Bauby's struggle is experienced first hand by the audience as we are stuck inside his head for first portion of the film. It is a disconcerting perspective as we begin the film as helpless and confused as him. We are there for every painfully difficult piece of progress, every one-sided conversation that Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) is unable to respond to, and every moment when he is powerless to act out. It is absolutely eye opening, no pun intended.
His progression is absolutely extraordinary. Beginning as a "vegetable" who wished to die, to a man with an imagination that he was able to share with the world. He still had the ability and the passion to share his thoughts, memories, and desires with the world. He was physically so powerless and yet mentally so empowered.
Fragments of his story are given to us in fragments although we still continue to return to the limited perspective himself. It is not easy to be sure. He must have others bathe him. The television channel is out of his control. There are doctors, therapists, friends, and family coming to see them and he has no ability to physically interact. He still has feelings for his mistress, but the mother of his children still cares deeply for him. Sundays are hell with no one around.
Despite all that seems to drag him down, Bauby still is able to flutter above it all like a butterfly. With the help of his assistant and a strong will he completed his memoir. 10 days later he would die, but his mission was accomplished. Maybe it seems like a rather unfortunate ending, but even if the lack of closure is unsatisfying, how it ended is the truth. Bauby was undoubtedly content because despite the seemingly surmountable obstacles he never lost his humanity. Being Locked-in could never take his mind from him. Ultimately he was a winner and so his story ends on a powerful note.
It has been a while since I have been so affected by a film. I hope I will see another one like it very very soon.
4.5/5 Stars
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