Movie: The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

[natickgirl]

I just saw this movie on DVD last night. It was amazing! It is based on a true story of a man who was a "bon vivant" (loved life & high living) who had a stroke in his mid-40's that left him completely paralyzed, but mentally whole. His bright mind was trapped in his body, able to communicate only by moving one eye. The movie is shot from his point of view...you see what he sees, you think what he thinks. It is definitely not for the kids, but I found it to be a story of hope. I watched it in French with English subtitles. You could watch it in English, but I think that would detract from the beauty of the film. I want to read the book, now!

[Meticulous madness]

I've never even heard of the movie/book. Sounds very interesting!

[natickgirl]

I hadn't heard of it, either, until my sister mentioned it in her blog. It won some kind of award. I didn't know what a "diving bell" was...it's one of the those old-fashioned looking deep sea diving suits with the big bubble for your head (like a space suit). The man's body was trapped, as if he were in a diving bell, but his mind was free, like a butterfly. The French title is, "Le scaphandre et le papillon".

[Erudite]

I saw this on "watch instantly" on Netflix and decided to check it out. This was dubbed in English and I wasn't bothered by it at all, though the alphabet in french was a little suprising at first. It is a beautifully done movie and good to see a man so hopeful after such a catestrophic change in his body. The writing he does is also wonderful.

I was a little bugged by the man himself though. He's a good guy to his Dad, but not so good to Mother of his children who stands by him in all this, where his mistress does not. That was a little shallow of him and I didn't like that about him. And I didn't like that he imagines himself kissing every good looking girl who comes along, though part of the point of the movie is that his imagination is not paralized.

Otherwise, I have to agree with NG; it was an amazing movie because the of the way it is shot and the effort that has to go into writing a book about the experience. I'm not sure I would have had the patience to be the one taking dictation.