After viewing The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I, like many responded in class today, found it interesting that those who seem so helpless without speech and movement can potentially have the same cognition as the next normally functioning human being. It is now clear to me that the issue with these individuals is not always necessarily internal, but rather, lies within communication. Such is crucial to keep in mind when we are addressing these individuals. We must treat them as any normal human being because despite their lack of ability to communicate, they are collectively participating in cognition and human thought just as much as those of us who can communicate.
I think the symbolism radiated by the diving bell and the butterfly are significant as well. The diving bell, representing the hindered yet undeniably existent qualities of surrounding life, and the butterfly, the representation that great things can result from just small beginnings (such as a caterpillar) take realistic roles in didactically teaching the viewer lessons about life.
Honestly, I feel like if I were in the same situation as Jean-Dominique, I would have wanted my life to end. Being wheelchair-bound without any ability to communicate, move, or function would cause me to lose hope; however, Jean-Do was able to work exponentially harder to communicate through a single eye's blink and never participate in anything physical and continue growing in life. I truly admire Jean-Do for his perseverance through what I would consider difficult conditions.
This movie goes to show that quality of life is subjective. Different people possess different views on what is considered living, and where the fine line between death and life is. As we learned at the beginning of the semester, depending on which definition of death one supports, one may have considered Jean-Do dead upon the first manifestation of his issues; however, because the viewer of the movie could see his mental processes shining which led him to great success such as writing a book, we can see that he was indeed still living. Great movie!
Before this film I was completely closed-minded about myself being in a wheelchair. After seeing the film and Jean-Do being able to write an entire book while only moving one eye lid, i could probably also find a way to live while in a wheel chair.
I used to think "If I'm ever in a wheelchair im just going to say kill me now", but after seeing this my point of view has completely changed. The only way to live once you're in a wheelchair is to keep the same mindset as before you were wheelchair-bound. You must keep a positive outlook on everything, and do everything you can to stay positive.
To be honest, unlike Karlie :), I was not looking forward to watching an entire movie in French! I figured that since it was a "philosophical" movie, it would be hard to understand; watching it in French would make it even more difficult. I could not have been proved more wrong!! Not only was the movie excellent and inspirational, I feel that it would not have made as big of an impact if we would have watched it in English. Jean-Dominique is a stonger man than I feel I could ever be. The situation portrayed in the movie is one that could happen to anybody but is on an extreme end. However, Jean-Do's perserverence and strength to continue his life is quite admirable. It's hard for anyone to think of being wheelchair bound. But, as seen in this movie, life goes on, but not without complications, struggle, and sacrifice. My family personally knows a parapalegic who reminds me very much of Jean-Dominque. He is obviously wheelchair bound, and has been that way since he was eighteen years old. He made the decision to drink with friends and then dive into an empty, shallow pool, paralyzing him on impact. He is now in his mid-forties, married, and has three children. While he is still able to talk, it is still hard for him to rely so much on his family to take care of him and at the same time watch his wife have to do most of the raising of the children. He has made it his mission to speak to local schools and organizations about his misfortune in the hopes of changing somebody's life. Jean-Do has made this kind of impact on a broader scale through his great technique of writing and now with the movie 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.' This movie brings forward the not often thought about idea of being a parapalegic. Jean-Do is somehow able to make this horrible disability relatable in our daily lives. Ultimately, live as if today is your last (make good choices).
This film was truly an eye opener. At first, to be honest, I was not interested or engaged one bit. I am usually not fond of watching anything that is not sports related, especially in a foriegn language. However, the perservearance and strength from Jean-Do was amazing. To be in his condition and do what he was able to do was an inspiration to me. Often times, anyone with just a little bit of adversity let alone being paralyzed, would throw in the towel on life. This film should give us a different outlook on how we view our end of life situations or any type of adversity we might face.
