The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Norm Apter

We just watched The Diving Bell and the Butterly (2008) on DVD. I had never heard of it -- I just randomly plucked it off the shelf because it looked interesting.

And it turned it to be one of the best movies I've seen in quite some time. Its subject matter, presentation, creativity and writing tends to make most other recently produced films appear amateurish. Nothing short of amazing. Has anybody else seen this?

If you haven't seen it and are looking for something on/at Netflix or Blockbuster soon, give it shot.

bklynNupe

I'm going to rent.
Julian Schnabel is an phenomenal Director, his training as a visual artist does not go to waste.
Before Night Falls (2000) has to be one of my favorite films of all times! Also, I’m not a big fan of Geoffrey Wright ( who I see from time to time walking with his family in Park Slope, Bklyn) however I did enjoy Basquiat (1996) Directed by Schnabel.

Norm Apter

bklynNupe wrote: »

I'm going to rent.
Julian Schnabel is an phenomenal Director, his training as a visual artist does not go to waste.
Before Night Falls (2000) has to be one of my favorite films of all times! Also, I’m not a big fan of Geoffrey Wright ( who I see from time to time walking with his family in Park Slope, Bklyn) however I did enjoy Basquiat (1996) Directed by Schnabel.

Cool. You'll have to let us know what you think.

I should have mentioned a bit about the content of the film. Its based on the story of a French writer and editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who has a stroke and is left completely paralyzed (about the only thing he can do is blink his eyes). However, despite being paralyzed his mental state/capacity is left fully intact. Doctors, nurses and speech therapists develop a system that enables him to communicate through blinking his left eye. Through this he goes on to "dictate" a novel (titled "The Diving Bell and the Butterly")

The poignant point about the film is that our (i.e. the audience's) access to everything is from Jean-Domiques' inner world and much of it through his eyes -- the first few minutes capture the process of his reemergence from a coma like state with the camera (his eyes) going from blurry to focused to blurry. His thoughts are vivid, rich and sometimes filled with dark humor, however, there are such obvious limitations he has to expressing them.

The film is all the richer for taking us back periodically to pre-stroke times of the protagonist's life -- a life filled with family, successes, and lovers and a whole cast of characters -- as well as vivid dreams and imaginings.

Not for the faint of heart, but it will make you think more deeply of what it means to be human.

Willow

We watched it a while back. It was ok. Not the best movie and not the worst one either. I found it a tad long.

John30_30

I have to agree with Norm Apter on this film. It is a punch to the heart for all the right reasons. It is one of the best things I've ever seen in a movie.

An interesting side-note about the making of the film- Bauby's widow apparently had alot of clout as to the writing of the screenplay, and managed to demote his current girlfriend (at the time of his stroke) to bimbo status, falsely portraying her as emotionally incapable of even visiting with him after he had it. And maybe they babed up the parts of his therapists just a tad.