direct with any hint of pretentiousness. It instantly appears that he's trying to create a world of empathy. Though it's an adaptation of the memoir it's based on, it doesn't feel like one. He's brave in how he shapes every scene, and it pays off.

Bauby is of course, a character that should be more unlikable; he cheated on the loyal woman (Emmanuelle Seigner) he can call the mother of his children for a narcissistic woman, he loves his kids but doesn't see that they need a family to truly be happy, and he's played by Amalric, who plays bad guys so well. But because of the way he handles his condition, he instantly becomes a hero. The fact that he can see the humor in his downward spiral gives him respect, and that's where the empathy really ties together.

What if we had an American version of the film instead? Most likely it wouldn't be filmed in the same way and its main character would be a dime a dozen. It would throw away the memoir that it's based on and instead make it as sweet as sugar. Bauby would end up completely recovering and all the women would be played by a Kate Hudson type, all bidding for an Oscar nomination. What's so refreshing and so "un-Hollywood" about this film is that it gives us a realistic look at a total nightmare, and doesn't shy away from the hardships going on.

"Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" is an excellent film that grips you from beginning to end. It's great any way you look at it.