The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Starring: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max Von Sydow
Directed by: Julian Schnabel
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Box Office: $
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Jean-Dominique (Mathieu Amalric) suffers a stroke, which causes him to be completely paralyzed. He can only move his left eye, and he learns to communicate through blinking, which allows him to write an incredibly memoir.

Review:

Tim: This is a powerful, unforgettable movie. I'm not sure if I've ever used the word "claustrophobic" to describe a movie, but this is the most claustrophobic movie I've ever seen. Part of this film's brilliance is that it puts you in the paralyzed body of Jean-Dominique Bauby. You see the majority of the movie through his one good eye. It is hard to describe, but you actually feel as if you are sharing the experience with him. This puts us, as the audience, in an unfamiliar position. This is one of the key elements that makes this movie brilliant.

Now, there are also some flaws to this film. It suffers from the typical artsy foreign film issues- the movie is more of an attempt at a work of art than a completely entertaining movie. The subject matter is difficult to think about and imagine, so parts of this movie are actually hard to get through. While the movie is definitely uplifting and inspiring, it is also very scary. It is not often that we are confronted with the idea that we could be completely paralyzed. That idea is frightening, and this movie puts us in that position. That can be a bit depressing.

While the movie isn't completely entertaining, it is stunning in its fiercely realistic portrayal of an amazing man and his struggle to adapt to an irreversible change to his life. This may be depressing and difficult to watch at times, but it is also a story that needs to be told. I honestly feel like I am a better person for having this man's story in my brain.

Although the film occasionally strays into the too surreal and incomprehensible, this is still an unforgettable movie that is absolutely deserving of your time. I wish I was more emotionally impacted by the film, it is still quite good. It went 0-4 at the Academy Awards, but four nominations, including one for Cinematography and Directing is no reason to be ashamed

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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