First I would like to say that this movie is very interesting. It is hard to watch though. I cannot imagine being in his situation. The only way he can communicate is by blinking, so you can only ask him yes or no questions. He wants to be able to talk so bad but he cannot. He wants to die. He is stuck with just his mind and his own thoughts and he cannot get away from them. He cannot talk so if he wants to know something he cannot ask. This would not be a situation I would want to be in. The movie relates to class because it deals with death obviously but it also deals with the complicated things that death forces people to deal with. We have talked is class about the roles families play in these situations. It is important for his family to stay strong for him so he does not get anymore depressed than he is. They also have to decide whether or not it is appropreiate to keep trying and keep him in the hospital, which at this point in time I think it is very helpful and appropreiate to keep him there. He is still responding and there is some chance that he'll get better.
I think the film relates to this class because it deals with the quality of life and the will to live. Jean Dominique Bauby’s whole body is paralyzed except for his left eye. The audience is able to see the pain and struggling that he is going through and can hear his thoughts about his desire to die. Seeing the movie through his perspective allows the audience to experience how frustrating it is for him. When he first woke up he was annoyed that he was still alive. His doctors thought they did something wonderful for him by allowing him to live a longer life, but Mr. Bauby didn’t see it that way. He felt that if he had to live paralyzed and unable to speak, he would rather not live at all. I believe this film really opens up the audience’s eyes to the fact that even though you think you are trying to make the person happy by extending their life, it might not be worth it if they don’t even want to be alive under those circumstances. This is such an interesting case because he is not in a vegetative state. He is able to see, hear, and understand things but he cannot communicate. He feels this is not a high enough quality of life and therefore it is not worth living. I think this is because part of our human nature requires us to be social beings and without that he wishes they would have just let him die.
I agree with what Ozzy and Michelle have said. The way that Bauby reacted to his friend and the "mother of [his] children" coming to see him, is with reflection upon how he treated them in the past. It shows what we have talked about many times in class so far: reflecting on death makes us think about how to live our lives. Even though Bauby is not in the exact same situation as Ivan Ilyich, he still knows he may not survive in the state he is in. He can't help but feel longing to go back and change some of his actions. Another thing that relates to class is the way others have dealt with his condition so far. Bauby's friends and family don't know what to think of the state he is in. Someone even said he was a vegetable. Clearly people have a hard time distinguishing the quality of mental capacity he could have since he has only one eye. Through dramatic irony, we know that Bauby still has the capacity to think rationally. It is understandable to not know what to think of the meaning of his seemingly thoughtless blinks. Like Michele said, it is the social part of life that makes us humans. When we lose that, how alive can we really be?
This film relates very closely with what we are discussing in class. It deals with the struggle of Bauby and his will to live. Bauby can only communicate through blinking with his one eye that is functional. It is obvious that his quality of life is not what it use to be and he makes it clear that he does not have the will to live. We have also discussed how others deal with conditions and death of those close to him. His friend and the mother of his children are unsure of how to take the change. His friend talks quickly as if nothing has changed and cannot even remember to watch for the eye blinking that is necessary to communicate. The mother of his children is even apprehensive to communicate and be alone with him. I think that not knowing what he is capable of and not knowing what he can and cannot understand makes them apprehensive. It is by nature that humans are social and since he can no longer effectively communicate his thoughts and feeling and thus he loses his will to live. Bauby can still think rational, which is made clear from his narrative. The social aspect is part of what makes us humans and when we lose that, do we lose life and all that life brings?
