"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," Julian Schnabel's realization of the book by Jean-Dominique Bauby, written by eye blinks after he was paralyzed by a stroke, is an emotional and technical tour de force. "Jean-Do" to his friends, Bauby was at the height of his career, editor of Elle, with three children by a long-term partner and in love with a mistress, when he was stuck down in 1995. The movie chronicles his awakening from a coma and painfully slow communication with the world outside, when he found himself imprisoned in "locked-in syndrome," able to control only his left eye.
Beginning when Bauby first regains consciousness, expertly told from his viewpoint, the movie takes us inside his mind as he tries to focus and finds himself in a hospital. What follows is a claustrophobic narrative lensed by Janusz Kaminski, two-time Oscar winner (for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List") most recently known for his work on "Munich" and "Minority Report." Gradually Bauby learns where he is, and that he is confined in his frozen body. But his mind is free. Slowly, we learn about him and his life, through his communications with his therapists and his visitors, and the camera slowly makes the transition from inside Bauby's left eye to show us the outside world.
Bauby learns that two things have not been taken from him: his memories and his imagination; and he decides to see where he can go with them. The movie is a fascinating journey, and well worth the time, as we see the value of a man to his friends, his family, himself, no matter how difficult it is to interact.
Rated PG-13. 112 minutes. Produced by Pathe Renn Productions. Distributed by Miramax Films. In French with English subtitles.
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