The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Rare Look at the Human Condition

At age 43, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of French "Elle" magazine suffered a massive stroke that left him completely paralyzed except for his left eye. With the help of a transcriptionist, the once energetic Bauby wrote his memoirs entitled "Le Scaphandre et le Papillon" (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). Director Julian Schnabel has faithfully adapted Bauby's poignant book into a film.

In 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, the charming and energetic editor of French "Elle" magazine suffered a terrible stroke which left him in a coma. When he finally awoke from this coma, he found himself completely paralyzed, with the sole exception of his left eye. At first, Jean-Do (as he was known by those close to him) plummets into the depths of despair, but with the aid of his therapists begins to overcome his depression. Using a clever, but painstakingly slow system of blinking in conjunction with a specialized alphabet board, Jean-Do learns to communicate with the outside world. He becomes aware that while he is trapped inside the diving bell of his body, the butterfly of his mind is still able to fly free.

The film is largely shot from Bauby's own view, with a number of touching, funny and often heartbreaking flashbacks to better times. As characters come into his limited field of vision, we hear Jean-Do's narrative comments. We find that while he may be trapped inside a dead body, his mind is alive and as sharp as ever. His wry and often witty comments attest to the fact that he has not yet given up on life. Using flashback scenes, we grow to understand the relationship he had with his aging father and his young children and how his illness affected them.

Through the amazing camera work, we see the world through the eye of Bauby. With the aid of his narrative, we get a small glimpse of the tortured anguish of immobility and the sense of freedom he gets from his memories and hopes. This movie is one of the most touching and amazing films I've ever seen. Even more so when you consider the book was written one letter at a time, a journey that took 14 months. Each moment, each thought and each scene is a magnificent testament to Jean-Dominique's courage and fortitude. This is one of those rare films that give us a look into the human condition and maybe into those small corners of ourselves we rarely take the time to visit. I highly recommend this gem.

Sadly, in 1997, just two days after The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was published, Jean-Dominique died of pneumonia and never saw this biography of his life.