Trailer of the film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G69Zh7YIg8c
Review of the film
http://www.salon.com/2008/02/23/diving_bell_2/
Review of the book, from which the film was made
http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/970615.mallon.html
What was your initial reaction to the film? What do you take away from it? How do you see it relating to class? Do you agree with your classmates' responses (pick one or two and explain).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G69Zh7YIg8c
Review of the film
http://www.salon.com/2008/02/23/diving_bell_2/
Review of the book, from which the film was made
http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/970615.mallon.html
What was your initial reaction to the film? What do you take away from it? How do you see it relating to class? Do you agree with your classmates' responses (pick one or two and explain).
http://viooz.co/movies/2263-the-diving-bell-and-the-butterfly-2007.html
ReplyDeleteI found this copy of the full length movie for free. It seems to work so far for me if anyone still needs it.
My initial reaction to the Diving Bell and The Butterfly was very skeptical and i didn't really know what to think of it. The fact that it was based on a true story made me think about what it would really be like to be in his situation. It was very easy for me to empathize with Jean-do in that when he first woke up he wanted the doctors to just end his life and his suffering. However his physical suffering was not what i empathized with. I found that it was easier to understand his mental and intellectual suffering and his description of being imprisoned in his own body. However when he finally realized that he was no longer living for himself but for the other people around him he once again found meaning in his life. What I take away from this movie is that it is better to have your life mean something to those around you rather than living for yourself. This relates to our class because as I believe that in the process of death and dying we must realize that the legacy we leave is not based in what we have but in the relationships with the people come into contact with. If more people were to die with this belief then i think the fear of death would not be as prominent in our society.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree that his worst feeling is being trapped inside his own body, and that he cannot support himself. But he has to stay strong for those around him, and for himself.
DeleteMy first thought was "Dang this movie has a kickin' soundtrack". I felt very empathetic towards Jean and the effect of his stroke. I can't even imagine how hard it must be to live each day almost completely paralyzed, forever a captive in the medical ward. I would not have been as strong as he was, that's for sure. But he found strength in the nurse who kept him company and in his wife and kids, and that gave me a little joy to see him enjoying life with them despite his condition. It relates to the class because we have conceptions of what a normal person is: a being who can freely move and interact with his/her world and can speak their thoughts independently of others. when such liberties are taken away, the person is left feeling a little less living, even though they are still breathing and/or still awake to the world around them. when we lose our ability to talk to the person next to us, or to move our hands to flip a page in a book, we have lost our freedom to express ourselves and to live our lives as we wish. are we still just as human as the next guy if we are unable to cleanse or feed ourselves after we've learned how to do it ourselves?
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to the movie was that it was going to be unrelateable, considering it was about a 40 year old frenchman who suffers a stroke. After about 5 minutes of the movie I also thought it was going to be very frustrating if the whole thing was shot through Jean's one functioning eye (thank goodness it wasn't). But, soon enough all of my initial doubts about the movie were lost. Even though the main character was a middle aged frenchman who suffered a stroke he ended up in a position that any person in the world could find themselves in. A car accident or any medical tragedy could put the healthiest person in the exact position that Jean was in. After the movie I took away that communication with other people is the most important thing we possess as humans. I also took away that we should be comfortable in all of our relationships at all times and we should never hold anything in that we need to say to someone close to us. The movie relates to the class because it is Jean's perspective of his journey to death and all the things he needs to do and accept in order to prepare for his death. It is interesting to hear his thoughts and ideas and how he deals with them because he cannot truly express them to anyone else.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to the film was not very positive, but that quickly changed. I was concerned that the whole focus of the film would be from Jean-Do’s view of everything through his one eye, and I thought that it was then going to be a really long drawn out movie. I definitely was glad to see that was not how the movie played out. Throughout the movie I thought about being in his situation, and it reaffirmed my own thoughts on hoping that I never have to live like that. I felt extremely sympathetic for him, and was glad to see that he had so much support behind him. From the speech therapist, the woman from the publishing house which Jean-Do had a book contract with who did the dictation, as well as his ex-wife. I like how he reflected back on his life and wished that he would have done some things differently. It makes a person really think about the life that they have and those in it, and appreciating everything around you, and not taking anything for granted. I see the movie relating to class as it gives people the view of what a person in Jean-Do’s situation is going through when their whole life have been completely turned upside down. A lot of movies which are out, where there are people who are dying, most often the family is the point of interest, and everyone is always worried and wondering about how they are handling things. You rarely see a movie from a sick or dying person’s perspective and what it is that goes through their mind and the challenges they may face throughout their situation.
ReplyDeleteYour point about looking back on life and finding it lacking is well made. As human beings, we always look back and wonder how/what could have been different. It's so easy to wrapped up in living and forget to enjoy life itself. We become "the student," "the engineer," "the mom," etc. We lose sight of being April, Christine, Melissa... human beings are made up of many things. This movie serves as a great reminder to not forget that... to focus on being the individual who is many things, not just one aspect... which allows us to minimize regret.
DeleteI felt that it was a very rough situation, that the illness would have overcome him, and he was going to give up. I felt like the movie was going to focus on the downside of what had happened, but that changed. It started focusing on how he was staying strong and fighting for not only himself, but those around him.
ReplyDeleteThe take away message I receive, is that when you feel like it is the end, and you want to give up, your actions not only effect you, but also those around you. When you stay strong, everyone around you stays strong with you, and continues to fight.
Relating to class I see that everyone experiences death, or some kind of tragedy, and that they become "weak" and want to give up. But now that we understand a little more of death or tragedy, we know how to handle it a little better, and we can help others around us.
I first thought this film was going to be some film that had to do with death and it was going to be sad and unrelated but I couldn't be wrong. I was drawn into this movie and really enjoyed it. I find it incredible how the desire for life can never die in someone and how if you really want something then you can fight for it. “My cocoon becomes less oppressive, and my mind takes flight like a butterfly. There is so much to do. You can wander off in space or in time, set out for Tierra del Fuego or for King Midas’s court.” I love this quote because I think that a lot of time we are in a cocoon because we are slaves to society because whether we like it or not everything we do is influenced by what we see in tv and on social media. if we were to break away from that and to do what we wanted to do and not do what is considered cool then we would life happiness like what is shown in this movie.
ReplyDelete"Diving Bell & The Butterfly" probably illuminates the scariest idea in the whole world to me - being "trapped" inside your own body. The movie definitely doesn't pull any punches, and for awhile, you almost feel like you're watching a documentary. It's easy to think that you're just watching a piece of fiction... until you remember that the movie is based off a true story. Then the realization that there are so many people effectively imprisoned within their own bodies hits you hard. What would any of us wish in those crippling moments of clarity about our new-found reality?
ReplyDeleteThe scene that really stood out for me was when one his therapists castigates him for preferring the idea of suicide. Yes, she had put in a considerable amount of work trying to find viable methods of communication for him. But no one knows how they would feel in that situation until there is no way to reverse it. Her response, to me, was childish and wholly unsympathetic. Did she really not understand why this once vital man's prognosis would seem like a fate worse than death? Personally, if this was my story, I'm not sure there would have been enough "material" to make a full length movie about my experience.
And of course this relates to class. The film explores the idea of what it means to truly live and truly die mean... if suicide is an acceptable means of death... and what the individual is capable of to ensure survival.