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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly streaming

Original title: Le scaphandre et le papillon
2007 Movie United States, France Drama, History, Biography 112 min FSK 12
By: Julian Schnabel With: Olatz López Garmendia, Marie-Josée Croze, Patrick Chesnais, Mathieu Amalric, Niels Arestrup

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 intact, 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 descending order of their use in the French language, and he blinks his functioning left eye when she reaches the appropriate letter. Although frustrating at start, he learns to communicate effectively but slowly using this method, so much so that with the help of Claude, a full time translator, he decides on the monumental and seemingly impossible task to keep to his pre-injury commitment of writing a book, changing its focus to life in his current state.

Filmium rating
80%

Festival Achievements

Festival de Cannes 2007
Awards:
In Competition - Feature films • In Competition - Feature films • In Competition - Feature films

Mood

Inspiring
Melancholic
Reflective
Thoughtful
Touching

Cast & Crew

Julian Schnabel
Ronald Harwood
Jean-Dominique Bauby
Mathieu Amalric
Niels Arestrup
Patrick Chesnais
Marie-Josée Croze
Emmanuelle Seigner
Anne Consigny
Olatz López Garmendia

Adaptation

Based On Memoir
Biographical Adaptation

Budget

Mid-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Close-Up Shots
Close-Ups
First-Person Perspective
Immersive
Restricted Point Of View
Subjective Camera
Visual Storytelling
Visual Symbolism

Narrative Structure

Dream Sequences
Flashbacks
Memoir-Based
Non-Linear
Nonlinear

Pace

Contemplative
Deliberate
Meditative
Reflective
Slow
Slow-Paced

Runtime

Long Runtime

Soundtrack

Ambient Music
Emotional Score

Style

Biographical
Dramatic
First-Person Perspective
Non-Linear
Poetic
Realistic
Surrealism

Time-Period

1990S

Central Conflict

Communication Barrier
Internal Conflict
Mental Clarity
Physical Limitation
Physical Paralysis
Writing A Memoir

Characters

Family
Jean-Dominique Bauby
Speech Therapist

Ending

Bittersweet
Death
Legacy

Historical Context

1990S
Medical Conditions

Key Plot Points

Death From Pneumonia
Locked-In Syndrome Diagnosis
Memoir Completion
Stroke

Plot

Biographical
Communication
Locked-In Syndrome
Memoir Writing
Personal Struggle
Struggle

Setting

Flashbacks
France
Hospital
Intimate Settings
Lourdes

Shooting Location

France
Hospital

Theme

Communication
Existentialism
Human Spirit
Legacy
Resilience
Self-Expression

Genre

Art Film
Art-House
Biographical
Biographical Drama
Drama
Foreign Film

Audiences

Adults
Art Film Lovers
Art-House Audience
Art-House Viewers
Biographical Drama Fans
Drama Enthusiasts
Film Enthusiasts
Resilience Seekers

Titles

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Awards

César Awards
Oscar Nominations

Critical Reception

92/100 Metacritic
94% Rotten Tomatoes

Festivals

Bafta
Cannes
Golden Globes

Popularity

21St-Century Classic
Top Films Of 2007

Ratings

High Ratings

Reception

Award-Winning
Awards
Critical Acclaim
Festival Success
High Ratings
Universal Acclaim

Production Countries

France
Usa

Release Year

2007
mowizz ID: 175af2ba-bef3-41ce-bafd-e4e41e608b98
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