What was your reaction to the film? Answer this generally, and then comment on 1 or 2 questions below.
- Did it make you reconsider what it would be like to be very sick, incapacitated, and/or unable to communicate?
- Did it make you reconsider how you treat other people who cannot communicate clearly? (I realize that there is a difference between someone who has none or very limited cognitive abilities and one who "merely" cannot communicate)
- What else did it make you reconsider? How you spend your time & energy? How you treat your friends & family?
- Where you relieved or distressed (or both) when he died?
- Did the film complicate your views of autonomy and/or paternalism? Explain.
- How did the technical aspects of the film enhance or detract from the story? (Example: camera angles & use of point of view, focus, narrative structure & time sequencing, etc.)
- What does the title mean?
- I specifically wanted you to watch the film with subtitles because I think it makes is a bit more disorienting for you, which gives you more of a sense of what Jean-Do is going through. Do you agree? Comment further.
I found this film astonishing. I can not even imagine what kind of emotional and mental pain the patient had to be in when he found out that no one could hear him. It is amazing how fast one's life can change. One minute he is driving and talking with his son, and the next he is a prisoner in his own body. He was left with so many regrets that went unfulfilled, however he did accomplish an amazing goal; writing a book. It is unbelievable that he wrote this book only using his eye, I can not imagine the dedication it must have taken not only the nurses but the patient as well in order to take the time to share his life story with others. I am shocked that he even wanted to continue on with life, most people would give up and refuse therapy, but he kept pushing on never once looking back. This film made me think more deeply about how I am living my life. Like I said before, life can change in an instant, and when that instant comes, are you going to be proud of what you have or have not done? This is the only life we get, it's our only chance, and every one of us has regrets, the ultimate point is whether or not we have feelings about those regrets, and what actions we take to comfor ourselves. Do we continue making fun of the kid who is a "science nerd" or do we embrace his unique personality and realize we are all the same on the inside? I loved how the movie was filmed from his eyesight. It gave me a chance to understand more deeply how he really lived, what it must have been like to have your eye being sewn shut, seeing your new face for the first time, notice the reactions and body language of everyone around you, expereince life as you have never done before. Overall, this was an amazing film and I would recommend it to anyone, you don't have to be in the medical field to understand what this guy is going through, and to experience a change in yourself when you watch this movie.
ReplyDeleteI felt the film was a heart wrenching portrayal of how devastatingly fleeting health can be. The movie was upsetting, inspiring, and mystifying all balled into two hours.
ReplyDeleteThe movie made me reconsider how I spend my time, my priorities, and if some of things I stress myself over are really worth that effort to worry about. I think it made a point that in our time we have a tendency to focus on goals, work, partying, or whatever and sometimes neglect other aspects of our lives because it’s less complicated if we don’t involve them. However, it definitely made me rethink the way I involve my loved ones in my life. I don’t just want them on the periphery while I’m trying to figure out my life in the center, I want them in the center with me.
I have to agree that those subtitles disoriented me quite a bit and I could see how reading subtitles would make it more of an internal process than being able to actually hear in English what is being said. What Jean-Do went through being hostage in his body is unimaginable and the fact that he managed to remain sane and was able to dictate a book using blinking and the French alphabet shows how strong his will was to make the best of situation.
I thought the film was much better than I was expecting. I can't say I liked it, because it was a horrible tale, but it certainly was eye opening to the fact that people who are locked-in do not have to have a horrible quality of life, but can do great things like write a book.
ReplyDeleteI was both relieved and distressed when he died. I felt like he had farther he could go with his recovery, and it was sad that he would not get the opportunity to see if he could recover more function. If he could even recover the use of his hand and neck, then his quality of life would be much improved, and I was disappointed to learn that he would never get the chance to see what else he could do.
I thought that the camera angles, and shooting style detracted from the story somewhat for me. I liked that it was filmed from his perspective, but some of the angles distracted me from paying attention to the story, so I thought that some of it could have been streamlined more to make the story easier to follow, especially for those who were also reading the subtitles.