I surprisingly really enjoyed the film. At first I thought it was boring because I was very confused with what is going on and it being in French did not help. However as the movie went on it really got me thinking to what it would not only be like to be in his position where you have complete cognitive ability in a motionless body where you can not display any emotion. What really impacted me most though was putting myself in the position of being one of the loved ones taking care of him in particular his wife (or ex-wife I was kind of confused with the whole who he was with situation, they all looked the same to me). To be there and have to translate for him for everything and have to go through the alphabet to just find a letter makes me speechless. I can only imagine the pain she was in to have to see him like that all the time and help him out in such a way like that. The movie was definitely moving and in the end I am really glad we watched it in French. I kind of got used to it and I feel that by being in French it made the whole experience more real. It showed that death and illness happens all over the world and can happen or effect anyone. But I also agree with what Dr. Cate said today in class while it is depressing the message of their still being hope is definitely present and refreshing.
The film was very interesting. I was nice to see a film threw the eyes of someone "locked in" in the beginng to me it seemed although he was in a jar which it the meaning of the title. That you can only see what is in front of you and that you can hardly move in the diving bell helmet. It was also interesting to see that they found a way to comunicate and originally i belived that it was no way to live to not be able to move and do anything. However they managed to find ways to get him out and around to have a life and even write a book about it. I was confused throughout the film on who was who as far as the mistress and wife and language helper so that made it hard to understand a little however it was still an amazing story and tiamph over adversity.
When I heard this film was going to be in French, it made me kind of dread watching it. I usually don’t enjoy foreign films because I find it difficult to follow. But this film was easy to follow. Now thinking about it, I think having to read subtitles made me pay attention much closer and really know what was going on. And like it was said in class, having it in French made it seem more like it was from the narrator’s point of view. It really painted a realistic picture of how the real life event unfolded. I enjoyed the film; it gave me hope for the human race. Being able to write an entire book by communicating via one eyelid, incredible! For me honestly, I don’t think I’d have the patience and will to live like that. I also enjoyed this film because there was meaning behind it and it made you think below the surface. The film was a mixture of emotion.
This is an unbelievable story! I have always held the opinion that if I am ever left paralyzed, just put me out of my misery. Living without the ability to move would be the cruelest form of punishment. However after seeing this movie I feel guilty for ever having those thoughts. Jean-Do experienced the ultimate form of imprisonment, a willing mind in a unable body. At first he was rather pessimistic, as anybody would be, but he was eventually able to over come his self-pity and bloom into an extraordinary being. Jean-Do was able to escape his entrapment by delving into his imagination and memories, and of course by writing his book, a truly inspiring feat! Thus this movie has opened my eyes to the ability of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.
The format of this film is incredibly unique. Nearly the entire story takes place inside someone's head however it is still very dynamic. Jean-Dominique Bauby is trapped inside of his own body, forced to observe the people and things that come in and out of his focus. His external world has become dull and much like a prison yet his inner world is still vivid.
This film absolutely reaffirms the amazing resilience of human spirit. Jean-Dominique may be imprisoned in his own body (the diving bell) but he has managed to find freedom (the butterfly) within his mind. The circumstances are so horrifying and the director is very successful in making you feel very uncomfortable. Bauby's loved ones all have a different reaction to his condition.
I think this film is very much a wake-up call and reminder to treat everyone with respect and care especially if they are unable to speak or communicate effectively. Some of the smallest actions can mean the world of a difference.
I am a person who likes to experience things before making decisions, so my decisions are always informed. As someone who believes strongly in allowing Dr. assisted suicide, the movie makes my opinion seem harder to support. However,Jean-Dominique Bauby was not a normal patient with locked in syndrome. While I don't want to down grade his accomplishment, for a normal locked in patient communicating alone would not be enough for them to want to live. Lets face it, not everyone has the opportunity to write a book or to have some to "talk" to everyday. My opinion on Dr. assisted suicide did not change. If it had been me who he had told "he wanted death", I probably would have given it to him. There is a downside. Whether it was Hollywood magic or not I don't know, but it did seem like his life was not super great before his stroke. Judging by his relationship with his wife and his kids. The fact that he continue to live to seem to allow him to repair some relationships, although some scenes were confusion. Like falling in love with that girl and talking to his girlfriend confused me and made me think he hadn't changed.