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a very enlightening film. As discussed in the previous comments, it related very closely to what we have been discussing in class. This relation is especially seen the issues mentioned in the Barry’s texts about the definition of death and humanity’s fear of it. It was interesting to watch the narrator, Jean Dominique Bauby, evolve into a fuller person because of his injury. He started to look back on his life and recount the good as well as the bad. Through this life review, he was able to pick himself out of the depths of his “diving bell” and use his memories and his imagination to write a book for his children. The solidarity imposed on him by his stroke forced him to come to terms with his life. In the end, he did not fear death because he had prepared for it. His accident and subsequent brush with death, prepared him for it when it finally came. As stated by Barry, “The face-to-face encounter with the other [death], it seems, allowed Ivan Ilyich to face his own death and put his life into perspective…Only by facing our death are we led to the faith necessary to express in existence whatever is essentially human” (Barry 60-61). Only by looking death in the eye, did Bauby came to realize those that mattered the most to him and his true life’s work – writing a novel for his children.
Honestly, when you first said that the movie was not in english, I was not very excited about the movie. I thought it would be very difficult to understand and boring. After watching the film, I found out that that was not the case at all, and it really pertained to our class. Since we are talking about death and that is the final result of Jean Dominique Bauby. This movie does a great job of putting us in the patient's shoes. And also understanding how the family may not want to say goodbye. Personally, I really believe that Bauby was never going to recover and be him normal self again. It was nice that he could respond because he could still tell the nurses what he wanted. In many cases, patients can't do this and the family normally follows through with what the patient's wishes are. I believe that Bauby was not in that horrible of a condition, that he could still speak for himself. But many times in class we have talked about how the family doesn't fulfill the patients wishes and if Bauby was any worse I feel like that would have been the case. I think the family didn't want to let go, and Bauby was ready. This movie did a great job of demonstrating many of the issues that we have discussed in class.
The film is interesting because it provides a very interesting perspective and a situation. Although the film is in french it could easily be just as compelling if it were filmed in english. The story behind the film could easily happen to any one of us and makes for a good discussion on our reactions if were in the same circumstance. Even in our present technology still isn't to the point where we can communicate if we were in the same situation. This movie relates to our class because it deals with the fine line between life and death. If one is unable to communicate to the outside world then it begs the question if that kind of life is worth living. So many times we encounter those that require a ventilator to live yet if the situation is in our hands we should wonder if we wish to be vegetables or not. Although the character eventually found a way to communicate, we should approach that movie with the possibility of communication gone. That is how to best relate this movie to this class.
Diving Bell & Butterfly: An amazing movie, an even better book--not only beautifully written, but awesome when you consider the enormity of the task. What a gift; thanks to Bauby's effort and tremendous will, we have a window into the complex condition that is "locked-in syndrome." This is relevant to some of our class discussions regarding definitions of death. Proponents of the brain-stem approach would have considered Bauby dead, when clearly, he was very much alive in his mind, still himself. Some years ago, I read an article about a man with locked-in syndrome, my first encounter with this condition. He was a professor, a hard drinker, a womanizer, and kind of a bastard, according to those who were interviewed. When he became ill, one of his friends began the process of deciphering this man's blinks to eke out messages to his wife, doctors, etc, and though he was profoundly changed in the physical sense, his mind was as irascible as ever. He chewed people out, insulted his medical team, etc. The illness had stolen his body, but not his mind, not his personality. I was charmed by this--he didn't become a meek little lamb simply because he was at everyone's mercy. He didn't become a stranger, and he didn't disappear or fade away. You didn't have to like him, but you had to respect him.
I agree with Ozzy. I, too, could not imagine being in his situation. Like Berry, I wasn’t sure how much I would like the film but it turned out to be rather interesting. This film very much relates to what we discuss in class everyday regarding the quality of life and what it means to truly be alive. This man, despite his many disabilities was fully conscious and wanting to speak for himself. The fact that he wrote a book illustrates his desire to add meaning to the life he had left. He found a way to connect with the world and I found it to be truly amazing. This shows us that each life is meaningful in some way. Although he was bound by physical restraints, his mind was completely in tune with his situation. This also proves to me how valuable the conscious mind is. He maybe couldn’t walk, talk, or move majority of his body but he could think, dream, and communicate which turned out to be enough.
