Cinematography: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Overall Look:

I found the first half of the film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly directed by Julian Schnabel, very difficult to watch.  We first begin to see the film from the protagonist’s point of view.  He has just awoken from a coma which was caused by a stroke.  We see a blurred world through Jean-Dominic’s eyes.  This blurred vision, which includes a lot of blinking and quick camera movement, made me feel dizzy and nauseous. I am not sure if I felt this way because I get motion sickness or because this is how Schnabel wanted me to feel.  I would like to believe that Schnabel wanted the viewers to feel what Jean-Dominic felt at that very moment when he first opens his eyes.  He felt dizzy, confused, and clearly, there was a problem with his vision.

The first image Jean-Dominic sees after his stroke.

Here the doctor is testing is eye movement.

Images:

The Diving Bell

There is one image, shown above, that I found very confusing.  At first, I could not understand how this particular image tied in with the theme of the movie.  This image, which was repeated several times, was of a man in an old diving suit, floating in the middle of the ocean.  We first see the image after doctors have told Jean-Dominic that he has a condition called locked-in syndrome.  This means he is paralyzed from head to toe and is basically locked inside his own body.  Later Jean-Dominic compares himself to that of a diving bell.  After doing some research I found out that the diving suit pictured below is called a diving bell.  

Diving Bell Suit

I believe Jean-Dominic used this reference to explain how he felt, trapped and alone in this suite (his body), in the middle of the ocean (the world).  Later in the film, we see a slight change in this image, which signifies a change in Jean-Dominic’s state of mind.

Shot Lengths:

In the beginning of the film, most shot lengths are quick flashes.  This is because Jean-Dominic’s vision is struggling due to that fact that only his left eye is working properly.  As we see the world through his eyes, we see his blurred vision, his blinking, and his lack of peripheral vision.  Although Jean-Dominic’s vision remains the same, his state of mind begins to change.  At first, he has no will to live.  This is when we see each shot as a quick flash.  As time goes on, Jean-Dominic realizes that he took his life for granted and decides he wants to survive.  This is when the point of view changes and shots become longer.  Not only does Jean-Dominic begin to see more of the world but we the viewers begin to get a better understanding of what life was like for him before his stroke.

Shot Types:

The majority of the film is shot from Jean-Dominic’s point of view.  Because he does not have vision in his right eye, and he is unable to move is head, he can only see what is directly in front of him.  For this reason, close-ups and extreme close-ups are used throughout the film.

Jean-Dominic's view of his right eye is being sewn shut.

Close-up of Celine.

One extreme close-up, shown above, was very disturbing to watch.  This image shows Jean-Dominic’s point of view as the doctor sews his right eye shut.  This is an amazing and powerful shot; I am very curious as to how it was filmed. 

 

Also used in the film were long shots and extreme long shots.  The first extreme long shot can be seen after Céline, the mother of Jean-Dominic’s children, visits him in the hospital.  We see her standing at a deserted train station.  Jean-Dominique narrates this shot, explaining that he can picture her at the Berck Station, which he describes as “the most depressing place in the world.”  As the camera cuts to a close-up, we can understand why Jean-Dominique believes it is the most depressing place in the world.  We see Céline, standing alone and crying.

Long shot of the Berck train station.

Close-up of Celine's state of mind.

Camera Angles:

There are several different camera angles used throughout the film.  In the beginning of the film, we can often see the Dutch-angle being utilized.  By using this type of angle, we the viewers are given the impression that something in Jean-Dominic’s world is off balance.  He verbally expresses through narration that he is confused; but is unable to express that information to his doctors.  

Dutch-Angle shot

The next shot that I found to be very significant is a long, low-angle shot.  This is the moment when Jean-Dominic decides that he will no longer feel sorry for himself.  This is also the first shot where we get to see Jean-Dominic’s entire body and the actual condition he is in.  As this scene plays, we can hear the church bell’s ringing.  I believe that this shot shows how life can go on and there is a large world out there waiting to be lived in and explored no matter what condition one may be in.

Low-Angle, Extreme Long Shot

Composition:

As we can see from these two shots, and many others in the film, most of the characters are filmed on the left side of the frame.  We can also see that both shots use deep-space composition to create an illusion of depth; but they do not use deep-focus cinematography as the backgrounds are not in clear focus. I believe these shots are filmed this way because Jean-Dominic was only able to see out of his left eye.  The first shot shown above is seen from Jean-Dominic’s point of view.  The second shot is from an omniscient camera’s point of view.  Although the second shot is not seen through Jean-Dominic’s eyes, we still view the scene (world) as he does.

Camera Movement:

There is a lot of camera movement in this film.  Again, I believe this represents Jean-Dominic’s state of confusion and struggles.  One scene in particular uses the pan shot.

Pan shot of the beach (1:00:46)

This shot pan’s the entire beach where Jean-Dominic has just celebrated Father’s Day with his children.  He describes the grief he feels not being able to touch his children, run his fingers through their hair, or hug them tight.  He also expresses how he loves to see them laugh and play and that is what makes a wonderful day for him.  I think the view of this beautiful beach reminds him of the beauty he see’s when he watches his children play.

Cinematography Style:

The style of this film is unlike any other film I have seen before.  The film begins with Jean-Dominic’s restricted point of view.  The frame appears small and tight with the characters being very large.  As Jean-Dominic’s state of mind changes so does the frame.  It begins to broaden and we are able to see more of the world around him.  We also see scenes of Jean-Dominic’s past, his imagination, and even a sexual fantasy.  I believe all these different types of scenes help the viewers get a better understanding of who Jean-Dominic Bauby really is.  He is a man who has had many struggles but in the end decides to live a life with purpose.