The Bottom Line
Pros
- Dazzling visual style evokes the horror and beauty of Jean-Dominique Bauby's inner world
- Excellent directing, cinematography, editing and adapted screenplay
- Actor Mathieu Amalric's performance in the difficult role of Jean-Dominique Bauby is remarkable
Cons
- A moving story, brilliantly realized cinematically, but it may be too emotionally draining for some
Description
- DVD containing drama The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), adapted from the memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby
- Nominated for four Oscars, including directing, cinematography, editing and adapted screenplay
- DVD provides feature audio commentary by director Julian Schnabel
- DVD contains 41 minutes of additional bonus materials
- Feature film runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13 for nudity, sexual content and some language
- DVD Release Date: April 29, 2008
Guide Review - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly DVD Review
Directed by Julian Schnabel, this French-language film is adapted from the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor of the fashion magazine Elle. Bauby had a stroke that left him completely paralyzed, except he could still blink his left eye, and the movie shows how he was able to author the memoir in that condition. An assistant would recite the letters of the alphabet ordered by the frequency of their occurrence in French, and Bauby would blink when she came to the letter he wanted.
The superb, dazzling visual style of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly evokes the horror and beauty of Jean-Dominique Bauby's inner world as Schnabel interweaves Bauby's memories and reveries. Actor Mathieu Amalric's performance as Bauby is remarkable. What is amazing about the film is how Schnabel cinematically conveys both the claustrophobic nature of Bauby's condition along with the power of imagination and memory to liberate his mind.
DVD Special Features
"Submerged: The Making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (13 minutes)
"A Cinematic Vision" (7 minutes)
Charlie Rose Interviews Julian Schnabel (21 minutes)
Audio Commentary by Director Julian Schnabel
DVD Includes Soundtracks for Theatrical Feature Film in the Original French Along With Dubbed English and Spanish
Subtitles (English, French and Spanish)
Closed Captioned (English)
