'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'

Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), dandy and editor of 'Elle' magazine, suffers a stroke and is almost entirely paralysed as a result, his doctor using the English term: 'locked-in syndrome' to describe the condition. We first, and often thereafter, see the world from the patient's perspective, blurred and confusing. One of his eyelids is sewn shut and we see that too. It's a long time before we properly see his twisted face.

Jean-Do's only available means of expression is by blinking his left eye. But we also hear his internal monologue, with a dry wit that's a relief to the viewer. Occasionally his over-avuncular doctor appears to diagnose his condition, but for the most part he is in the hands of women: Henriette (Marie-Josée Croze) who teaches him to communicate, Marie (Olatz Lopez Garmendia) his physiotherapist, Céline (Emmanuelle Seigner) his former partner and mother of his children, and Claude (Anne Consigny) to whom he dictates his account of the experience.

Using a list of letters and eye blinks, Henriette teaches Jean-Do to 'speak', it isn't an easy task and to begin with he isn't an easy pupil. Even when both parties are adept, it's a slow process, more tortuous than composing a text message if that's possible.

Throughout there's a real sense of his incapacity: the television in his room left on overnight emitting the monotone high-pitched tone that accompanies the test card and prevents sleep, the fly on his nose that causes him to move his head for the first time. In his helplessness, Jean-Do is at the mercy of women, and occasionally there's a hint of his fear - yet they are generally very good to him, including Céline, who may have some cause to be vengeful. The worst he experiences at their hands is a visit to church conducted by the devout Marie - Jean-Do recalls a visit to Lourdes with a girlfriend who installed a performance-thwarting illuminated Madonna in their hotel room.

As well as his paralysis there is the awkwardness others feel, but they quickly adjust: his children recognise him as their father, his friend Laurent (Isaach De Bankolé) reads to him from The Count of Monte Cristo. People find ways to connect.

The scenes of conversation with characters who are elsewhere, via telephone and an interpreter, are the most painful. Jean-Do found it difficult enough to communicate with his elderly father (Max von Sydow) before, but now it's near impossible, frustrating them both. The scene in which Céline has to translate for a call from Jean-Do's mistress, is agonising.

It's a film about communication, and about what people can do to people and what people can do for people.

'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' (Le Scaphandre et le papillon) Dir: Julien Schnabel (2007)
http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=119032.html


Marie and Henriette


Claude


Céline


Jean-Dominique Bauby (in flashback)