Thus far in this semester, we have discussed a wide range of topics concerning death from its definition to the morality of euthanasia/physician assisted suicide. I felt like this movie forced me to reconsider all of my previous stances on these issues after placing me in stroke victim, Jean Dominique Bauby's point of view. Facing nearly complete paralysis with the exception of one eye, it was plain to see that the man's quality of life was very poor. This presented him with the desire to simply die and be rid of his suffering. I too, could see why one would want this for themself. However, his ability to write an entire book in his current state, depicts the triumph of the human spirit when left with a non-functioning body and only his mind. Furthermore, this depicts the importance of the mind over the body. A human that clings to their consciousness and sense of being remains living and uniquely human. I believe this movie clearly demonstrates that.
I just want to add that while watching the french version allowed us to truly watch the movie and hear the sound int their voice, When I was ready the words, I felt like I was missing everything in the movie. I pay close attention to movies like this and the small details, having to read made me concerned I missed things. Other than that, I found the movie to be quiet relevant to the class. It was inspirational how he went through his waking up to learning his true condition and through that to writing a book. I, like others, was under the impression that he would live for some time. I even held a slight bit of hope that he would gain some form of motion back since the doctor's seemed to think he was getting close. While yes it is a death and dying class, I was hoping this movie just showed really close to death.
I agree with Sadie, in that reading the dialogue distracts the viewer from some of the details. Watching the movie for a second time, I was able to pay better attention to the characters, and not just the dialogue. Like many people have mentioned, one of the ways this movie relates to our class is in dealing with the quality of life and the will to live. Once Bauby realizes his condition of locked-in syndrome and is able to communicate through blinking, he tells the nurse that he wants death. I admire the way the nurse reacts, even though it was out of line. The nurse obviously values Bauby’s life, and for him to want to give up is unthinkable. I believe the nurse is right to think this way, because if Bauby gave up in the beginning, he would have never been able to write his book or reflect on his life. I also liked the way the film relates Bauby’s condition to the old age of his father. Both were trapped by certain conditions (Bauby of locked-in syndrome and his father of old age), yet both life’s were still very valuable. The father had great advice to give his son, and Bauby became an inspiration to many through writing his book.
"He was a professor, a hard drinker, a womanizer, and kind of a bastard, according to those who were interviewed. When he became ill, one of his friends began the process of deciphering this man's blinks to eke out messages to his wife, doctors, etc, and though he was profoundly changed in the physical sense, his mind was as irascible as ever. He chewed people out, insulted his medical team, etc. The illness had stolen his body, but not his mind, not his personality. I was charmed by this--he didn't become a meek little lamb simply because he was at everyone's mercy. He didn't become a stranger, and he didn't disappear or fade away. You didn't have to like him, but you had to respect him."
I think that too often health care providers are guilty of treating pt. who are disabled (physically or mentally) like they are no longer the people they once were. I can only image how tiring and hurtful this is to the patient, especially when they need us the most.
I remember when I watched this film last semester in BioEthics how watching the film in French along with the changing camera angles and cinematography really added to the movie. I felt trapped and out of my elements, which is probably what the director was going for. I could not image being in a situation like Jean's. I do however have the utmost respect for him and all that he accomplished under such hard conditions. It must have been hard for him to keep going. He had to know that his time was limited. Since he was paralyzed he was at high risk for pneumonia and other infections. I think that with all these obstacles he was a very strong man to do what he did.
The film the Diving Bell and Butterfly relates to the class material because it gives the audience a different perspective on death. In class we discussed what the definition of death is. Is it when the body dies? Is it when the mind goes and the patient is no longer able to physically function? Although there is not a clear definition of death, I think that this film proved that just because a patient is not able to speak or walk or complete physical activities, he is still aware of his surroundings and what is happening to him. He is able to communicate by blinking his one eye and is able to write a book with the help of caring therapists. This movie goes to show that people are able to accomplish things if they really set their mind to it. Yes, he was suffering but he was able to hold on long enough to see that his dream of writing a book was fulfilled despite the circumstances.
