Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) poster & wallpaper
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Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, Patrick Chesnais ... see more see more... , Niels Arestrup , Olatz Lopez Garmendia , Jean-Pierre Cassel , Marina Hands , Gerard Watkins , Theo Sampaio , Fiorella Campanella , Talina Boyaci , Isaach De Bankolé , Emma de Caunes , Jean-Philippe Écoffey , Nicholas Le Riche , Anne Alvaro , Françoise Lebrun , Zinedine Soualem , Georges Roche , Agathe De La Fontaine , Yves-Marie Coppin , Francois Delaive , Franck Victor , Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre , Daniel Lapostolle , Philippe Roux , Francis Filloux , Elvis Polanski , Max von Sydow , Sara Seguela , Vasile Negru , Marie Meyer , Ilze Bajare , Anna Chyzh , Antoine Breant , Azzedine Alaia , Michael Wincott , Jean-Baptiste Mondino , Lenny Kravitz , Farida Khelfa

The astonishing true-life story of Jean-Dominic Bauby -- a man who held the world in his palm, lost everything to sudden paralysis at 43 years old, and somehow found the strength to rebound -- first t... read more read more...ouched the world in Bauby's best-selling autobiography The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (aka La Scaphandre et la Papillon), then in Jean-Jacques Beineix's half-hour 1997 documentary of Bauby at work, released under the same title, and, ten years after that, in this Cannes-selected docudrama, helmed by Julian Schnabel (Basquiat) and adapted from the memoir by Ronald Harwood (Cromwell). The Schnabel/Harwood picture follows Bauby's story to the letter -- his instantaneous descent from a wealthy and congenial playboy and the editor of French Elle, to a bed-bound, hospitalized stroke victim with an inactive brain stem that made it impossible for him to speak or move a muscle of his body. This prison, as it were, became a kind of "diving bell" for Bauby -- one with no means of escape. With the editor's mind unaffected, his only solace lay in the "butterfly" of his seemingly depthless fantasies and memories. Because of Bauby's physical restriction, he only possessed one channel for communication with the outside world: ocular activity. By moving his eyes and blinking, he not only began to interact again with the world around him, but -- astonishingly -- authored the said memoir via a code used to signify specific letters of the alphabet. In Schnabel's picture, Mathieu Amalric tackles the difficult role of Bauby; the film co-stars Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, and Patrick Chesnais. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

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91% liked it

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164 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: Julian Schnabel

Release Date: November 30, 2007

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DVD Release Date: April 29, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (9,287)

  • cosmo313
    April 6, 2012
    cosmo313
    Based on his memoirs of the same name, this is the story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the one-time editor of Elle Magazine who, after a debilitating stroke, became the victim of Locked-In Syndrome- a condition where he was unable to speak, and the only parts of him that worked were h... read moreis mind and his left eye. To communicate he was forced to slowly and painstakingly blink as people read off the letters that he wanted to use to form sentences. It sounds very tedious and awful, but he manged to write his memoirs using that method, so that is definitely a testament to thew strength of determination and will power.

    This is a depressing film, but it's not nearly as depressign as I figured it would be. I think it's actually a lot more beautiful and filled with hope and enlightenment, so that takes the edge off. That, and the superb way the story is told gives you more to think about, letting you focus more on how they did it instead of the tragedy of the situation.

    Schnabel and Janusz Kaminski (the dp) do an excellent job of telling the story, mostly by showing it from Bauby's POV. This is done with unique camera placements, double exposures, and all sorts of cool lenses and other effects. From visual and technical perspectives, this is a real masterpiece. The audience gets to experience things from how Bauby did, and, while it is harrowing it times, you really gain a ton of respect for the man.

    Besides all the neat techniques, this is still a wonderful piece of work. It's got wonderful cinematography overall (not just he POV stuff), a great story, and some terrific performances, espeically Amalric. This is one of those cases where the fiulm is so dependent on the lead role to carry things that, if he fails, the film fails. Thankfully, Amalric knocks it out of the park. It's a shame he got snubbed at some awards ceremonies though, because he has one of the most challenging and unglamoruous roles here. He was very brave to take this one on, and I have really come to love him as an actor as a result.

