The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
"Le scaphandre et le papillon" (original title)

The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.

Director:

Julian Schnabel

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (screenplay), Jean-Dominique Bauby (book)

Stars:

Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze

Top 250 #232 | Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 55 wins & 41 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mathieu Amalric	...	Jean-Do
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	Céline
Marie-Josée Croze	...	Henriette Roi
Anne Consigny	...	Claude
Patrick Chesnais	...	Le Docteur Lepage
Niels Arestrup	...	Roussin
Olatz López Garmendia	...	Marie Lopez
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Père Lucien et le Vendeur
Marina Hands	...	Joséphine
Max von Sydow	...	Papinou
Gérard Watkins	...	Le Docteur Cocheton
Théo Sampaio	...	Théophile
Fiorella Campanella	...	Céleste
Talina Boyaci	...	Hortense
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Laurent

Storyline

Forty-three year old Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby - Jean-Do to his friends - awakens not knowing where he is. He is in a Berck-sur-Mer hospital, where he has been for the past several weeks in a coma after suffering a massive stroke. Although his cognitive facilities are in tact, he quickly learns that he has what is called locked-in syndrome which has resulted in him being almost completely paralyzed, including not being able to speak. One of his few functioning muscles is his left eye. His physical situation and hospitalization uncomfortably bring together the many people in his life, including: Céline Desmoulins, his ex-lover and mother of his children; Inès, his current lover; and his aged father who he calls Papinou. Among his compassionate recuperative team are his physical therapist Marie, and his speech therapist Henriette. Henriette eventually teaches him to communicate using a system where he spells out words: she reads out the letters of the alphabet in ...

---

Plot Keywords:

eye | paralyzed | editor | stroke | blink | 

---

Taglines:

Let your imagination set you free

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for nudity, sexual content and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Spain]

Country:

France USA

Language:

French

Release Date:

23 May 2007 (France)

Also Known As:

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£106,911 (UK) (8 February 2008)

Gross:

$5,990,075 (USA) (4 April 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Renn Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

To familiarize himself with Bauby's sheltered existence, director Julian Schnabel made the movie in the same hospital where Bauby was treated, meeting many of the orderlies who had treated him. He also shot scenes on the same balcony where Bauby relaxed, and on the same nearby beach his family took him to.

---

Goofs

After Bauby's right eye is sewn shut and hidden behind the opaque lens of his glasses, the angled mirror over his bed reveals it to be open and tracking along with the left eye.

---

Quotes

[last lines]
Céline: Bauby, 43, a renowned journalist, family man and free spirit, was planning a book about female revenge.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Office: Trivia (2012)

---

Soundtracks

"Je chante sous la pluie"
(French adaptation of Singin' in the Rain)
(Arthur Freed / Nacio Herb Brown / Adaptation by A. Ker, R. Nazelles & M. Lauzin)
© EMI Catalogue Partnership / EMI Robbins Catalogue Inc.
With the kind authorization of EMI Catalogue Partnership France

User Reviews

What movies should be

The best film so far - that I've seen - in 2008. A totally artistic endeavour that succeeds on every level. Expecting a somewhat depressing movie, I found it to be the exact opposite. Uplifting, joyful, and inspirational while showing a man (played by Mathieu Amalric) completely paralyzed, apart from the ability to blink his left eye.

There is a seamless blend of cinematography with the music to enhance the inner life of the main character, the viewer is at one with his inner frustration, his soaring imagination, his follies, faults and lusts. At times it is humorous, at others there are indelible vignettes

• one of the long term partner (beautfully played by EmmanuelleSeigner)

assisting his lover to communicate with him by telephone. Another is the incredible Max Von Sydow in a riveting performance as the elderly heart-broken father.

The film is based on a true story and it must have been an enormous challenge to bring this story to the screen. Julian Schnabel directed the amazing cast and brought an artistry to the project that is extremely rare in film making. To capture the world as seen through the eye of a paralyzed man and make it so fascinating took enormous skill.

I was captivated and enchanted and would definitely see it again. 9 out of 10. Not to be missed.