I think this movie was interesting to say the least. I am a hopeful optimistic so I kept hoping that he would recover at the end. Maybe thats one of the reasons I am not exactly for PAS. This movie made me really think about all of the little things in life that I take for granite. I could not even imagine what it would be like to not be able to express mysellf, yet know everything that is going on. As I mentioned in class, I was a little angry with Jean-Do because of the way he treated his wife. But through their relationship we could really see how much it truly impacted his family. This was a remarkable story and it really opened up my eyes about never giving up and making the best of any situation.
First off, let me just say, if I am ever paralyzed in a wheelchair, just kill me!!! I have absolutely no interest in living with one eyelid. I felt awful for the poor guy the entire movie. What he did was really impressive and inspiring, but I don't think that I could handle that. I like Ben's point about treating people with disabilities as people. A lot of times it is hard to relate to them because of the physical gap, and I think a lot of handicapped people routinely get hurt by others' inconsideration of them. I don't think that anybody could do what Jean-Do did. I don't think that everybody is equipped with that degree of fortitude and perseverance. While I would like to think that I would make the same effort that he did, I find it hard to find the motivation to wake up and run in the morning, so I can't say that I am very optimistic. That makes me wonder how many Jean-Do's are out there who are in the same position he was in but live a totally merit-less and unrewarding life because they don't have the same mental determination that he had. Maybe continuing to live is not the best route for everybody with locked in syndrome or similar handicap. Maybe it would be better for all concerned to take them off life support and put them out of their misery.
I loved this movie. It is very inspirational and eye opening. Half of the time I was more focused on the Speech-Language Therapists because that is what I want to do, I was so interested and awed at the communication system that was established for him to be able to communicate. Then he writes a book with that system - and I thought I had really good patience. This movie also really shows the importance of keeping good relations with your friends and family. Many of us were upset with how his wife was treated, but it also taught us a lesson. After watching the movie all I wanted to do was go read the book, which hopefully I can do this summer after school is out of session!
This movie was pretty interesting, because it allowed me to put myself in his shoes and also imagine how I would react if that was my dad in his position. It would be hard to not become so discouraged that I just give up on life altogether, but I think the main character made a bold decision to make the most of his situation and try to be as happy as possible. If I were in his position I would try my best to carry on with some of the things I did before my stroke, just like he does with writing books. It would take an enormous amount of patience on the part of the doctors, family, and patient themselves to get through the circumstances.
The Divining Bell and the Butterfly was a very unique look into the life of some one that has had a life altering event. I think that watching the movies in their original language is usually better than watching it in a dubbed in English because emotions and expressions can be conveyed differently throughout the world and can have very different meanings. I thought that the symbolism was clear and easily seen in the movie although I didn't catch on to the butterfly symbolism until the end. If this movie had be shown through an outside perspective like many movies do, the impact of the story may have been entirely different. Being able to listen to his thoughts really made me think about how someone sees their quality of life.
I was surprised that the stroke didn't harm his mental processes and was still able to communicate his thoughts to others. I think that since he still had full mental capabilities It would be harder to ask to die because he still had a way to communicate. Even though so much was taken away from him he still made use of what he had and that commands a lot of respect for him. Another thought I had during the film was when they sowed up his one eye was what if his other eye had to be closed for other medical reasons. That sends shivers down my spine even more so.
First and foremost, Emily, I loved the French!!!!! I felt that even though I know a fair amount of French, this foreign component definitely allowed me to experience a touch of how difficult it would be to live in a situation where communication is nearly impossible.
Though this movie experience gave us somewhat of a touch, I could never grasp how it would feel to live in Jean-Do's shoes. I cannot imagine how horrifying it would be to be trapped in your own body, completely aware of your surroundings, but unable to interact as you always have. How terrifying it would be to have your abilities and basic needs ripped away from you forever in a single moment!
I feel that this film communicates several very important themes, but the two major themes that I took away from it are that life is precious and fleeting, and in regards to death and dying, that we must not degrade or underestimate struggling patients. Primarily, I feel that Jean-Do's end of life experience reveals to viewers that we cannot take our everyday blessings for granted. At the end of his life, Jean-Do's basic human interactions skills were ripped away from him, but yet he had so much left in life to do and say that he had missed out on. Though it sounds cheesy, I think it is so incredibly important that we seize the moment and live every day as it is our last. We must live in the present and take advantage of every moment we have, as I have experienced first hand that we never know when life is going to change drastically forever.
