Review of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) by Ivan K — 05 Oct 2010

In 1995, Jean Dominique Bauby, editor in chief of French fashion magazine ELLE, woke in a hospital bed unable to move his body, only his two eyes. He had suffered a massive stroke, paralyzing him almost completely. Unfortunately, his right eye isn't working properly, so the doctors have to sew it up. At first, the doctor gives an optimistic analysis saying that he will recover from his condition in a few months max, but he is then comunicated that he suffers from a very rare condition called locked-in syndrome, meaning he is almost completely physically paralyzed, but is mentally normal. His only way to communicate with the world is by blinking his left eye, and the nurses create a system in which they recite the alphabet and when she reaches the letter he wants to say, he blinks, that way constructing words and sentences. The film depicts his life in the hospital and his interaction with its regulars, as well as moments before his stroke, with a long part told through his eyes, or eye for that matter. And Jean Dominique Bauby, or Jean-Do as his friends called him, who was at first quite grouchy with his condition, ends up accepting it, maturing, becoming a better person and even writing a book, a memoir, using the comunication system the nurses created.

The title of the film is taken from many of the monologues that Jean-Do ave in his state, which also helped as part of the narration of the book: he sees his condition as being locked inside a diving bell, but sees his spirit and mind as a butterly, trapped within the diving bell and waiting to free itself from it.

2007 was a great year of movies. We had such films that would become classics in the future, some still on their way but anyway granted to become, like No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac and Atonement. But there wasn't a film that would touch our hearts and would make us, we as the audience, change as persons as this, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, original french title Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillion.

Starting with the structure of the film we have the incredible performances of its cast. Mathiu Amalric plays the central character, the butterfly inside its diving bell, Jean Dominique-Bauby. And even if he can't move, or at least in the 75% of the film, he gave life to his character, mastering his essence and becoming him, a process that might be more difficult than in most cases as he is only capable to move a very little fraction of what humans normally do. The other actors of the film all did an amazing job too, playing Jean-Do's loved ones and showing the care and love they have for him, with everything they did to serve him while he was on that depressing state.

Another excellent aspect to mention is Julian Schanabel's direction. The film was nominated to the Academy Award for Best Director, as well as this same category in many other Award Shows, included a win at the Golden Globes. Julian Schanabel not only captures the essence of the caracters but also makes the viewer become the character using the point of view technique employed in little less than the first half of the film, and, by this way, we can not sympathize with him (we can see at the beginning he was quite rude and impatient) but understand why he is being so annoying to those who only try to help him: because being in a state like that can be really desperating. And this is an effect that the director tries to achieve, and he does.

But what I think I like the most about this film is how inspirational and touching it can be. It was a great achievement from Jean Dominique Bauby to write a book in that state. And I admire him, instead of pitying him becase of his state, because of not only that, but because the change process he went through as well duing his condition. He grew up, he became a human being. We can see, through flashbacks, a part of his life before the incident, and it wasn't the life of a saint. But once he got past the annoyment he suffered he became a great person. Because of this the film can be described as a coming of age film, even though he was already grown up. He matured along the way, he became a better person, he became a human being.

Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillion is one of the best films of 2007, one of the best French films I've seen, and probably one of the best movies I've seen. The film is very inspirational and touching. It is beautifully shot, with excellent acting and perfect direction.

My recommendation: This is a film you can't miss.

My score: A perfect 100.