Saturday 6 February 2010

Locked in


Last night we sat up late after a jolly good evening out en famille, smaller family members in bed and fast asleep, this is not ,for a change, a childrens movie, we watched a film all the more moving for being based on a true story and poignantly emotional for me as it reflected memories of my own fathers illness and my childhood. The film has won much acclaim including best director awards at both cannes film festival and the golden globes and a bafta for best adapted screen story

It was of course" La Scaphandrew et le Papillon" or to give it its english name"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and is based on the story of Jean-Dominque bauby editor of magazine Elle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yhXcjaz1E0 ( for the trailer of teh english version see here who suffered a massive and unexpected stroke which left him paralysed and only able to communicate with his eye. Left trapped and mute inside his body which had in effect become his prison he recounts his feelings and interpretation of his world by means of blinkng his left eye in response to the letters of the alphahabet repeated to him by a transcriber , blink by blink Jean-Dominique told his story . Thee book took 10 months to dictate 200,000 blinks all edited and composed in his own words. He died shortly after it was published.
It is beautifully written, beautifully filmed, heart wrenchingly sad and an amazing insight into the head of a stroke victim able to hear and understand, but locked in his diving bell unable to reach the world ouside.
Do watch it .

7 comments:

  1. I can't bear the thought; the more realistic the film the more I would chicken out.
    The stuff of nightmares!

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  2. Gosh I am not sure if I could watch it but it sounds intriguing, I will look into it, but then again being a cork-head most of it will bounce off!!

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  3. I found the book quite quite amazing and quite quite difficult. Will view the trailer to see if I am up to it...

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  4. It's one of those films I'd like to see but think I need to brace myself for.

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  5. I don't usually watch that many films but that sounds a really good one. None of us know what's around the next corner do we?

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  6. Now this is a movie I HAVE watched, and what a movie. Superb physical acting by the main character, and an emotionally wrenching theme - it brought this man to tears at several points. Well worth the effort to find it if you can.

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  7. Oh god, I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it! Wil try and coax husband into watching it with me as this is one I do NOT want to miss.

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