    Give this film a shot. Yeah, it's kinda bleak, and arty, and a bit pretentious, but it really is touching, inspiring, and one hell of a cinematic achievement.
  • fb1672039553
    December 2, 2011
    fb1672039553
    Through brilliant use of the medium, we are given an acutely visceral impression of being inside the useless body of Jean-Dominic Bauby, all of us sharing in his extraordinary and limited experience, and learning of his poetry, imagination, and passion for all of life. We are als... read moreo begged the question of how much we would sacrifice for someone we knew in his position.
    P.S. This is not a French film. It's American (two Tom Waits songs!), but authentic to its non-fictional subject, a French man in a France.
  • paulkoh110
    October 25, 2011
    paulkoh110
    Cinematography in this film was beautiful and different. The story was rich and deep. Its truly a masterpiece!
  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    The Diving Bell And The Butterfly is a true narrative on and of French author, journalist, editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who wrote a book of same title with his left eye. A triumph of the persevering human spirit over a seemingly impossible challenge. A convincing offering of a per... read morespective through brilliance in cinematography and direction. Life-affirming. Life-changing. Accomplished.
  • hunterjt13
    August 9, 2011
    hunterjt13
    The former editor of Elle suffers from locked-in syndrome.
    I think the best word to describe this film is maudlin. I can understand people who may be moved by this story, a French My Left Foot, but by the end of the film, I didn't feel as though I had learned anythi... read moreng. As much as the film uses POV shots and its lack of linearity reflects Jean Do's stroke-affected thoughts, I still didn't know him as a person or what allowed him to continue despite his impediments. What's the take-home? What's the theme? Is this merely another story about an afflicted man taking what life shells out like a champ?
    Overall, there are moments during The Diving Bell and the Butterfly when I thought about how shitty it would be to be in Jean Do's state, and this opportunity self-reflection and the way locked-in syndrome was presented are the best things about the film; however, the filmmakers failed to do the one thing we ask of them when we pay our ten bucks: "Tell me a coherent fucking story."
  • itsjustme2004
    August 9, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    This is an interesting documentary-style French film. However, I did not find it to be as inspiring, or moving, as many of the other people. Maybe it's just my lack of appreciation for French films? I find most of them terribly slow..to the point of excrutiating. This one we can ... read morejust add to that list, I guess.
  • jennifxu
    July 30, 2011
    jennifxu
    Only the French can pull this off. Schnabel turns what could be a potentially boring subject into a magnetic, lyrical splendor. The climax was perfect, the acting was heartfelt, and the music fits like a glove. Never does it turn into arty nonsense or meaningless froth.

    ... read more>And I have changed my mind about cinematography: Atonement, you no longer hold the position of the most beautiful movie in the world, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon has surpassed you by miles. At the end scene when the eye looks at things sideways, roaming all around, and then all of a sudden the camera flips right side up, I thought I would cry from the gorgeousness. It's not a pretentious kind of beauty, it's as if you had just perchanced upon the moment and happened to capture it at exactly the right time at the right angle, and somehow this discovery happened a thousand times over. My gosh, if only Schnabel and his band of artistic geniuses could get together and turn MY life into something this fantastic.
  • BEACHBUNNI
    April 20, 2011
    BEACHBUNNI
    On December 9, 1995, Jean Dominique Bauby, the editor of Elle magazine, suffered a massive stroke which left him with "locked in syndrome"... and the only thing he can move is his left eyelid.
    a speech therapist, (Marie Josee Croze) teaches him a laborious form of communication... read more, and with this he is able to dictate his memoirs.
    This really is an astonishing true life story ,about a man who held the world in his palm and lost everything to sudden paralysis at just 43 years old, and he somehow found the strength to rebound.
    interesting to note that Julian Schnabel won Golden Globe for Best Director with this movie,im not surprised at all~!
  • fernandorafael
    April 3, 2011
    fernandorafael
    A gripping tale of a man's terrible illness, Le Scaphandre et Le Papillon, is a beautifully photgraphed and very well-written piece of art. Julian Schnabel makes this film work in a fantastic way, and definitely lets you become 'Jean-Do' with his great style and vision. This film... read more explores (and causes) a wide array of emotions, especially in the scenes with Jean-Do and his father or with his ex-lover, Céline. The relatively unknown cast was great: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Consigny, Marie-Josée Croze, Olatz López Garmendia, and Max Von Sydow. The scene where they sew Jean-Dominique's eye shut is fantastic.
  • emilebond007
    February 8, 2011
    emilebond007
    This won't really be a review because I feel like I can't describe how much I loved this movie. Everyone will find something to love in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, that remains one of the most touching movies I've seen, even though the fabulous director prefered to say: ... read moreLife is worth living, instead of giving up.
    Ovation to Mathieu Amalric, who made me feel his pain, his happiness.
    And I cannot not mention one of the best direction of the year, by Julian Schnabel, who made the impossible come true.

    Everyone, run see this !

View All Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Bob Mondello
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

What's fascinating is that it is the very restrictions the story imposes on a director that allow Schnabel to turn it into such an eerie stunner of a movie. Full Review

Peter Howell
October 18, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one of the best movies of 2007, but I'd argue it's also the one most in tune with what this season of goodwill and tolerance is supposed to be all about. Full Review

Roger Moore
January 10, 2008
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's a subject and a film that perfectly blends the tragic with the triumphant. Full Review

Andrea Gronvall
January 4, 2008
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

Profoundly moving. Full Review

Bruce Newman
January 4, 2008
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News

Director Julian Schnabel uses his skill as a painter to assemble a collage of fantastical images to reveal the exquisite physical wreck that Bauby has become. Full Review

Tom Long
December 26, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

[Director Julian] Schnabel isn't going anywhere astounding in this film; it is, after all, about a man who can't move. But he is exploring the vast potential of both imagination and spirit. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
December 26, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

A film that haunts and inspires. Full Review

Richard Nilsen
December 26, 2007
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic

May well be the best movie of the year. Full Review

Liam Lacey
December 26, 2007
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly isn't about feeling better about terrible things, but about cherishing imagination as the force that sustains life. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
December 26, 2007
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

The film is a triumph of empathy. Full Review

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    • Roussin: Hold fast to the human inside of you, and you'll survive.
    • Jean-Dominique 'Jean Do' Bauby: We're all children, we all need approval.
    • Jean-Dominique 'Jean Do' Bauby: A poet once said, "Only a fool laughs when nothing's funny"
    • Jean-Dominique 'Jean Do' Bauby: We're all children, we all need approval.
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