I think the film related a great deal to what we are learning about in class. One topic is suicide. Jean Dominique Bauby contemplates suicide after he becomes paralyzed from a stroke. He is physically unable to follow through with suicide because he can only control his blinking. His caregivers then help to influence the life he now lives and he is able to publish a book. This film also is a great example of how people around us cope with death and harm. You could see the reactions to Jean as people first came to visit him. They made it seem like he was an alien, and all he wanted was to be treated the same as before. His current wife was not even able to visit him because she was afraid of seeing him in his condition. This opened my eyes and made me more conscious of how i should act around friends and family if they are ever in a similar situation.
I agree with Sadie's comment about the subtitles being distracting. I felt like I was not able to see all the details of the movie because I was focusing on knowing what was being said.
This film related a lot to my life. Over the summer I worked in a nursing home where a patient had a stroke and could only communicate through blinking. He was able to smile, but not talk. I believed that the patient was happy and excited to see us in therapy, but after watching the film I started to think otherwise.
I really liked the film. I felt that its topic was very prevalent to the discussions and overall topic we have been having in class for the mere fact it was dealing with a man who had truly no means of communication other than his eyes. Many people would view this as "no meaning to life". He was able to experience things and have fantasies and every other experience that other people have just with limited motion and communication --> Is that really meaningless? Was it tough? Definitely, even he mentioned how he really just wanted it to end most of the time, however, he continued to pull htrough and write his story. I felt like this movie was useful to helping understand another person's point of view and actually made me feel like I was able to reevaluate my stance of what "meaningless" means. I would not be happy with my situation if I were like his, however, would I rather have that and have more time with my family and friends or be non-existance...I still cannot answer this question and I am unsure if I ever will. I agree with Kammi and Sadie about the subtitles being very distracting but at the same time, the pros heavily outweigh the con.
First I would like to say that this movie is very interesting. It is hard to watch though. I cannot imagine being in his situation. The only way he can communicate is by blinking, so you can only ask him yes or no questions. He wants to be able to talk so bad but he cannot. He wants to die. He is stuck with just his mind and his own thoughts and he cannot get away from them. He cannot talk so if he wants to know something he cannot ask. This would not be a situation I would want to be in.
ReplyDeleteThe movie relates to class because it deals with death obviously but it also deals with the complicated things that death forces people to deal with. We have talked is class about the roles families play in these situations. It is important for his family to stay strong for him so he does not get anymore depressed than he is. They also have to decide whether or not it is appropreiate to keep trying and keep him in the hospital, which at this point in time I think it is very helpful and appropreiate to keep him there. He is still responding and there is some chance that he'll get better.
I think the film relates to this class because it deals with the quality of life and the will to live. Jean Dominique Bauby’s whole body is paralyzed except for his left eye. The audience is able to see the pain and struggling that he is going through and can hear his thoughts about his desire to die. Seeing the movie through his perspective allows the audience to experience how frustrating it is for him. When he first woke up he was annoyed that he was still alive. His doctors thought they did something wonderful for him by allowing him to live a longer life, but Mr. Bauby didn’t see it that way. He felt that if he had to live paralyzed and unable to speak, he would rather not live at all. I believe this film really opens up the audience’s eyes to the fact that even though you think you are trying to make the person happy by extending their life, it might not be worth it if they don’t even want to be alive under those circumstances. This is such an interesting case because he is not in a vegetative state. He is able to see, hear, and understand things but he cannot communicate. He feels this is not a high enough quality of life and therefore it is not worth living. I think this is because part of our human nature requires us to be social beings and without that he wishes they would have just let him die.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Ozzy and Michelle have said. The way that Bauby reacted to his friend and the "mother of [his] children" coming to see him, is with reflection upon how he treated them in the past. It shows what we have talked about many times in class so far: reflecting on death makes us think about how to live our lives. Even though Bauby is not in the exact same situation as Ivan Ilyich, he still knows he may not survive in the state he is in. He can't help but feel longing to go back and change some of his actions. Another thing that relates to class is the way others have dealt with his condition so far. Bauby's friends and family don't know what to think of the state he is in. Someone even said he was a vegetable. Clearly people have a hard time distinguishing the quality of mental capacity he could have since he has only one eye. Through dramatic irony, we know that Bauby still has the capacity to think rationally. It is understandable to not know what to think of the meaning of his seemingly thoughtless blinks. Like Michele said, it is the social part of life that makes us humans. When we lose that, how alive can we really be?
