Trailer of the film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G69Zh7YIg8c
Review of the film
http://www.salon.com/2008/02/23/diving_bell_2/
Review of the book, from which the film was made
http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/970615.mallon.html
What was your initial reaction to the film? What do you take away from it? How do you see it relating to class?
I watched this film last year in biomedical ethics and it is a very inspiring film that makes you rethink your views on euthanasia. The guy is completely paralyzed and communicates by blinking. At first he wants to die and not live the rest of his life like that, but after awhile his view start to change. He ends up writing a book and bonding with his family. He could not have accomplished these things if he was allowed to die. The movie is very touching and again, makes you questions your views on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it really opens up your eyes about what can give life meaning, even if it is against what most people believe about what will make his life meaningful. It also shows that if you are contemplating physician assisted suicide that you really need to think long and hard about it and if it is really what you want to do, because you can still be happy even if your life is not remotely the same as it used to be
DeleteI also agree on how the movie touched on physician assisted suicide. It was a brief scene and was carried through most of the movie, but mostly it was moving. Jean- Dominique wanted to die and the physician refused him because he would be acting selfish. Sometimes we need that slap on the face to knock us out of a funk or at least in his case reminding him that it isn't just him suffering.
DeleteIt really does make you question the allowance for physician assisted suicide. Somethings that happen like with the main character are tragic and may bring us down to a point where we just want to be gone. In some ways I think he found a lot of meaning in the last period of his life. He may not have had his normal life but he ended up making connections that he worried he wouldn't be able to. In this case I think it was a good thing that the doctor refused. I think he would have left the world with many more regrets and a more negative attitude had he allowed it.
DeleteI was very surprised by how quickly the main character went from leading a relatively normal high class life to becoming a prisoner in his own body. It shows how fragile human life is and how easily anyone’s circumstance can be altered in an instant. For me the take away message was hope and inspiration. The story could have easily taken a very dark and depressing path if it wasn’t for the resolve of the main character. The sheer determination required to write an entire novel simply by blinking is astounding. This determination is not only seen in Jean-Dominique but also in his writing assistant who had to have had extreme patience and dedication as well. This movie is easily related to class as it provides a first person example of what it could like to be one of the patients that we have often theorized about. Also it provides new insight on why some patients contemplate suicide, assisted or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be very shocking, emotional, and eye-opening. I really enjoyed it. I appreciate the film even more knowing that it is a real story and the impressive will power came from Jean-Dominique is real. This film reminds me of the bigger picture in life; Jean-Do was at the top of his game for French Elle when his body failed and changed everything for him. Although he lost himself at first- understandably- he regained his sense of life and became a better person who inspired countless people, including me.
ReplyDeleteWatching this movie, it definitely was emotionally inspiring and eye opening at the same time. While I did enjoy the movie, I took from it was that something like this can happen to anyone not matter how healthy or unlikely. This movie made me see that something like this can happen to the best of us. Most of all it made me see that could very well happen to me and I should not give up so easily. This definitely relates to class because of the content of death but the struggles one can face from a something like this.
ReplyDeleteWhat I got out of the film was to never underestimate someone's mental capacity based solely on the outward appearance of their condition. When the phone company worker's jabbed at Jean-Do's plight, quipping: "what's he need a phone for if he can't speak?"..."Maybe he's a heavy breather!"; Jean-Do was laughing riotously in his mind, and thought to himself that his well-meaning but defensive therapist should "grow a sense of humor".
ReplyDeleteI consider all of the times I've been to hospitals and nursing homes, and seen people in states similar to that of Jean-Do. I now have to wonder again; things like, if that immobile young man staring at me from his gurney was really trying to tell me something... anything at all, or at least that he only wished he could.
I thought this film was amazing. It really depressed me at first almost for not being as thankful for my life as I could be, but I think it gave off an awesome message. However, I did not find it morally wrong for the character to want death. Even though his mind was functioning, that would still be a quite depressing and difficult life. I can't imagine people talking to me and for me to not be able to talk back. I thought it was an awesome portrayal of different types of "life" that we may not think of at first. I love how everything was portrayed and it really made me value my life more.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film was very well acted and he good look into the struggle that he had. The movie was very inspirational it made me think about how there are always people out there that have it harder than you and seeing him persevere though all that makes me want to work harder in my life. It relates to class by the fact that there are people who cannot communicate with us because something has affected their way of communicating but does that mean there is no way they can communicate with us? I think that it would be very cool to find different techniques to try and communicate with them.
ReplyDeleteThis film hit me hard in the heart and was honestly a very different experience. Watching this film in a different language was hard to understand and also the performance that was put on was also moving. The attempt to understand the struggle of a man who is truly locked inside his own body is impossible to understand. The emotion that this film draws is pity and dread because i would definitely not be strong enough to push through that fight.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film did an excellent job of portraying what challenges a person goes through after suffering a stroke. I thought it did an excellent job of showing how a person's life changes after a major medical event. One of the things I took away from the film was that no matter how hard the challenge is we must have the strength to say this will not effect me, and I'm going to live life better after what happened. The way the film connected to the class was that it showed that humans have the nature to either fight or to give up.
ReplyDeleteThis movie, to me, was very awe inspiring. The journey Jean-Do goes through, during the film really makes you think and be grateful for the things you have. I know many times in my life I become frustrated and upset over little, inconsequential things. When I look at this film, it reminds me how many things that I take for granted. Like my other classmates have pointed out, this movie really demonstrates the power of human strength to persevere. It was very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I was not looking forward to watching this film. I thought it was going to be dumb, but I was completely wrong. It had me so engaged throughout the entire movie and I loved it. I liked how half the time, we saw things in the perspective of the guy who was paralyzed. I thought it really helped put everything into perspective. The movie taught us that anything can happen to us at any moment so we have to live every day to the fullest. I know that sounds a little cliche, but it's true. We can't take anything for granted because once you do, that thing or person you took for granted is going to be gone just like that. It shows how even when you think you don't want to live this way, it's better than to be dead. He wrote a book while he was paralyzed. I mean who does that? We should never underestimate handicapped people. They can do incredible things and I loved how this movie portrayed it.
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