This film was so emotional and lachrymose to see the way the stroke victim suffered from the paralysis of his entire body except for his memory and ability to comprehend words. The fact that he could try speaking but nobody could hear him nor read his mind, was devastating. This film was so poignant to me since I witnessed my maternal Grandma suffer from stroke that paralyzed the left part of her body temporarily. Nearly the same symptoms I witnessed while helping hospitalize her were the same ones I saw in this film. By God's grace and after several medical attention, my Grandma can stand on her two feet again, eat by herself, walk, talk as usual. This scenario was even worst since the victim was entirely paralyzed and could not do anything physically even though his memory and mind were not affected. Just to hear the agony and pain that the victim Jean-Do was going through in his mind and all the things he was thinking throughout reminds that may be when my Grandma went through this stressful ordeal she might have felt humiliated, embarrassed that she could no longer, at that moment, do anything nor say a word. The fact that he was able to write a book on his bedside was remarkable and it is something that has inspired many if not only her children and family. Even though I have witnessed patients who cannot communicate and are in agony and serious pain, this film enhanced my ability to understand even more, patients who have lost communication abilities and also freedom of choice or to do anything they wish and will. I felt that the camera angles were distracting at the very beginning because their was a lot of suspension and it was hard to follow the story. but when I could now see the patient himself, I started following through well. I can imagine the pain and agony that Jean-Do was in and still was patient, humbled and determined to write a book by letters being read out consecutively! The lady who helped him write this book was really down to earth, determined, loving, caring and dedicated person. I think the subtitles were helpful since am not that fluent in french plus it helped us know what was in the patient's mind. I could also follow up in the middle of the film what was going on by just looking at the actions among the doctors, family members and the patient. Overall, it was an emotional and educational film. So poignant....
ReplyDeleteThis film really hit me hard, because I have known several people to have similar situations. When I was in grade school, a friend of mine's dad was diagnosed with ALS, and for years he was confined to a wheelchair, unable to communicate. Also, a girl I used to nanny for was in a serious car accident, and is currently going through intense rehabilitation. This movie let me see what these and several other family members/friends with similar medical issues have gone through.
ReplyDeleteI cannot fathom the strength Jean-Do had to work to get better, especially in the beginning. I was appalled by the way some people treated him, but other people's behavior (such as his kids) seemed very natural, as though they were not put off at all by his disability. I was especially impressed by the dedication of his therapists and the woman who helped him write his story. They were able to help him escape from being "locked in" to some degree, and really seemed to genuinely care about him.
I liked the way the movie was filmed. Although the blurred lenses and the point-of-view shooting was difficult to follow at times, it definitely helped to make me see what it would be like to not be able to turn my head. And I think that the subtitles made me focus on the movie a bit more.
Overall, I was very impressed with this movie, and it impacted me a lot more than I expected it to. Although I didn't like seeing the pain of Jean-Do's experiences and end of life, I really liked the way that this movie told such a poignant story.
This film really made me think about a lot of things. The subtitles did make it a little harder to concentrate on the movie, but it did make you have a similar feeling of Jean-Do. It was a very sad movie but I really liked it. It gave me a new perspective on what people that can't communicate feel like. It must have been horrible for him to not be able to respond to questions or see his own eye get sewn shut. The way of communicating that Jean-Do and the therapist came up with was very interesting to me. It was very time consuming but amazing that he could finally communicate. I also thought it was amazing that he wrote a whole book through that way of communicating. It has to take a lot of patience on both ends. I thought the camera angles and blurred vision was really neat. It was hard to sometimes follow along but I found it very interesting to see people in the movie from Jean-Do's eyes. It gave me a better insight into how he was really feelings and seein the world. Overall I enojoyed the movie and thought it was very eye opening. Although Jean-Do dying and not being able to be with his family is very sad, I thought it was so amazing that he could write a book after the tragedy that he went through.
ReplyDeleteThis movie made me sick to my stomach, but not because of the plot (not to dismiss the heartbreaking story) but because of the cinematography. The blurry and unfocused camera shots and the echoed and muffled voices made it hard to understand what was going on. The subtitles almost made it worse. Trying to concentrate on the film, but listening to words that were totally different from what the subtitles were saying, made my head hurt. It was frustrating how hard it was to comprehend such a simple thing. This, however, added to the movie. It made me thing about how frustrating it would be if I still had all the same thoughts as before but was completely paralyzed. No way to get out that I was completely there. It would be so frustrating to have no independence at all. To be bathed like a big baby. Often when I’m at work patients talk about how embarrassing it is for them for me to have to help them with simple things like bathing. I use to tell them that its no big deal that I do it all day long, but if someone told me that I wouldn’t be comfortable. I don’t care if you do it all day long. I want to do it myself.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the movie is very appropriate. It explains how Jean-Do felt in his locked-in state. Although he was like a diving bell unable to communicate effectively with anyone on the outside, which in the movies was represented by the diver underwater, he still had a spirit and imagination that let him fly free like a butterfly. His imagination could be heard through his writing. It was extremely expressive, even though he physically couldn’t be.
