The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Film Review

Julian Schnabel's Remarkable Film About Jean-Dominique Bauby

Sep 17, 2009

French film Le Scaphandre et le Papillon stars Mathieu Amalric as quadriplegic Jean-Do who dictates a book by blinking out the individual words with his left eye

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) is an incredibly moving film, which cleverly puts the viewer at the centre of its world. Based on the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French Elle, and a total cad to boot, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly examines the thoughts, feelings and memories he experiences after suffering a massive, completely unexpected stroke.

Locked-in Syndrome

Bauby wakes up in a hospital to discover that he has become a victim of the rare and cruel condition known as 'locked-in syndrome'. He can no longer move or even speak, although his mind is still perfectly fit and healthy. The dawning realisation of the horror of his situation is handled expertly by director Julian Schnabel. Several sequences are filmed from Bauby's point of view, with lead actor Mathieu Amalric voicing the thoughts and dialogue Bauby is unable to articulate through speech. The only body movement Bauby still has control over is his left eye. He can blink a response to a yes/no question from the doctor, but that gives little consolation to his active mind. Bauby remains trapped within his own body whilst his mind travels across great vistas of his own imagination, and dwells upon memories of his old life.

Is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly True to Life?

The fact that much of the film takes place inside the protagonist's head could have opened the door to surreal interpretations of Bauby's inner turmoil. But The Diving Bell and the Butterfly does not choose this route. It takes a much more balanced approach. What makes it so very real life is a steely determination on the part of the film-makers not to shy away from the complexities of Bauby's previous life. He was part of the jetset with a busy social life, an ex-wife, two children, an ailing father and a girlfriend to juggle. His memories are a heady mixture of pleasure and regret. The way the film portrays him seems to give a snapshot of the real man; intellectual, ambitious, imperfect.

Mathieu Amalric is Outstanding in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The difficult task of bringing the broken body of Jean-Dominique Bauby to life on screen fell to Mathieu Amalric. The role, almost certainly his best known performance prior to Quantum of Solace, was a demanding one, but Amalric triumphs. Not only does he play a convincing quadriplegic, who painfully, meticulously blinks out a book letter by letter, he also captures just the right amount of excitement, arrogance and suave cool in the flashback sequences. With the whole film hanging on his performance, Amalric really steps up to the mark and delivers.

The whole premise of The Diving bell and the Butterfly might be off putting to some. True, it is unapologetically sad, and in places quite uncomfortabe to watch. But it is also a joyous, life-affirming celebration of a wonderful man. Bauby's painstaking effort to tell a story is definitely a story worth seeing.

Further reading: For more great picks of modern French cinema - 9 Great French Films

The copyright of the article The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Film Review in European Films is owned by Michelle Strozykowski. Permission to republish The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Film Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.