The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Quote of the day:
“Why is it that people who cannot show feeling presume that that is a strength and not a weakness?”
--May Sarton

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” does something no movie has ever done before. Some films have danced around it, but none have done it.

This movie takes you into the experience of waking up in the hospital, completely paralyzed and not knowing what has happened or what is going on. It’s uncanny how real it feels.

The director, Julian Schnabel, has done an exceptional job making the experience real. It’s difficult to do this without using distracting gimmicks, or at least calling attention to technique. Schnabel’s filmmaking is transparent.

You might think the premise of the film would make it dull. But it’s far from dull. We get a glimpse into the mind and memories of an active, engaged magazine editor, while also seeing what is going on around him.

And, because the movie is essentially set in a hospital room, it would be easy to assume that the story would be depressing. While the film is indeed very honest and straightforward, ultimately what comes across is a moving portrait of the value of life.

It’s something I’ve never seen in a movie before.