Secondly, this film broke a stereotype that I had never truly considered. When dying/ill patients are unable to communicate, I always assumed that they were not cognitively capable of digesting their surroundings, however, this film did a great job of showing that this definitely is not always the case. We must be very careful around patients who are seemingly not understanding, as in all reality, they may know full well what is happening around them, yet lack the capacity to contribute. We must, therefore, treat these individuals with respect just as we would any other human.
I thought the film was great. It really was an eye-opening and inspiring film that made you think about what it would be like to experience an extreme life-altering event. I could not even imagine how I would react to that situation if I was put in it. The movie makes you realize that you cannot take anything for granted in this life because you never know when something unexpected, like a stroke, can happen to you.
I thought the style of the movie was very unique, probably because it was a French film, but it really brought out Jean-Do's point of view and connected on a personal level to the viewers. I also thought it was amazing that once he got back to a stable condition, he was motivated enough to communicate daily to his therapists, doctors, and family. Being in that condition had to be so frustrating and irritating, but it was inspiring to me to think that even though he went through so much he was still being productive with his life.
I loved this film. I have even shared this film with my family and few friends. This film, as well as reading The Death of Ivan, really made me appreciate life and love all that life has to offer. I want to spread that appreciation of life on to others. I did have one question though: I know that he wrote his book though, but did he also want a film to be produced or had he planned to make a film if he lived longer? Or was the film produced simply to remember him after his novel to promote his story? Just curious! :)
In the beginning of the film I was skeptical about it considering we had to watch it in french. After the first couple of minutes I began to really get into the movie and soon found myself laughing at the sarcasm this movie showed. In the beginning I found it frustrating for the main character because of his situation. Many would not want to live in these conditions, but he found a way to communicate and eventually publish a book. He made the absolute best out of his situation which really amazed me. All I could think about after this film was if I was in his shoes how would I handle myself? Would I shut myself out from society? or strive to make the situation the best as possible.
After viewing The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, I, like many responded in class today, found it interesting that those who seem so helpless without speech and movement can potentially have the same cognition as the next normally functioning human being. It is now clear to me that the issue with these individuals is not always necessarily internal, but rather, lies within communication. Such is crucial to keep in mind when we are addressing these individuals. We must treat them as any normal human being because despite their lack of ability to communicate, they are collectively participating in cognition and human thought just as much as those of us who can communicate.
ReplyDeleteI think the symbolism radiated by the diving bell and the butterfly are significant as well. The diving bell, representing the hindered yet undeniably existent qualities of surrounding life, and the butterfly, the representation that great things can result from just small beginnings (such as a caterpillar) take realistic roles in didactically teaching the viewer lessons about life.
Honestly, I feel like if I were in the same situation as Jean-Dominique, I would have wanted my life to end. Being wheelchair-bound without any ability to communicate, move, or function would cause me to lose hope; however, Jean-Do was able to work exponentially harder to communicate through a single eye's blink and never participate in anything physical and continue growing in life. I truly admire Jean-Do for his perseverance through what I would consider difficult conditions.
This movie goes to show that quality of life is subjective. Different people possess different views on what is considered living, and where the fine line between death and life is. As we learned at the beginning of the semester, depending on which definition of death one supports, one may have considered Jean-Do dead upon the first manifestation of his issues; however, because the viewer of the movie could see his mental processes shining which led him to great success such as writing a book, we can see that he was indeed still living. Great movie!
Before this film I was completely closed-minded about myself being in a wheelchair. After seeing the film and Jean-Do being able to write an entire book while only moving one eye lid, i could probably also find a way to live while in a wheel chair.
ReplyDeleteI used to think "If I'm ever in a wheelchair im just going to say kill me now", but after seeing this my point of view has completely changed. The only way to live once you're in a wheelchair is to keep the same mindset as before you were wheelchair-bound. You must keep a positive outlook on everything, and do everything you can to stay positive.
To be honest, unlike Karlie :), I was not looking forward to watching an entire movie in French! I figured that since it was a "philosophical" movie, it would be hard to understand; watching it in French would make it even more difficult. I could not have been proved more wrong!! Not only was the movie excellent and inspirational, I feel that it would not have made as big of an impact if we would have watched it in English.
