Film Reviews

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

• Rating:
• Director: Julian Schnabel
• Starring: Emmanuelle Seigner
• Details: France / USA (12A)

How good is The Diving Bell And The Butterfly? It's ridiculously good. In 1995, at the age of only 43, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered a stroke while driving his car in the countryside. He lapsed into a coma and woke up 3 weeks later only able to move his left eye. Diagnosed with a rare disease called 'locked in' syndrome, Bauby used his good eye to 'blink' out dictation for his novel: the diving bell of the title symbolising Bauby's inability to move, the butterfly his escape; the former documents his day-to-day struggle while the latter sees Bauby indulge in flights of fancy. To make a film about a man trapped in his body and not only make it work, but turn it into one of the most memorable films this reviewer has ever seen, is nothing short of genius - director Julian Schanbel (Basquiat) and writer Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) will be hard-pressed to better this. Opening with an extended blurry point-of-view sequence (about twenty minutes or so) was a brave move; unable to speak, we hear Bauby's (Almaric) confused thoughts as he first tries to get a grip on what's happening, and then his realisation of the private hell he'll be subjected to: "This is life?". To make matters worse (and where this innovative drama manages to find humour even in the darkest of places) his speech and physical therapists are attractive women. Not only does this long sequence allow us inside the man, but we become him - we are trapped in that hospital bed, too (when his therapist asks him to move his tongue, it's hard not to do what she says). Brilliant.

Review by Gavin Burke