by Missy Thompson
STAFF WRITER
At first I thought this French film would make me sick. The first-person camera techniques don't appeal to one's stomach. But once that initial cinematography ceased, "Le Scaphandre et le papillon" -- or, in English, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- came to life.
I was immediately drawn into how the story was being told. Originally, the script was written in English, but changed to French to stay true with the main character's natural language. This adds to the beauty of such a heart-wrenching piece of cinema.
The story told in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is that of Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers a stroke and becomes paralyzed except for his left eye. Mathieu Amalric, who plays Jean-Do, is incredible. For much of the film he is sitting or lying somewhere blinking an eye. What seems like an easy feat is anything but. It took tremendous concentration and dedication to pull off such a difficult character trait.
During the majority of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" Jean-Do is completely aware of his surroundings but unable to communicate verbally or with gestures. His estranged wife Céline (Emmanuelle Seigner) even makes sure to visit him on a regular basis. Eventually, with the help of hospital assistants, Jean-Do is able to "talk" with people by blinking his left eye. Speech therapist Henriette (Marie-Josee Croze) teaches him a communication code enabling him to express himself. Henriette recites a series of letters and Jean-Do then blinks once (meaning "yes") after she says the letter of the word he wants to spell.
Initially Jean-Do is pleased simply to communicate. He previously had a book contract with a publisher, Betty (Anne Alvaro), to write a feminine version of "The Count of Monte Cristo." Jean-Do wants to prove to his fellow colleagues that he is not a vegetable, but is in fact fully aware of his surroundings. Jean-Do is willing to cooperate with the terms of a new contract and writes a memoir about his condition and ordeal.
Claude (Ann Consigny) is sent in to do Jean-Do's translation. The process of taking down Jean-Do's thoughts is slow. Letter-by-letter words are formed into sentences and paragraphs into pages. Because of the great deal of time spent together, the audience begins to get the idea that Claude starts to fall in love with Jean-Do. The memoir is beautiful and heartbreaking, telling of his life's struggles in everyday society before becoming paralyzed and the days following.
Director Julian Schnabel has only directed two other films, but "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is a masterpiece. It's beautifully lyrical with just enough sadness and light-hearted moments. The cinematography and editing in particular are fabulous, and are reflected by each being nominated for an Academy Award.
The psychological torment that Jean-Do must live in while fully conscious of the world around him is told brilliantly through Amalric's acting. Even though his face is expressionless, you can feel the anguish he suffers longing to communicate. It's touching when he finally learns how he can "talk" to other people.
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" is the type of movie that often gets overlooked simply because it does have subtitles. However, because it is nominated for four Academy Awards, more people may be inclined to watch it. This is a beautiful and sad story about imagination setting someone free through the blink of an eye.
missy@tooeletranscript.com