ReplyDeleteThis film relates very closely with what we are discussing in class. It deals with the struggle of Bauby and his will to live. Bauby can only communicate through blinking with his one eye that is functional. It is obvious that his quality of life is not what it use to be and he makes it clear that he does not have the will to live. We have also discussed how others deal with conditions and death of those close to him. His friend and the mother of his children are unsure of how to take the change. His friend talks quickly as if nothing has changed and cannot even remember to watch for the eye blinking that is necessary to communicate. The mother of his children is even apprehensive to communicate and be alone with him. I think that not knowing what he is capable of and not knowing what he can and cannot understand makes them apprehensive. It is by nature that humans are social and since he can no longer effectively communicate his thoughts and feeling and thus he loses his will to live. Bauby can still think rational, which is made clear from his narrative. The social aspect is part of what makes us humans and when we lose that, do we lose life and all that life brings?
ReplyDeleteThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly was a very enlightening film. As discussed in the previous comments, it related very closely to what we have been discussing in class. This relation is especially seen the issues mentioned in the Barry’s texts about the definition of death and humanity’s fear of it. It was interesting to watch the narrator, Jean Dominique Bauby, evolve into a fuller person because of his injury. He started to look back on his life and recount the good as well as the bad. Through this life review, he was able to pick himself out of the depths of his “diving bell” and use his memories and his imagination to write a book for his children. The solidarity imposed on him by his stroke forced him to come to terms with his life. In the end, he did not fear death because he had prepared for it. His accident and subsequent brush with death, prepared him for it when it finally came. As stated by Barry, “The face-to-face encounter with the other [death], it seems, allowed Ivan Ilyich to face his own death and put his life into perspective…Only by facing our death are we led to the faith necessary to express in existence whatever is essentially human” (Barry 60-61). Only by looking death in the eye, did Bauby came to realize those that mattered the most to him and his true life’s work – writing a novel for his children.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, when you first said that the movie was not in english, I was not very excited about the movie. I thought it would be very difficult to understand and boring. After watching the film, I found out that that was not the case at all, and it really pertained to our class. Since we are talking about death and that is the final result of Jean Dominique Bauby.
ReplyDeleteThis movie does a great job of putting us in the patient's shoes. And also understanding how the family may not want to say goodbye. Personally, I really believe that Bauby was never going to recover and be him normal self again. It was nice that he could respond because he could still tell the nurses what he wanted. In many cases, patients can't do this and the family normally follows through with what the patient's wishes are. I believe that Bauby was not in that horrible of a condition, that he could still speak for himself. But many times in class we have talked about how the family doesn't fulfill the patients wishes and if Bauby was any worse I feel like that would have been the case. I think the family didn't want to let go, and Bauby was ready. This movie did a great job of demonstrating many of the issues that we have discussed in class.
The film is interesting because it provides a very interesting perspective and a situation. Although the film is in french it could easily be just as compelling if it were filmed in english. The story behind the film could easily happen to any one of us and makes for a good discussion on our reactions if were in the same circumstance. Even in our present technology still isn't to the point where we can communicate if we were in the same situation.
