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The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Drama · History · 2007

Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.

Movie details

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

“Let your imagination set you free.”

2007 Drama · History 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Diving Bell and the Butterfly?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Julian Schnabel

Written by

Ronald Harwood

Mathieu Amalric

Mathieu Amalric

Jean-Dominique Bauby

Emmanuelle Seigner

Emmanuelle Seigner

Céline Desmoulins

Marie-Josée Croze

Marie-Josée Croze

Henriette Durand

Anne Consigny

Anne Consigny

Claude

Patrick Chesnais

Patrick Chesnais

Dr. Lepage

Niels Arestrup

Niels Arestrup

Roussin

O

Olatz López Garmendia

Marie Lopez

Court is in session

Put The Diving Bell and the Butterfly on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.