TIGblogs - Arpine Grigoryan

Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and The Butterfly)

Just watched this film. The title was very familiar, just didn't remember where I've heard about it... must be that one of my friends mentioned it or was it among Golden Apricot film list this year? not sure.. anyways...

It's a biographical film about Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his interior world, from the psychological torment of being trapped inside his body to his imagined stories from lands he'd only visited in his mind.

I would say that i really liked the movie, the way it was filmed the emotions it brought and thoughts. Some scenes were bringing tears, some were hard to watch (like when they were sewing his right eye). I liked to see the world through his eye and feel in a scaphandre like him. Some parts were annoying like trying to imagine the dictation the book through blinking just his left eyelid and imagining to see the entire process in the film.
I liked the scenes with his dad... very touching. This film reminded me of the Vanilla Sky and Abre los Ojos...

I read that Johnny Depp was originally set to pay the lead role but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. I think he would be nice in the role just that i don't know how he would speak French :)

I also liked the soundtrack and score though I wouldn't say that i ran to download something, still it was nice especially the ending titles.

Film has got plenty of awards, including 4 nominations for Oscar.

Trailer on YouTube

Official site
The film in the Internet Movie Database
film page on Wikipedia
book page on Wikipedia