ReplyDeleteThis movie relates to our class because it deals with the fine line between life and death. If one is unable to communicate to the outside world then it begs the question if that kind of life is worth living. So many times we encounter those that require a ventilator to live yet if the situation is in our hands we should wonder if we wish to be vegetables or not. Although the character eventually found a way to communicate, we should approach that movie with the possibility of communication gone. That is how to best relate this movie to this class.
from Jenny:
ReplyDeleteDiving Bell & Butterfly: An amazing movie, an even better book--not only beautifully written, but awesome when you consider the enormity of the task. What a gift; thanks to Bauby's effort and tremendous will, we have a window into the complex condition that is "locked-in syndrome." This is relevant to some of our class discussions regarding definitions of death. Proponents of the brain-stem approach would have considered Bauby dead, when clearly, he was very much alive in his mind, still himself. Some years ago, I read an article about a man with locked-in syndrome, my first encounter with this condition. He was a professor, a hard drinker, a womanizer, and kind of a bastard, according to those who were interviewed. When he became ill, one of his friends began the process of deciphering this man's blinks to eke out messages to his wife, doctors, etc, and though he was profoundly changed in the physical sense, his mind was as irascible as ever. He chewed people out, insulted his medical team, etc. The illness had stolen his body, but not his mind, not his personality. I was charmed by this--he didn't become a meek little lamb simply because he was at everyone's mercy. He didn't become a stranger, and he didn't disappear or fade away. You didn't have to like him, but you had to respect him.
I agree with Ozzy. I, too, could not imagine being in his situation. Like Berry, I wasn’t sure how much I would like the film but it turned out to be rather interesting. This film very much relates to what we discuss in class everyday regarding the quality of life and what it means to truly be alive. This man, despite his many disabilities was fully conscious and wanting to speak for himself. The fact that he wrote a book illustrates his desire to add meaning to the life he had left. He found a way to connect with the world and I found it to be truly amazing. This shows us that each life is meaningful in some way. Although he was bound by physical restraints, his mind was completely in tune with his situation. This also proves to me how valuable the conscious mind is. He maybe couldn’t walk, talk, or move majority of his body but he could think, dream, and communicate which turned out to be enough.
ReplyDeleteThus far in this semester, we have discussed a wide range of topics concerning death from its definition to the morality of euthanasia/physician assisted suicide. I felt like this movie forced me to reconsider all of my previous stances on these issues after placing me in stroke victim, Jean Dominique Bauby's point of view. Facing nearly complete paralysis with the exception of one eye, it was plain to see that the man's quality of life was very poor. This presented him with the desire to simply die and be rid of his suffering. I too, could see why one would want this for themself. However, his ability to write an entire book in his current state, depicts the triumph of the human spirit when left with a non-functioning body and only his mind. Furthermore, this depicts the importance of the mind over the body. A human that clings to their consciousness and sense of being remains living and uniquely human. I believe this movie clearly demonstrates that.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add that while watching the french version allowed us to truly watch the movie and hear the sound int their voice, When I was ready the words, I felt like I was missing everything in the movie. I pay close attention to movies like this and the small details, having to read made me concerned I missed things. Other than that, I found the movie to be quiet relevant to the class. It was inspirational how he went through his waking up to learning his true condition and through that to writing a book. I, like others, was under the impression that he would live for some time. I even held a slight bit of hope that he would gain some form of motion back since the doctor's seemed to think he was getting close. While yes it is a death and dying class, I was hoping this movie just showed really close to death.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sadie, in that reading the dialogue distracts the viewer from some of the details. Watching the movie for a second time, I was able to pay better attention to the characters, and not just the dialogue. Like many people have mentioned, one of the ways this movie relates to our class is in dealing with the quality of life and the will to live. Once Bauby realizes his condition of locked-in syndrome and is able to communicate through blinking, he tells the nurse that he wants death. I admire the way the nurse reacts, even though it was out of line. The nurse obviously values Bauby’s life, and for him to want to give up is unthinkable. I believe the nurse is right to think this way, because if Bauby gave up in the beginning, he would have never been able to write his book or reflect on his life. I also liked the way the film relates Bauby’s condition to the old age of his father. Both were trapped by certain conditions (Bauby of locked-in syndrome and his father of old age), yet both life’s were still very valuable. The father had great advice to give his son, and Bauby became an inspiration to many through writing his book.
