The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Synopsis: 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 in tact, 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 descendi
Genre: Biography, Drama
Director(s): Julian Schnabel
Production: Miramax Films
  Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 66 wins & 95 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.0
Metacritic:
92
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
PG-13
Year:
2007
112 min
$5,875,116
Website
858 Views


THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

Look! He's waking.

- Page Dr. Cocheton. Quickly.

Dr. Cocheton to room 119, please.

Mr. Bauby, open your eyes.

Open your eyes.

Mr. Bauby, open your eyes.

You've been asleep for a long time,

you're waking up now. Can you hear me?

Yes, I'm hearing you.

What's happening?

Jesus, a hospital.

Mr. Bauby, open your eyes wide.

Try to keep them open.

Yes, like that.

Follow this lamp with your eyes.

Alright.

Don't be alarmed.

You're in a hospital.

I'm a doctor. My name's Cocheton.

These are nurses.

We're here to take care of you.

Do you remember what happened?

Do you remember what happened?

Just vague images

You're in the Naval Hospital, Berck-sur-Mer.

On the coast. At Calais.

You were treated first in Paris,

and then brought here.

Do you remember that?

Jean-Dominique.

You've had a stroke.

You've been in a coma for

almost three weeks.

But now you're waking up and you'll be fine.

I promise you.

Thank you

- I have to give you some simple tests.

Keep your eyes on me.

Good.

Follow my finger.

Good.

When I say blink,

please blink.

Excellent.

Now, tell me your name.

Jean-Dominique Bauby.

- Come on, try

I just did.

- Try really hard, say your name.

Jean-Dominique Bauby.

Try saying your children's names.

Thophile, Cleste, Hortense.

Don't worry.

It's a slow process.

But your speech will come back.

What? Can't you hear me, doctor?

Doctor?

What's happening? I can't speak.

They can't hear me.

Oh my God.

I can't speak.

What's happened to me?

My name is Jean-Dominique Bauby.

Doctor?

All right, all right.

I've had a stroke my speech'll

come back my memory will come back

Everything will be alright, Mr. Bauby.

We are here to care for you.

I'll be patient.

Ok.

Ok, I believe you.

Who brought these flowers?

Roses.

Ins.

Did you sleep well?

Let's see.

You're going to have an important visitor.

Dr. Lepage, your neurologist.

So we want you at your very best.

Good morning.

I'm Alain Lepage, your neurologist.

You know Dr. Cocheton, of course.

Jean-Dominique...

no, no, your friends call you Jean-Do.

So that's what I'm going to call you.

Think of me as your friend.

Sure Doctor.

As a friend I know how

difficult this is for you.

Nobody here has explained to

you the full extent of your condition.

You've had what we call a

cerebrovascular accident.

It's put your brain stem out of action.

The brain stem is an essential

component of our internal computer

the link between the brain

and the spinal cord.

In the past, we would have

said you'd had a massive stroke.

You would very

probably have died.

But now we have such improved

resuscitation techniques

that we're able to prolong life.

Is this life?

Is this life?

- Yes, prolong life.

I'm not going to mince words,

Jean-Do. You are completely paralyzed.

You have realised you are unable to speak.

You have what we call...

...'locked-in syndrome'.

locked-in syndrome.

- Locked-in syndrome.

It will be of no comfort to you but your

condition is extremely rare.

And we simply don't know the cause.

You don't smoke and you're

not a heavy drinker.

It just happened all of a sudden.

However, apart from being totally

paralysed...

...you are normal in every other respect.

Normal?

- There is hope.

Your brain is functioning.

You're able to understand us.

You follow our movements with your eyes.

Although I'm not entirely

happy with your right eye.

This muscle doesn't work, see?

The eye doesn't get moisturized.

I'm afraid we have to cover that.

Don't we?

- Cover?

What does he want to cover?

- but I'll take a second guess on that.

We want you to take it easy for a few days.

What d'you think I'm doing now?

- and then two beautiful

young women will visit you.

And when I say beautiful,

I mean beautiful.

- Fine.

They are great. Outstanding therapists and

miracle workers.

No miracles please.

- And so, as I say, there's hope..

That's what you all showed me.

You'll be well looked after, Jean-Do.

Really.

That's a good start.

- You'll be well looked after.

Good morning.

Have I gone to heaven?

- I'm Henritte.

And I'm Marie.

- You can blink your eyes, don't you?

So, I want you to blink once for yes,

twice for no.

Fine! Two beauties and I'm helpless.

- Can you read that?

Where?

H. Durand, logopediste.

- Can you see Durand?

Good, Mr. Bauby.

- Mrs. or Miss?

I'm your physical therapist.

First you have to learn again to swallow.

So I'll be working on your tongue and lips.

Sounds fun.

- And I'm your speech therapist.

Until you can actually speak again

I have to find a way for you to communicate.

Your condition is extremely rare.

- I know.

we're going to have to work very hard.

- So we'd better get started.

Exactly. I just came in to introduce myself.

See you.

See you.

I want you to know...

...that this is perhaps the most important

job I've ever been given.

and I'm determined to succeed.

With your help, of course.

I think you understand,

but I will ask you some questions.

Ok?

Remember, you answer

by blinking once for yes

or twice for no..

Am I a man?

Am I a woman?

Is the sun too bright for you?

Is it midnight now?

What kinds of questions are this?

- Are we in Paris?

Are we in Berck?

Does wood float?

- I don't think so.

Do you remember having your stroke?

Were you the editor of Elle magazine?

Yes, I was the editor-in-chief of Elle.

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Ronald Harwood

Sir Ronald Harwood, CBE, FRSL (born Ronald Horwitz; 9 November 1934) is an author, playwright and screenwriter. He is most noted for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for The Dresser (for which he was nominated for an Oscar) and The Pianist, for which he won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). more…

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