ReplyDeleteJean-Dominique is a stonger man than I feel I could ever be. The situation portrayed in the movie is one that could happen to anybody but is on an extreme end. However, Jean-Do's perserverence and strength to continue his life is quite admirable. It's hard for anyone to think of being wheelchair bound. But, as seen in this movie, life goes on, but not without complications, struggle, and sacrifice. My family personally knows a parapalegic who reminds me very much of Jean-Dominque. He is obviously wheelchair bound, and has been that way since he was eighteen years old. He made the decision to drink with friends and then dive into an empty, shallow pool, paralyzing him on impact. He is now in his mid-forties, married, and has three children. While he is still able to talk, it is still hard for him to rely so much on his family to take care of him and at the same time watch his wife have to do most of the raising of the children. He has made it his mission to speak to local schools and organizations about his misfortune in the hopes of changing somebody's life.
Jean-Do has made this kind of impact on a broader scale through his great technique of writing and now with the movie 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.'
This movie brings forward the not often thought about idea of being a parapalegic. Jean-Do is somehow able to make this horrible disability relatable in our daily lives.
Ultimately, live as if today is your last (make good choices).
This film was truly an eye opener. At first, to be honest, I was not interested or engaged one bit. I am usually not fond of watching anything that is not sports related, especially in a foriegn language. However, the perservearance and strength from Jean-Do was amazing. To be in his condition and do what he was able to do was an inspiration to me. Often times, anyone with just a little bit of adversity let alone being paralyzed, would throw in the towel on life. This film should give us a different outlook on how we view our end of life situations or any type of adversity we might face.
ReplyDeleteI surprisingly really enjoyed the film. At first I thought it was boring because I was very confused with what is going on and it being in French did not help. However as the movie went on it really got me thinking to what it would not only be like to be in his position where you have complete cognitive ability in a motionless body where you can not display any emotion. What really impacted me most though was putting myself in the position of being one of the loved ones taking care of him in particular his wife (or ex-wife I was kind of confused with the whole who he was with situation, they all looked the same to me). To be there and have to translate for him for everything and have to go through the alphabet to just find a letter makes me speechless. I can only imagine the pain she was in to have to see him like that all the time and help him out in such a way like that. The movie was definitely moving and in the end I am really glad we watched it in French. I kind of got used to it and I feel that by being in French it made the whole experience more real. It showed that death and illness happens all over the world and can happen or effect anyone. But I also agree with what Dr. Cate said today in class while it is depressing the message of their still being hope is definitely present and refreshing.
ReplyDeleteThe film was very interesting. I was nice to see a film threw the eyes of someone "locked in" in the beginng to me it seemed although he was in a jar which it the meaning of the title. That you can only see what is in front of you and that you can hardly move in the diving bell helmet. It was also interesting to see that they found a way to comunicate and originally i belived that it was no way to live to not be able to move and do anything. However they managed to find ways to get him out and around to have a life and even write a book about it. I was confused throughout the film on who was who as far as the mistress and wife and language helper so that made it hard to understand a little however it was still an amazing story and tiamph over adversity.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard this film was going to be in French, it made me kind of dread watching it. I usually don’t enjoy foreign films because I find it difficult to follow. But this film was easy to follow. Now thinking about it, I think having to read subtitles made me pay attention much closer and really know what was going on. And like it was said in class, having it in French made it seem more like it was from the narrator’s point of view. It really painted a realistic picture of how the real life event unfolded.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the film; it gave me hope for the human race. Being able to write an entire book by communicating via one eyelid, incredible! For me honestly, I don’t think I’d have the patience and will to live like that. I also enjoyed this film because there was meaning behind it and it made you think below the surface. The film was a mixture of emotion.
This is an unbelievable story! I have always held the opinion that if I am ever left paralyzed, just put me out of my misery. Living without the ability to move would be the cruelest form of punishment. However after seeing this movie I feel guilty for ever having those thoughts. Jean-Do experienced the ultimate form of imprisonment, a willing mind in a unable body. At first he was rather pessimistic, as anybody would be, but he was eventually able to over come his self-pity and bloom into an extraordinary being. Jean-Do was able to escape his entrapment by delving into his imagination and memories, and of course by writing his book, a truly inspiring feat! Thus this movie has opened my eyes to the ability of the human spirit to overcome any obstacle.