ReplyDeleteI liked what Jenny said in her post...
ReplyDelete"He was a professor, a hard drinker, a womanizer, and kind of a bastard, according to those who were interviewed. When he became ill, one of his friends began the process of deciphering this man's blinks to eke out messages to his wife, doctors, etc, and though he was profoundly changed in the physical sense, his mind was as irascible as ever. He chewed people out, insulted his medical team, etc. The illness had stolen his body, but not his mind, not his personality. I was charmed by this--he didn't become a meek little lamb simply because he was at everyone's mercy. He didn't become a stranger, and he didn't disappear or fade away. You didn't have to like him, but you had to respect him."
I think that too often health care providers are guilty of treating pt. who are disabled (physically or mentally) like they are no longer the people they once were. I can only image how tiring and hurtful this is to the patient, especially when they need us the most.
I remember when I watched this film last semester in BioEthics how watching the film in French along with the changing camera angles and cinematography really added to the movie. I felt trapped and out of my elements, which is probably what the director was going for. I could not image being in a situation like Jean's. I do however have the utmost respect for him and all that he accomplished under such hard conditions. It must have been hard for him to keep going. He had to know that his time was limited. Since he was paralyzed he was at high risk for pneumonia and other infections. I think that with all these obstacles he was a very strong man to do what he did.
The film the Diving Bell and Butterfly relates to the class material because it gives the audience a different perspective on death. In class we discussed what the definition of death is. Is it when the body dies? Is it when the mind goes and the patient is no longer able to physically function? Although there is not a clear definition of death, I think that this film proved that just because a patient is not able to speak or walk or complete physical activities, he is still aware of his surroundings and what is happening to him. He is able to communicate by blinking his one eye and is able to write a book with the help of caring therapists. This movie goes to show that people are able to accomplish things if they really set their mind to it. Yes, he was suffering but he was able to hold on long enough to see that his dream of writing a book was fulfilled despite the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI think the film related a great deal to what we are learning about in class. One topic is suicide. Jean Dominique Bauby contemplates suicide after he becomes paralyzed from a stroke. He is physically unable to follow through with suicide because he can only control his blinking. His caregivers then help to influence the life he now lives and he is able to publish a book. This film also is a great example of how people around us cope with death and harm. You could see the reactions to Jean as people first came to visit him. They made it seem like he was an alien, and all he wanted was to be treated the same as before. His current wife was not even able to visit him because she was afraid of seeing him in his condition. This opened my eyes and made me more conscious of how i should act around friends and family if they are ever in a similar situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sadie's comment about the subtitles being distracting. I felt like I was not able to see all the details of the movie because I was focusing on knowing what was being said.
This film related a lot to my life. Over the summer I worked in a nursing home where a patient had a stroke and could only communicate through blinking. He was able to smile, but not talk. I believed that the patient was happy and excited to see us in therapy, but after watching the film I started to think otherwise.
I really liked the film. I felt that its topic was very prevalent to the discussions and overall topic we have been having in class for the mere fact it was dealing with a man who had truly no means of communication other than his eyes. Many people would view this as "no meaning to life". He was able to experience things and have fantasies and every other experience that other people have just with limited motion and communication --> Is that really meaningless? Was it tough? Definitely, even he mentioned how he really just wanted it to end most of the time, however, he continued to pull htrough and write his story. I felt like this movie was useful to helping understand another person's point of view and actually made me feel like I was able to reevaluate my stance of what "meaningless" means. I would not be happy with my situation if I were like his, however, would I rather have that and have more time with my family and friends or be non-existance...I still cannot answer this question and I am unsure if I ever will. I agree with Kammi and Sadie about the subtitles being very distracting but at the same time, the pros heavily outweigh the con.
ReplyDelete