Although I was apprehensive at first I was very amazed by the movie. I was very close to someone who died of ALS and it kind of gives you insight on her exact experiences. I think the camera angle played a huge effect on the movie. It showed how Jean-Do viewed life, and his experiences. Having to read the subtitles made us have to focus on two things at once, as Jean-Do did when trying to spell out words. It really effects the viewer and it made me consider my life and experiences and appreciate what I have so much more. It has also made me reevaluate my patience with people who may not be able to understand things or communicate effectively because of one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteBefore viewing the movie, I was somewhat skeptical or unsure of how I would enjoy it. It immediately caught my attention in the beginning when Jean-Do was disoriented and waking up from his coma. I was unsure of what was happening, but after figuring out that he had suffered a stroke and no one could hear him, it really put into perspective what it may have been like for Jean-Do or any other patient trapped in his/her own body. It was really disturbing to watch the doctor sew up his eye because it was no longer of use to Jean-Do. Clearly it was not what he had wanted, but there was no way for Jean-Do to communicate to the hospital staff. It truly made me consider his condition and have extreme sympathy for the patients who experience this. Also, I found having to read the subtitles and watch the movie at the same time was a task, and put somewhat into perspective of how Jean-Do felt. However, doing this minor task for two hours was absolutely nothing compared to what Jean-Do had to go through for the remainder of his life.
ReplyDeleteI found this movie to be very interesting from that start. I was confused with what was wrong with Jean-Do in the beginnign of the movie, but understood that this movie was to portray how his life was being in a locked-in state. The movie did make me dizzy to watch in some points, but I was still drawn in because of what Jean-Do's story had to tell. Watching this movie made me realize how much life is a gift and how we should spend it.I feel that i would have the same wnats as Jean-Do did in the beginning, where he just wanted to give up and die, but then found faith through the ones who cared and loved him and didn't give up. I wouldn't know what to do in that situation and I hope there would be people willing to take their own time and hours to spend with me like Jean-Do's nurses and family did.
ReplyDeleteI found the film to be somewhat disturbing, maybe because it is hard to face what Jean-Do was going through when I’m young and don’t really have any troubles. I guess I really take for granted that I can walk, talk and use my voice and my hands. I can eat what I want; hang out with friends and pretty much do what I want, when I want. I honestly don’t think about disability or death much at all. In fact, I really don’t want to think about it. My biggest thought for the day is usually what I’m going to wear to school and how much homework will I end up with. The film showed me that many people do suffer terribly, from injury or disease or symptoms of aging. It could happen to me or one of friends, my niece or nephews, my brothers or my parents, tomorrow. The movie was inspiring because it showed such great courage on the part of Jean-Do. I would like to think I would not just give up and shut down, but I’m not sure that would be true. To be trapped inside your own body with no real way to communicate would be more than I think I could bear. It makes it even more important to me after seeing the film to tell the people I care about that I love them and that they are special in my life. If something did happen to me tomorrow and I would end up in a position like Jean-Do, I would not have regrets. Overall, I thought it was a film everyone should see despite it being subtitled. It may have been a little more difficult to follow—reading and watching at the same time—but think about such a little inconvenience. If you look at Jean-Do’s life and what he faces each day compared to having to watch a movie in subtitles, it really does reflect how spoiled and selfish we can be at times. The movie puts into perspective just how quickly our life can change and not for the better.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine what that would be like. Being completely unable to physically interact with the world would be the worst thing, especially since I could hear what everyone was saying but couldn't speak back. It would be especially hard for me since I have played sports all my life and have lived in the physical world. This movie really made me think about my life and just how lucky I am to be alive and healthy. It really made me think about how it would be for my family if I were in this state. I couldn't imagine seeing my kids run around the beach playing while I sat in a chair almost lifeless. It made me appreciate my family and want to talk with them more because you don't know when something will change.
ReplyDeleteI found the filming interesting and very depressing. It was a good experience to see what a patient in that situation was going through and how the therapists worked so hard with him and were so patient. It really made me realize the compassion every patient needs, especially in such an extreme situation. The depressing part was his condition. The thought of someone be unable to communicate without the assistance of another, to not be able to control your life, to not be able to hug and kiss your kids, even just being able to change the channel on the t.v. I felt a great deal of sympathy for him. The film really hit home when he said he wanted to die and the therapist yelled at him because I would feel the same way on both sides I think. I wouldn't want to live like Jean-Do, but as a nurse I wouldn't want my patient's to want to die either. It would be a very difficult circumstance on both sides of the situation.
