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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Extraordinary!
Last Night I watched Julian Schnabel’s latest film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” at a preview screening for SAG at Raleigh Studios. And I was mesmerized by the film. Since its a film that will not get a very wide distribution, I wanted to do my part to spread the word for everyone to watch this amazing piece of film. Before I get into the film I must introduce you Julian Schnabel, who is slowly becoming a very imp filmmaker of our generation.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0773603/
A very good article about him came out in THE INDEPENDENT during Cannes which will give you a very good glimpse of the man
http://arts.independent.co.uk/film/features/article2591477.ece
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is his third Feature Film. His last film BEFORE NIGHT FALLS was a beautiful adaptaion of the Cuban Poet Reinaldo Arenas’ autobiographical novel. The amazing Javier Bardem played the lead for which he got nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. It was a beautiful film with great performances. Watch out for Johnny Depp in double role. But there was one major problem. It was in English. It was hard for me to watch a movie about Cubans where everyone is speaking english with spanish accent. I always have this issue with lot of films. Language is a very important part of film & it has to be perfect. I remember hating Parzania from the moment we see these Gujarati villagers speaking in english to each other. I mean COME ON!!!
Anyways Schnabel seems to have learned his lesson. For his latest film, another biopic about a French guy from a French book he decided to make the film in french. I thank god for that. And thank god he decided to go with the amazing French actor Mathieu Amalric. Johnny Depp was supposed to be playing the lead but had to drop out because of his Pirates series. Schnabel even considered George Clooney & Gary Oldman. But he decided to be true to the story. He didn’t want the French people to read subtitles in a french film:).
The movie is about Jean-Dominique Bauby, formerly editor of ELLE. At the peak of his career he gets paralyzed & can only control one eye. Using that one eye and with the help of his beautiful speech therapist, they devise a special alphabetic system. And thats how he wrote his memoirs. He lived only about a year with his severe disability, but he was able to complete his memoir, which became an international bestseller. He died just 10 days after its French publication. Its a truly inspiring film about a man trapped in his body but still not giving up. Unlike other films about disabled people this film is not drowned in self-pity. In fact we laugh at Jean-Do’s pathetic state sometimes, thanks to the great sense of humor that he still has. Its about how no one can take away your imagination & your memories. Two of the most important aspects of life & us. As Schnabel observes, it was a book written by a man on the very edge of human life, almost literally a message from beyond. “What he was able to do — he was kind of talking to us from the grave,” said Schnabel. “That’s unusual, because most people don’t. He was able to talk about the things he regretted, and about how to grab onto the present and make something out of it.”
Like all Snchabel films its is shot exquisitely by Janusz Kaminski. The film starts with Jean-Do’s limited point of view as he wakes from a three-week coma, unable to move his head and seeing the world through one blurred eyeball. He begins to talk to his doctors, but realizes they can’t hear him! The first half an hour is only from his perpective. And then slowly Schabel takes us out of his body almost in a manner of teasing the audience. There are some great scenes of Jean-Do with his Father. Ok I think I should stop now. This movie has not been released. I would recommend highly that you watch it.
Oh BTW I forgot to mention that Schnabel won the award for best director at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
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I LOVED this film. Saw it 3 weeks ago and I still think about it….For all the LA and OC-based people, the film is screening at AFI FEST at ArcLight Hollywood on November 8 and 11. I’m in charge of all the AFI FEST filmmakers and Julian will be in town. Come on by!
BTW: it is released by Miramax…
I’ll be darned… Christina is here… about time!!!
i know, i know…it took me a while…have been reading though…
Finally Christina..it took diving bell to bring you on PFC.. just woke up and read your mail and came on PFC and voila..mainak’s post and i thought will call and tell you somebody wrote about it and you already are here.. you are passion for cinema ms marouda
Ozzie she has been rteading PFC.. got a big lecture from her after she read my anxieties post.. you worried like my mom and she lecture me like her..waiting to be fired
yup, diving bell did it! People, cannot tell you how passionate i am about this film…BEFORE NIGHT FALLS had exactly the same impact on me…lasted for 3+ years…let’s see which one will win…
Good morning Anurag…
to be honest, i had not read your anxieties post when i called you…oz had mentioned that you were unwell and then i felt i should call to check on you…i guess what a mom would do…i read the post tonight!
good morning Christina.. Mr. abhay deol has booked me in for a nice massage as my birthday gift..so am on my way to one..
cheers.. now stay logged on please..best way for me to be in touch with anyone..
enjoy…lucky you…off to watch NIGHT TRAIN by Yinan Diao…
Loved Before Night Falls. Sounds enticing. will look forward to the film
it reminds me of mar adentro(the sea inside) n again javier bardem was terrific in that. Thanks bud for the review. Hope it gets released in india soon.
Hey Christina…
its great to have you here…. I’ll definitely be there at AFI fest is Schnabel himself will be there for Q&A. This is awesome news. I just heard a press conference by him by the pool of his hotel in Cannes. I’ll post the link tommorow. Before Night Falls was great. But the language just handicapped the feelings a bit. Diving Bell is just mindblowing. Most of the times you see all these arty farty Indie films with too much poetic garbage & it makes you sick. In this film it fits right in. If not for anything else, just watch it for all the gorgeous women in the film including Schnabel’s wife.
