Summary

The dramatic turn around in the life of former Elle Editor Jean-Dominique Bauby is told in with poetic and visual flair in Julian Schnabel’s life-affirming adaptation of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The film is at times hard to watch – reflecting the challenge of Bauby’s final years, yet this only adds merit to the attitude and actions that Bauby adopted following his life-changing stroke.

BBFC Rating: 12 (SFC Opinion: 15)

The Plot

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly tells the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby - the editor of the fashion magazine 'Elle France', who at the age of 42 suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using his eye to blink out his memoir letter-by-letter, Bauby eloquently describes the aspects of his interior world. This shifts from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body, which he describes as being akin to wearing a heavy diving bell suit that “drags you down to the bottom of the ocean”, to his imagined stories from lands he has only visited in his mind and his description of the sound of his heartbeat being like that of a butterfly flapping its wings. The film shifts between the present, flashbacks of Bauby’s past, and the fantastical imaginings of his mind; all strung together with the presence of a beautiful woman by his side and an implicit acknowledgment of the spiritual dimension to his life.

Artistic and Technical Merit

As expected from European cinema, the artistic merits of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly do not fail to disappoint. If this film were a painting it is one that Julian Schnabel painted on a turquoise blue canvas; the colour being everywhere from the hospital walls, to Bauby’s imaginings of his diving bell suit sinking to the ocean floor, to the glow of the neon lights in Lourdes. These all add a serene, calming and poetic note to the production. And the Oscar-nominated editing of scenes between Bauby’s flashbacks, his imagination and his present day life mean the film flows at a steady and seamless pace throughout.

Ronald Harwood’s screenplay adaptation of Bauby’s book is also worthy of its Oscar-nomination; maintaining pace, an element of expectation and a good level of depth and growth for all main characters throughout. Harwood doesn’t shy away from including the spiritual elements of Bauby’s struggle, nor does he avoid the promiscuous and vibrant nature of Bauby’s past life. If the screenplay has a fault it is that its conclusion is not more definite: many different dimensions of Bauby’s life were depicted throughout the film, often fleetingly, and many issues arose – such as childhood, materialism, spirituality and promiscuity, yet a more definitive conclusion as to the meaning of it all was lacking somewhat. Though admittedly, the quality of Harwood’s adaption was dependant upon the quality of the original material.

Finally, the acting of all major cast members throughout the film was admirable; especially that of Mathieu Amalric as Jean-Do, and Max von Sydow as Papinou, his father.

Moral and Ethical Merit

There are no shortage of moral and ethical issues to explore in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Most obvious of all is Jean-Do’s decision to be positive and stay true to the fact that it is God that gives life and God that takes life away. Thus despite his initial requests for death, his proclamations of “Ca c’est la vie!” – “This is life!” and his assertions upon seeing his reflection that he thinks he looks like he’s just “come out of a vat of formaldehyde”, with the support of caring medical staff, friends and family, he turns his negative attitude around.

Notable are the reminder from his speech therapist that everyone is praying for him, the advice of his business associate to “hold fast to the human inside of you” and the honesty of his other speech therapist (Henriette) that his wanting to die is “disrespectful; obscene”. Soon after, Bauby tells us that he has “decided to stop pitying myself” and it is at this point in the film that Schnabel shifts our point of view from the limited vision of Bauby to a more encompassing external view of him in the world. Of particular importance is Bauby’s statement that he decided to change his attitude around: acknowledging that whilst every part of his body is paralysed apart from his eye, two things at least remain functioning: his imagination and his memory; and those he does have control over.

As alluded to above, the film does have one fault line running through it though; and that is its lackadaisical attitude to promiscuity and its failure to communicate the true significance of Bauby’s past lifestyle. At one point Bauby admits that he has treated his children and the mother of his children badly and contends that it’s too late to make amends now. Yet the suggestion or thought of marriage, even in his condition, is not considered. As the production moves on there is appreciation of the time spent with his children; switching between his immense frustration of not being able to hug and hold them, to his joy at still being able to see them and be in their presence. Yet the film is interspersed with numerous shots of women’s thighs and frequent sexual innuendo. Doubtless this reflected Jean-Do’s attitude at the time, but in watching the film I felt strongly something was absent in its conclusion; that absence being the unity of his family. 

Redemptive and Spiritual Merit

There are frequent reminders throughout The Diving Bell and the Butterfly that Jean-Do has people praying for him, with one of his therapists even taking him along to Church. There is an implicit acknowledgement that this has been of help to him and something that he is appreciative of. There is also implicit acknowledgement of a guiding hand in his life and a strong message that ultimately it is not us that controls the destiny or path of our lives. The decision of Jean-Do to stay positive in the face of suffering and adversity is indeed truly redemptive, as was his admission of his failings in life. In addition to those things already mentioned as being absent, a mention of the importance of forgiveness and of personal prayer, particularly in times of struggle, would have been of assistance in helping to guide others through a similar situation. However, perhaps most pleasingly of all the film concludes with the statement that Bauby had been planning to write a book on female revenge; what a redemptive act indeed to finish his life with this book instead.

Content and Age Appropriateness

Frequent verbal and visual sexual innuendo; upper-female nudity; some bad language; promiscuity and partial male nudity. The BBFC rated this film as 12, SFC recommends viewing for those 15 and above.