ReplyDeleteThe format of this film is incredibly unique. Nearly the entire story takes place inside someone's head however it is still very dynamic. Jean-Dominique Bauby is trapped inside of his own body, forced to observe the people and things that come in and out of his focus. His external world has become dull and much like a prison yet his inner world is still vivid.
ReplyDeleteThis film absolutely reaffirms the amazing resilience of human spirit. Jean-Dominique may be imprisoned in his own body (the diving bell) but he has managed to find freedom (the butterfly) within his mind. The circumstances are so horrifying and the director is very successful in making you feel very uncomfortable. Bauby's loved ones all have a different reaction to his condition.
I think this film is very much a wake-up call and reminder to treat everyone with respect and care especially if they are unable to speak or communicate effectively. Some of the smallest actions can mean the world of a difference.
I am a person who likes to experience things before making decisions, so my decisions are always informed. As someone who believes strongly in allowing Dr. assisted suicide, the movie makes my opinion seem harder to support. However,Jean-Dominique Bauby was not a normal patient with locked in syndrome. While I don't want to down grade his accomplishment, for a normal locked in patient communicating alone would not be enough for them to want to live. Lets face it, not everyone has the opportunity to write a book or to have some to "talk" to everyday. My opinion on Dr. assisted suicide did not change. If it had been me who he had told "he wanted death", I probably would have given it to him. There is a downside. Whether it was Hollywood magic or not I don't know, but it did seem like his life was not super great before his stroke. Judging by his relationship with his wife and his kids. The fact that he continue to live to seem to allow him to repair some relationships, although some scenes were confusion. Like falling in love with that girl and talking to his girlfriend confused me and made me think he hadn't changed.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was interesting to say the least. I am a hopeful optimistic so I kept hoping that he would recover at the end. Maybe thats one of the reasons I am not exactly for PAS. This movie made me really think about all of the little things in life that I take for granite. I could not even imagine what it would be like to not be able to express mysellf, yet know everything that is going on. As I mentioned in class, I was a little angry with Jean-Do because of the way he treated his wife. But through their relationship we could really see how much it truly impacted his family. This was a remarkable story and it really opened up my eyes about never giving up and making the best of any situation.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, let me just say, if I am ever paralyzed in a wheelchair, just kill me!!! I have absolutely no interest in living with one eyelid. I felt awful for the poor guy the entire movie. What he did was really impressive and inspiring, but I don't think that I could handle that. I like Ben's point about treating people with disabilities as people. A lot of times it is hard to relate to them because of the physical gap, and I think a lot of handicapped people routinely get hurt by others' inconsideration of them. I don't think that anybody could do what Jean-Do did. I don't think that everybody is equipped with that degree of fortitude and perseverance. While I would like to think that I would make the same effort that he did, I find it hard to find the motivation to wake up and run in the morning, so I can't say that I am very optimistic. That makes me wonder how many Jean-Do's are out there who are in the same position he was in but live a totally merit-less and unrewarding life because they don't have the same mental determination that he had. Maybe continuing to live is not the best route for everybody with locked in syndrome or similar handicap. Maybe it would be better for all concerned to take them off life support and put them out of their misery.
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie. It is very inspirational and eye opening. Half of the time I was more focused on the Speech-Language Therapists because that is what I want to do, I was so interested and awed at the communication system that was established for him to be able to communicate. Then he writes a book with that system - and I thought I had really good patience. This movie also really shows the importance of keeping good relations with your friends and family. Many of us were upset with how his wife was treated, but it also taught us a lesson. After watching the movie all I wanted to do was go read the book, which hopefully I can do this summer after school is out of session!
