Over the weekend I had the remarkable pleasure of watching The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I immediately went online to order the book composed by the subject of this movie -- Jean-Dominique Bauby.In 1995, "Jean Do," the 43-year-old editor of French Elle, suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed and "locked-in." Before he died in 1996, Bauby dictated his memoir, communicated entirely by blinking his left eye. This film -- as well as every carefully chosen word in his story -- will stay with me for a long, long time.
See it.
Read it.
ohh, I had totally forgotten I'd wanted to see this, thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteDear Stiffie:
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about this film and book since we discussed it at dinner tonight. I had a vision (shortly thereafter) in which I imagined I was incapacitated and was dictating a book to you through the only means available to me -- by tapping a swizzle stick on the side of a rocks glass.
Now the question is: would you carefully translate each tap into words and sentences (and you know the kind I write), or wait until no one was looking and hold a pillow over my face?
Then again, since there was nothing I could do about it, you could always change my text to something else, and just move the rocks glass beyond my reach.
The powerful text of Jean-Dominiqie Bauby indicates the strength of character he had, and his depth of insight.
With all my love,
Jack
AKA The Lindbeergh Baby
Very pertinent for me, as I have no voice at the moment. It's been gone for seven weeks now, and I'm increasingly frustrated by the problems of living without effective verbal communication. I can whistle. I can write. But my family are speaking to me less and I'm feeling increasingly isolated by this illness. I know there is nothing nasty going on but am now faced with a long wait for speech therapy. Oh well..... I'll have to get hold of the film/book.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie but I read the book. Very powerful Both tragic and inspiring at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI read about this a while back - on vsl or some such - will have to see it - and read the book as well -
ReplyDeletelovely image Leslie...
xox - eb,
Thank you for the review! How incredibly moving! I'll look forward to watching it with my mom. This sounds like a life changing movie about the power of the human spirit! A beautiful butterfly photo you took to illustrate this post Leslie.
ReplyDeletexo
Constance
i will take your suggestion...it sounds like a perfect reminder to celebrate life daily...
ReplyDeleteI've heard about this film & then forgot to make watching it happen... thank you for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteYear ago when the book first came out, I read it. Haven't seen the movie, though.
ReplyDeletePaz
Life is so precious...
ReplyDeleteWow prett saw one at my birth day pary! We had it a few days before my BIRTHDAY which was JUNE 18th!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Leslie, I LOVED that movie and the book was superb, too. It really was a fulfilling film, wasn't it? "Jean Do" really was a special, charming man.
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