‘Butterfly’s’ Beauty Comes Through
What if you were completely paralyzed from head to toe, but retained the ability to blink your left eye? How would you maintain the strength and will to live? In “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” — based on a true story — Jean-Dominique Bauby (“Munich’s” Mathieu Almaric) shows how even in the most dire circumstances, one still can eke out a life, no matter how hopeless the situation becomes.
The film’s title is a metaphor for how Bauby feels each day. He feels as if he’s in a diving bell deep in the ocean, closed off from the world and unable to leave his suit. He longs to leave his cocoon like a butterfly and fly away, free and clear.
Although Bauby’s life is difficult and filled with emotional challenges, he manages to communicate with his left eye by blinking out letters recited to him in high-frequency order. In the film, Bauby wakes up in a hospital after suffering a stroke at age 43 and develops a rare medical condition known as “locked-in syndrome.” His mind is untouched, but he has lost all his motor skills, including the ability to communicate normally with others.
The movie, which uses a rare point-of-view camera technique, documents Bauby’s life with this condition. Mostly narrated by him from within, the film follows how Bauby — once editor-in-chief of France’ s Elle magazine — writes a book about his experiences. The movie also shows his encounters with friends and family, and the women he loves and the children he adores.
“Butterfly” is well-paced, well-acted and the fact that it’s based on a true story is all the more remarkable. The film is one of the best I’ve seen so far at Cannes, and I’d highly recommend it to French-speaking readers. With any luck, it will be released in the U.S. with English subtitles for all to enjoy and appreciate.
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” movie trailer (French without English subtitles)
3.5 stars
***
Wayne’s star system
1 star –> avoid at all costs
2 stars –> watch on TV when nothing else is on
3 stars –> rent it eventually
4 stars –> must see before you die
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (IMDB)
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” trailer (YouTube)
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” book (Amazon.com)
OH MY GOD i want to see that. Thanks for the French trailer. Maybe I’ll bop over to the UGC in Brussels to watch it, since it came out yesterday in France. Oh wait, gotta finish this article first.
Great review, Wayne.