ReplyDeleteThis movie was pretty interesting, because it allowed me to put myself in his shoes and also imagine how I would react if that was my dad in his position. It would be hard to not become so discouraged that I just give up on life altogether, but I think the main character made a bold decision to make the most of his situation and try to be as happy as possible. If I were in his position I would try my best to carry on with some of the things I did before my stroke, just like he does with writing books. It would take an enormous amount of patience on the part of the doctors, family, and patient themselves to get through the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThe Divining Bell and the Butterfly was a very unique look into the life of some one that has had a life altering event. I think that watching the movies in their original language is usually better than watching it in a dubbed in English because emotions and expressions can be conveyed differently throughout the world and can have very different meanings. I thought that the symbolism was clear and easily seen in the movie although I didn't catch on to the butterfly symbolism until the end. If this movie had be shown through an outside perspective like many movies do, the impact of the story may have been entirely different. Being able to listen to his thoughts really made me think about how someone sees their quality of life.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that the stroke didn't harm his mental processes and was still able to communicate his thoughts to others. I think that since he still had full mental capabilities It would be harder to ask to die because he still had a way to communicate. Even though so much was taken away from him he still made use of what he had and that commands a lot of respect for him. Another thought I had during the film was when they sowed up his one eye was what if his other eye had to be closed for other medical reasons. That sends shivers down my spine even more so.
First and foremost, Emily, I loved the French!!!!! I felt that even though I know a fair amount of French, this foreign component definitely allowed me to experience a touch of how difficult it would be to live in a situation where communication is nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteThough this movie experience gave us somewhat of a touch, I could never grasp how it would feel to live in Jean-Do's shoes. I cannot imagine how horrifying it would be to be trapped in your own body, completely aware of your surroundings, but unable to interact as you always have. How terrifying it would be to have your abilities and basic needs ripped away from you forever in a single moment!
I feel that this film communicates several very important themes, but the two major themes that I took away from it are that life is precious and fleeting, and in regards to death and dying, that we must not degrade or underestimate struggling patients. Primarily, I feel that Jean-Do's end of life experience reveals to viewers that we cannot take our everyday blessings for granted. At the end of his life, Jean-Do's basic human interactions skills were ripped away from him, but yet he had so much left in life to do and say that he had missed out on. Though it sounds cheesy, I think it is so incredibly important that we seize the moment and live every day as it is our last. We must live in the present and take advantage of every moment we have, as I have experienced first hand that we never know when life is going to change drastically forever.
Secondly, this film broke a stereotype that I had never truly considered. When dying/ill patients are unable to communicate, I always assumed that they were not cognitively capable of digesting their surroundings, however, this film did a great job of showing that this definitely is not always the case. We must be very careful around patients who are seemingly not understanding, as in all reality, they may know full well what is happening around them, yet lack the capacity to contribute. We must, therefore, treat these individuals with respect just as we would any other human.
I thought the film was great. It really was an eye-opening and inspiring film that made you think about what it would be like to experience an extreme life-altering event. I could not even imagine how I would react to that situation if I was put in it. The movie makes you realize that you cannot take anything for granted in this life because you never know when something unexpected, like a stroke, can happen to you.
ReplyDeleteI thought the style of the movie was very unique, probably because it was a French film, but it really brought out Jean-Do's point of view and connected on a personal level to the viewers. I also thought it was amazing that once he got back to a stable condition, he was motivated enough to communicate daily to his therapists, doctors, and family. Being in that condition had to be so frustrating and irritating, but it was inspiring to me to think that even though he went through so much he was still being productive with his life.
I loved this film. I have even shared this film with my family and few friends. This film, as well as reading The Death of Ivan, really made me appreciate life and love all that life has to offer. I want to spread that appreciation of life on to others. I did have one question though: I know that he wrote his book though, but did he also want a film to be produced or had he planned to make a film if he lived longer? Or was the film produced simply to remember him after his novel to promote his story? Just curious! :)
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the film I was skeptical about it considering we had to watch it in french. After the first couple of minutes I began to really get into the movie and soon found myself laughing at the sarcasm this movie showed. In the beginning I found it frustrating for the main character because of his situation. Many would not want to live in these conditions, but he found a way to communicate and eventually publish a book. He made the absolute best out of his situation which really amazed me. All I could think about after this film was if I was in his shoes how would I handle myself? Would I shut myself out from society? or strive to make the situation the best as possible.
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