Empathy is one of the rich feelings, one feels when watching "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". Through Julian Schnabel's crafty directing, I was able to experience a slice of how Jean-Dominique Bauby lived in his final year. Bauby was the former editor of the French Elle Magazine in the 1990's. He was living the successful high life when suddenly his world came crashing down as he was struck with a stroke paralyzing him completely save for one side of his face.
In the movie, we understand his internal thoughts which run the progression of feelings: frustration, fury, self-pity, acceptance, regret and finally empowerment. Bauby's only form of communication post stroke is through one eye alone. He overcomes his grief and self-pity by clinging on to his imagination and memories. His persistence peaks as he writes an auto-biography in the hospital - by painstakingly communicating each letter to his assistant - slowly through one bat of an eye at a time.
All in all the movie was beautiful for its subject matter, music, and cinematography. I would like to read Bauby's book - I imagine I would try to embrace each word. The human mind is a powerful thing.
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