The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (2007)

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is based on a true story from the memoir, of the same title, by Jean-Dominique Bauby. The film captures the emotions and the hardship Bauby goes through perfectly, so brace yourself for the emotional rollercoaster of Jean-Dominique Bauby story adapted by director Julian Schnabel.

The film begins with Jean-Dominique Bauby, Jean-Do (Mathieu Amalric), waking up from a coma in a hospital after a devastating stroke. He speaks out in confusion but it is revealed that no one can hear him and that he also has no control over his body apart from his left eye. Jean-Do is then informed that he is suffering from ‘locked-in syndrome’ causing him to be permanently paralyzed. The film then plays out in a non-linear style taking moments from his life before his accident to him remembering them in the hospital. Jean-Do is then helped by therapists to try and enable him to communicate some how the method they select by reciting the alphabet and Jean-Do chooses a letter by blinking. With this, Jean-Do can now communicate with people and this is here where the film starts to tug at the viewer's heartstrings as it shows his friends and family coming to terms with Jean-Do’s illness.

The film is, quite simply, outstanding. It offers a truly heartfelt experience unlike anything before it, but what stands out the most is the fact that it is based on a true story, a story that exceeds stories that are fictitious as it just makes you feel more for the characters that are involved. The work of cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski, is simply incredible. From the start of the film, you see everything from Jean-Do’s perspective and the visuals represent how he is feeling at that time, the screen is blurred, it shakes in a queasy motion it constantly changes to portray the emotions that Jean-Do is feeling which just enhances the overall experience of the movie. Exceptional work is also offered by Paul Cantelon with his moving pieces of music which just add to the emotional moments, causing them to have a much greater impact on the viewer. Truly actors can make or break a film, but Mathieu Amalric truly intensifies this movie. He brings a stunning and realistic performance to Jean-Do in a genuinely mesmerizing way.

It’s no surprise to see that The Diving Bell And The Butterfly had so many award wins and nominations. For Julian Schnabel amazing work, he won the Golden Globe for Best Director. The film also went home with a BAFTA win for Best Screenplay and was nominated an Oscar for Best Achievement in Cinematography. All these awards just go to show how much of an impact this film has on people with its true and heartfelt tale. To conclude, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is definitely a must see. It offers something extremely rare as its subject matter is almost never explored this thoroughly in the film. Even with just a casual viewing this film will stand out and be remembered for its stunning visuals alone as it offers a host of items, with something for everyone. Which is why I give this film four stars out of five from it’s amazing storytelling to its mesmerizing visuals.