******
Last Film - The Diving Bell & the Butterfly (9/10)
Mainak, thanks for this review. I read this book just a few months back & was waiting for the Johnny Depp movie. It is a very uplifting story. But, have to keep my fingers crossed that it makes an appearance in this part of the world.
if not, we’ll burn a copy and bring it…
Christina
You really loved the film like me. And thanks to you so many people read this post. When I wrote it I was thinking I would be surprised if anyone left a single comment. Hardly anyone knows Schnabel. I myself didn’t know about him a year back. Now I see so many people interested in Schnabel. Its awesome. I’m planning to watch EASTERN PROMISES today.
yup..pretty obsessed with him and his work…EASTERN PROMISES is the most promising film our there right now…we plan to see it tonight, too!
Christina
Check out this interview of Schnabel. It was a informal press conference of sorts with a small group of reporters at the poolside of the Hotel Martinez in Cannes. I think the day after he won the best director.
http://tinyurl.com/2onhgc
thanks Mainak..just heard it…has been a long way for him…wish more american filmmakers had his sensibilities..must say though, i was expecting a more subtle personality..whoever has not seen the film, PLS do not listen to this interview..gives away too much…
Christina
Eastern Promises was just ok. Actually a bit dissapointing. The whole film is based on Naomi Watt’s character’s extreme stupidity. I was a bit apprehensive about so many non-russian stars acting in a russian mafia film. I was right. Was not convincing. Esp Vincent Cassel. He was really bad.
But the movie was worth just for that fight sequence. And of course Vigo!
********
Last Film - Eastern Promises (6/10)
yup, the plot was a bit weak because it is supposed to be a mystery, but you know early on what happened…a still thought that the acting was good, there was some really good dialogues, and of course that fight scene…
That KGB angle was a bit contrieved….
The ending was really a let down….
Mainak, here is who is going to be at THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERLFY screening at AFI: Julian Schnabel, Jon Kilik, Kathleen Kennedy, Ronald Harwood, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max von Sydow, Marie Josee Croze, Janusz Kaminski…
Thanks Christina…
Thats almost everyone from the film. Its gonna be awesome. I’m definitely gonna try to be there.
Meanwhile check out these videos
French Response
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6BCHZcxdiQ
Casting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfoM14T1uPo
Reason for making Diving Bell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfoM14T1uPo
Cheers
***********
Last Film - Throne of Blood(Kurosawa’s adaptation of Macbeth) 7/10
Vijay , t! & OZ
There are 2 screenings of this film next week.
Thrusday 7pm & Sunday4pm.
I suggest you guys find out from Christina which show will have QnA & go for that. My guess is it should be Sunday screening
Hi Guys,
Awesome review, and I watched the movie and loved it. Schnabel is definitely on my radar now. Is he working on new projects now? And one more question, does anyone know why he calls it the diving bell and the butterfly?
Oh, and I started a society for cinephiles who love international, classic cinema (esp French, Spanish, Iranian, Chinese, Japanese and South American). Here’s the link:
http://culturazzi.wordpress.com/
Would love to hear more about the same. I am going to put this site on the blog for reference.
-Ankur
Culturazzi Cognoscente Club
The title is a metaphor.
A diving bell is a diving apparatus used to explore the depths of the ocean.Within the confides of the diving bell, one is completely immobile and psychically isolated from all that is around them, much like the main character in this movie , or protagonist if you will.
His mind on the other hand is still completely alert and capable - A butterfly.
There you have it , hope it made sense !
Read the first page of the book and it will make much more sense … You should definitely read the book.
I especially liked the soundtrack in this movie , I read in the EMPIRE once that they were planning to use Philip Glass at first but then opted differently for a medley …
Here’s a list of the songs :
1.’The Diving Bell & the Butterfly’ - Theme by Paul Cantelon
2. “La Mer” - Performed by Charles Trenet (opening credits)
3. “Je Chante Sous La Pluie” (French adaptation of “Singin’ in the Rain”)
4.”Chains of Love” - Performed by the Dirtbombs
5.”Concerto for Piano in F Minor, BMV 1056 - Largo” (J.S. Bach)
6.”Napoli Milionaria” (Nina Rota)
7.”All the World is Green” - Performed by Tom Waits
8.”Pauvre Petite Fille Riche” (Vline Buggy/Hubert Giraud)
9.”Lolita Love Theme” (Robert J. Harris)
10.”Ultra Violet (Light My Way)” - Performed by U2 (Lourdes flashback/Day scenes)
11.”Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” - Performed by Ultra Orange with Emmanuelle (Lourdes flashback/Night scenes)
12.”Pale Blue Eyes” - Performed by the Velvet Underground
13.”Happy Birthday to You” (Patty & Mildred Hill)
14.”Quatre Cents Coup” - title track from the Francois Truffaut film
15.”Ramshackle Day Parade” - Performed by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros (End credits song #1)
16.”Green Grass” - Performed by Tom Waits (End credits song #2)
Thanks Maximus,
It makes perfect sense. I’ll def try to get my hands on the book now.
Ankur
Culturazzi