ReplyDeleteThe camera angles, blurry picture, and muffles voices at the beginning of the movie but as it went on, it was all an effective contribution to Jean Bauby's view point. The subtitles were helpful and forced me to follow along. It was interesting how some people assumed they knew what Jean Bauby wanted, and then in his mind he was thinking something else. Usually I make naive assumptions that people in his position are usually depressed. Jean Bauby did have moments of frustration and loneliness, but escapes from the abyss he was sinking into through his imagination. His imagination sets him free much like a butterfly.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I meet someone with a handicap, they do not view themselves as restrained from anything. Rather, I envy their pure happiness with life and their success. Life is too fragile, unpredictable and beautiful to waste any moment being unhappy. Just like Jean-Dominique's, life can change in an instant so we need to be grateful for the moment we are in now.
I thought that this film was amazing. I think the fact that it was in subtitles made it even more eye catching because if you weren’t paying attention, you’d miss some conversation whereas if it was in English, people could be “multitasking” and could still half listen. For me, this was not only a great movie, but it also helped open my eyes to my life. I started thinking about my own life and how stanky it would be to be completely sane and physically unresponsive at the same time. I think about all the people that care about me and how I would have to be taken care of 24/7, which I hate to think about because I’m not the type to ask for help unless I absolutely need it. And then I started thinking about what it would have been like in the future that I’d never have. In the movie, Jean-Do starts getting high hopes and starts complying with the interpreter to write the book. He says, in one point in the movie, he could eat wherever he wants (and then his imagination took over). I’m not saying that I wouldn’t do the same thing, but up to this moment, I’ve worked hard all my life and to think about becoming 99 percent of a vegetable makes me angry. Because everything I’ve worked for would be crushed. I would no longer be a benefit to society. The next question that jumped out at me was whether I was relieved or distressed when he died. Frankly, I was angry. To tell a story (whether nor not is a real or fake movie) and to have something horrible happen to a happy man, and then have him wish he was dead, and then start making a stellar comeback…. And then he dies. When that happened, I thought that he was in a better place and it was probably a relief to people knowing that he didn’t have to life almost completely immobilized. But the fact that he was starting to see what life was really about, with his kids, his father, etc…, and then to just kill him, totally made me angry. Alas. Oh well; it’s just a movie.
ReplyDeleteThe movie was better than I expected when it started. It was good because it made me open up my mind and think about things about me and think about how I would be in that situation. I dont know if I could endure being in that situation with not being able to talk and move, I would go crazy in my own skin. The movie also made me feel like I was somewhat in his head with the way it was produced. I was distressed when he died because he had just finished his book and I was also curious to what would have happened with the woman that called him.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was very sad but at the same time very interesting. This movie gave me a different perspective about people who are sick. When I was growing up, my grandmother was not able to talk because of an illness and this gave me a new perspective about people unable to communicate. Another person that helped me to have a new meaning about being unable to communicate was a guy in my brother's high school class who was in a car accident many years ago. Some may know who he is but i cant believe how much he has gone through within so many years.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting how they perceived it like we were in his head, but i did not like the subtitles because we were trying to pay attention to what was happening and what was being said at the bottom of the screen. I don't think the subtitles were helping us to go through what Jean-Do was going through. I understand that it was trying to make us feel like we were in his shoes but if we were to look away for some reason we may feel like we are out of the movie and not understand what it is saying until we catch up. I also did not like the blurred vision and other things because it was already hard to follow.
I don't think i reconsidered the way that i treat people who are unable to talk. Being a student nurse, we have to be patient with out patients that we take care of. Although is is hard sometimes for me to understand what they are saying, i realized that i need to not get frustrated with them. You just have to ask politely if you did not understand what they are saying. Do not be rude to them because it may lead them to act out. For an example, there was this one patient who had difficutly speaking and when the patient would talk to us it was hard for us to understand what the patient was saying. Usually, he did not have to say it again but it may have taken me a while to catch what he said. I would have to pick up on key words and then reply to him. But there was this one time that i did not know what he was saying and he got really angry with me and started raising his voice. So i realized that you just need to stay calm, be polite, and be patient with people who are unable to talk.
The movie was a good movie with a sad story. I felt bad that he was in the condition that he was, but I found it inspirational with how he took his situation and turned it around. It helped him give a new outlook on life and to appreciate what he had in his life.
ReplyDeleteThis movie made me realize that I need to look at life with a new perspective. The things I was worried about before like hanging out with friends and making money by working a lot. I need to be more appreciative for the people I have in my life, like my friends and family, and things that they have done for me to help me get further in life.
