The Film
Although The Diving Bell And The Butterfly received a long list of nominations for various awards, and even won many—including best director for Julian Schnabel at the Cannes Film Festival—the film was not as well known in the United States. Some of this is likely due to the other big Hollywood films with famous actors that seemed to come to the forefront around the time of the Oscars, where The Diving Bell And The Butterfly went zero for four nominations at the Oscars. However, the recent release of the film onto DVD gives people who missed out on the film in the theaters a second chance at this wonderful story.
The film is adapted from a French memoir of the same name (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) written by the former editor of Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby (played by Mathieu Amalric), who was living a fast life until he suffered a massive stroke. When he finally emerged from weeks in a coma, Bauby discovered that he had locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that leaves patients with a fully functioning mind trapped in a completely paralyzed body. Unable to speak or otherwise able to communicate with the outside world, Bauby was able to write his autobiography after the stroke because his therapist devised a system where he could blink to indicate words and phrases, one letter at a time.
The film is shot in a first-person point of view, with excellent cinematography by Janusz Kaminski, presenting the world as Bauby would see it. The viewer shares in Bauby’s disorientation on waking from the coma, and also in the varied ways that people respond to someone who can’t move; his initial struggles to cope are painful to watch. Bauby describes his body as a diving bell, weighing him down, but he begins to realize that he can escape through his butterfly—his imagination and memory. This awakening allows the audience to view his life in flashback mixed with fantasy. As he works his way through his memoir; we hear what he is thinking and see what he sees.
The movie is filled with great performances by all of the actors, and two of my favorite scenes are between Jean-Do and his father, Papinou, played by Max Von Sydow. One of the extras on the DVD is an interview of director Schnabel by Charlie Rose for his PBS program. In it, Schnabel reveals much of his personal motivations in making The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, which came out of his experiences taking care of his father right before he died at age 92. Schnabel’s inability to alleviate his own father’s fear of death was his inspiration to work through the film as a sort of self-help process and also as a way to possibly help someone else in a similar situation. The film challenges the idea of what it means to be alive, as Bauby is in a state seemingly between life and death. Some would question whether people in a condition such as Jean-Do would want to live, but the film provides hope and inspiration to family and caregivers that there are ways to communicate and comfort patients.
I loved the nontraditional nature of this film. Julian Schnabel describes himself as an artist first, then a director, and the film definitely has a very visual sense about it. Telling a story from the point of view of someone who is paralyzed freed Schnabel to frame scenes in all sorts of different ways, with actors moving in and out of frame, as well as looking directly into the camera. In the extras on the DVD, Schnabel recounts a comment he received from a woman following a screening: “I was him [Jean-Do], but I was also myself.”
The Extras
Submerged: The Making of The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
This short behind-the-scenes piece presents the entire process of the film, from its concept through to the filming through interviews with all of the significant people involved in the production. The producers, writer and director all present their viewpoints on the evolution of the idea to shoot the film in first person. The actors discuss how they connected with their characters, who were in most cases real people that they were able to meet during the filming. They also relate the challenges of working with the first person shooting style, and what is was like working with the director. Julian Schnabel discusses his motivations for the film, although not in as much depth as other extras on the disc. I especially enjoyed the discussion of how Mathieu Amalric would sit in a soundproof box just off set and react to what was being filmed; only the cameraman and director could hear his lines, much as it would have been for Jean-Do who was having his own internal conversations. Much of this internal monologue was emprovised by Amalric, who was able to bring Bauby’s dry, self-deprecating sense of humor to life.
A Cinematic Vision
This second, shorter behind-the-scenes piece focuses more on the cinematography of Janusz Kaminski and technical aspects of how the filming was done. Kaminski and Schnabel relate the organic way in which the effects were achieved, often using such low tech methods as scissoring two fingers in front of the camera lens to simulate the blink of an eye. I found this insight fascinating, as I did wonder after viewing how some of the effects in the film were achieved. As is the case with most behind the scenes features, it may demystify the film a bit for some. However for myself, it did not detract from a second viewing, but rather I paid more attention to the scenes that were discussed.
Charlie Rose Interviews Julian Schnabel
This interview is a real gem, as Schnabel opens up in a rather personal way discussing his own relationship with his father and how that shaped the movie. They also discuss Jean-Dominique Bauby, the person, and what he was like before the accident. I found the discussion gave me great insight into Schnabel’s vision for the film, as well as context for the source material, Bauby’s autobiography. This extra is also where you will find the trailer for the film, which is not presented separately on the disc.
Audio Commentary With Julian Schnabel
I don’t always watch a whole film again with the commentary on, as they can often be quite dull. However, this commentary is fantastic. I didn’t want to turn it off and ended up watching the whole film again, all the way through the last of the credits. Schnabel repeats some of the anecdotes that you will find in the other extras on the disc, but I felt that watching the filmed scenes as he provided historical context or technical insight only augmented my understanding rather than boring me with the same rehashed tales. It’s a bit like peeking into the mind of a painter as he creates his next canvas, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, although Schnabel avoids straying into self-indulgence with frequent praise for his collaborators. At certain points in the film he even states that he hates to talk over scenes because they are so well done.
Audio, Video and Interface
The video transfer is excellent and the sound quality is fantastic. The film is not a noisy one, and music is used sparingly to generate specific responses. The audio is presented in Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and the viewer can select subtitles in English, French or Spanish. For those who don’t want to deal with subtitles, the film can also be viewed in an English or Spanish dubbed version, however it seems a shame to miss out on the fantastic performances of the original actors; I have a feeling that the emotion of Max Von Sydow’s portrayal is not quite as powerful in the English version.
The interface is easily navigated, being limited to just a few menus, and incorporates scenes from the film, including the main title sequence that was created using X-rays found near the hospital where the movie was filmed.
The Final Evaluation
I wasn’t sure what I would make of this film going in, but I came out loving it. Although some would classify it as an “art film,” I would hate for some people to immediately dismiss it based on their own preconceived notion of what a French art film would be. It is such a different cinematic vision for me, and I really enjoyed the unconventional nature. The film challenges the viewer, and could really generate some great conversations among people about how they would react if they were in such a situation, or if they were the friend or spouse of such a person. Jean-Dominique was not a perfect man, nor were those around him, but the film does a great job of presenting them as human beings, not idealized visions of victim, hero, or villain.
With all of the wonderful extras included on this disc, it is well worth a purchase for art film fans. Others who are more hesitant may want to rent first, but do take the time to check out the extras as they really enhance the viewing. This film may not have had all of the fanfare of the big guns from 2007, but it certainly is one of the best films of last year and deserves another chance to find its audience.
DVD details
- Release date: April 29, 2008
- Original Release Date: 30 November 2007 (USA limited release)
- Suggested retail price: $29.99
- Feature run time: 112 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
- Sound: Dolby Digital Surround Sound 5.1