The movie did make me reconsider what it would be like not be able to communicate. I don't think I could handle it. I may seem quiet sometimes, but I love to talk. It would drive me crazy if no one could hear me. It was inspirational with how Jean-Do was able to work with what he had to communicate. Then it was even more impressive with how he was able to write a book with one blinking eye. I feel like I would have gotten inpatient after five minutes at blinking at the alphabet.
This film was a real eye opener for me. There were about 8 times during the film where I wanted to start crying. I could not imagine going through that situation. The film was so powerful, to think, that someone could write an entire novel using one eye. The movie made me realize how important your relationships are, it made me sad how he felt like he had a bad relationship with his kids, but they were there for him all the time. His wife, who he wasn't even in love with, was there for him every minute. At first, the camera angles and blurred screen was very distacting for me. But, as the movie went on, it made the story more real. It was like we were getting a small glimpse of what Jean-Do was going through. The movie was awesome.
ReplyDeleteAt first i was very disappointed when i found out that i was going to be watching a movie that had subtitles. But, once the movie got started, i realized that it made me have to pay attention more and that I couldnt day dream or think of other things while the movie was on. It actually made me appreciate the movie more. I was actually relieved when he passed away at the end. I think that for a person to have to live in a body that they cannot use is very sad and hard for other people to see. But, it was very moving to see that he accomplished one of his major goal with just a blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteThe movie made me realize that I may take some of my relationships for granted. The movie made me want to call up my dad and tell him how much I love him and appreciate everything he does for me. The movie made me want to explain to my friends and family that we should be thankful for what we have. Also, the movie made me want to tell my friends and family that no matter what may happen to them, they always have a frined to rely on.
I was kinda disappointed as brittany said that were watching a movie with subtitles, but as the movie went on I really enjoyed it. The movie does make you question how you would feel if you were in that situation. The movie lets you touch on what it would be like to have everything taken away from you. I honestly did feel kind of relieved when he died because you have to think of the quality of life and that type of life is not enjoyable. The does make you think about how you spend time with your friends and family. I had a situation that was similar to the one in the movie happen to my family and you can't focus on how you feel but how the sick individual feels. That sick individual still wants to spend time with there family and be treated the same because it is embarrasing for that individual. The individual feels helpless especially when he or she is unable to communicate with the people around him.
ReplyDeleteThis film was eyeopening. I can't imagine to be in his position with not being able to communicate or function but still have full thought processes. I think though that if I had to choose between not being able to communicate or not being able to hear, i would choose not being able to communicate. Although deaf people can get by quite easily since technology advancements, it would still be horrible in my viewpoint to not be able to hear a simple blow from the wind. Now on the other hand this man was paralized as well, which brings a whole lot of difficulty to the situation. That would be absolutely horrible to know that I could never move again. I have to give the man credit for being able to stick around, write his book, and keep on living. I think I was almost relieved to see him pass away but still saddened when he died. I was saddened because this man had accomplished so much with the abilities he had left, and it would have been amazing to see what else he could accomplish and maybe if he could regain any movement such as swallowing. In the end though I know it was a struggle for him every day and it was, I believe, a relief to his body and his mind because I'm sure when he got to heaven he regained his movement. This movie made me reconsider how lucky I am to be able to do all that I do. I mean I cannot go a day without listening to music and dancing. I could go a day without speaking to anyone but not being able to do what you want, even if it's as simple as getting up to get a drink would be doubfounding to me. I have strong admiration for him and writting his book, because I may not have been able to hold on and be strong if everything I had was taken away. I also admire anyone with any sort of disability. I know especially in the elderly they may not be able to get up by themselves to use the restroom or even may have incontinence issues.
ReplyDeleteAt first, watching the movie with subtitles was annoying. But as the movie went on, I found it added to the plot. The camera angles were rough to follow. I liked how it was in the eyes of Jean-Do and then we finally got to see his face. It was almost a suspense waiting to see him. I was sad to see him die, but also a bit relieved. He had a terrible life. He acomplished what he wanted to do, and I think he was ready to go.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was excellent. Terribly sad, nonetheless. In response to their altered form of communication, I felt this was a fabulous idea. Both health care workers who helped him communicate this way, were outstanding. It took such patience and understanding to help him in this way. I think this is an important thing to see for future nurses because it gives some insight to what traumatic brain injuries or strokes can do to the brain. It is also important to remember that, the lack of verbal communication does not always mean lack of cognitive ability. This point was so profound in this movie. Jean-Do still had so much to say after his accident, despite his inability to verbalize. It is easy to see how, without the establishment of their ABC communication system, he would have gone crazy eventually. Being unable to communicate when you are mentally intact, must be extraordinarily frustrating.
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