This movie kind of hit me very personally. It reminded me of seeing my father when he was in a coma after five months. He was not paralyzed, but lost all motor control due to atrophy. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t swallow, he couldn’t move his hands, and he couldn’t talk, (he also had a tracheostomy.) He had a speech therapist who taught him to communicate, first by blinking with his eyes… It was devastating to see him that way. And in the movie, Jean’s son watches his son wipe saliva off his face, and I remember going to the hospital to see him on father’s day… I remember how hard it was to see him the way he was; I can’t imagine what it was like for him to feel so powerless and contemplate his life… Since I’ve been missing this Wednesday class because of softball games, Dr. Cate let me borrow this movie over Easter break and so I watched it in my living room with my dad. I watched his face throughout it, and I could tell what he was thinking of. Watching this movie takes him back to his experience. Watching him I think it’s amazing he’s even here today. When it was over I asked what he thought of the movie. He said, “It was all to true.” He remembers thinking about laying there, that he felt the same way and that it felt like he was underwater and that he was just floating and all he could hear was himself breathing. He said it was pretty spot on in that he would watch everything around him happen. He felt like he was not a part of it because he could not interact. I hits hard that he experienced this first hand. I can’t imagine being in that position. It doesn’t make me think about death though, it makes me think of how special life is, and a privilege it is to live it and experience it. We can’t be sure of the afterlife, but we can be sure of the before death. We can only guarantee the experiences we will have alive, so we need to make the most of them. Interacting with people is a huge part of life. Seeing this film made me realize the importance of interacting and communicating with others. I think we need to make our lives worth the while and that’s based off of making relationships and sharing experiences with each other. I’ve always been pretty shy and never talked much, but I’ve learned that being active and interacting more with those around you is a very special thing that we are able to do. On another note, he tells the speech therapist he wants to die at first. He then decides he won’t feel sorry for himself any more. He said, “Be sides my left eye, there are Two things that aren’t paralyzed, my imaginations and my memory.” That hit me. This quote made me realize how beautiful the mind is and what it is capable to do. The capabilities are endless and it’s amazing. I could write on forever about this. I really liked this movie; it was very deep and thought provoking. I felt very inspired and I think I gained a lot of meaning from it.
I found the film to be somewhat disturbing, maybe because it is hard to face what Jean-Do was going through when I’m younger and don’t really have any major troubles such as that besides my dad having cancer, however, that does not effect me like this would. 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, work, and pretty much do what I want, when I want. I honestly have thought more about death from this class and everything going on with my dad than i ever have before and in fact, I really don’t want to think about it as much as i do. My life has changed because of work, school, and medical situations in my family/life and the film just better 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. (And is currently effecting my father now in so many ways, but not to this extreme). 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 sometimes not for the better.
In the beginning of the film Jean-Do’s neurosurgeon was explaining details about his stroke and his current condition. He said with the new resuscitation technology they were able to save his life (or something to that effect). And Jean-Do says “This is life?” He is physically trapped, he can’t speak or move. He is forced under the bright fluorescent hospital lights staring at the same spot on the white wall. Is that life? In the beginning he cannot communicate and is forced to listen to people talk about him like he is not in the room. At this point I remember thinking I needed to get my affairs in order because I don’t want that- I don’t want resuscitation- that isn’t life. In the film Jean-Do came off as mildly frustrated in the beginning and communicated he wanted to die. I’m the type of person that can get frustrated easily and if I were in his position I think I would feel a little more frustrated than he did. But he changes and becomes patient and humorous, he laughs at himself and others. He adapts to his new life and makes enormous efforts in communication. Reflecting on the progress Jean-Do makes by the end of the film is inspiring. He does have a life. Through blinking he writes a book and makes his existence meaningful and purposeful. I learned that just because things are unusual, difficult or slower you can still find a purpose to live. Also the film made me realize not to get so caught up in the future because it probably won’t turn out like I hope or plan it. Jean-Do keeps a positive attitude throughout most of the film; I think there is something to take away in this too. It shows that a positive mind-set can make a world of difference. He begins his positive thinking after he consciously decides not to pity himself anymore. How does this film relate to this course? In this course we studied death which ends life; consequently we have had discussions on life and how death puts value to life. Though the course is designed around death, I think an objective of the course is for us to learn not to take life for granted anymore, to not live like zombies and to become conscious of our own time limit. To be conscious of the fact we will die. There is a lot of emphasis on physicality in the world. The film makes me ask, what if most of that physicality was taken away? And you were left only your mind? Would you be happy? Frustrated? Not want to live? What happened to Jean-Do could happen to me. Instead of focusing on all the physical things in the world maybe I should focus on thinking and developing my mind. Instead of being naïve and uncritical I should be more skeptical and imaginative.
My initial reaction to the film was how scary it must be to think that you are able to communicate but realize that really people are unable to hear what you are saying. That is extremely terrifying and I cannot imagine how that must feel. Jean-Do awakens in a hospital after having a stroke and is unaware of where he is or what has happened. He is physically unable to speak or even move his tongue to swallow. It was disturbing watching the doctors examine him from his point of view because it made me feel like they were almost examining me. It is extremely scary to be trapped in your own body with no way to communicate to others how you are feeling, what you want, or any of your thoughts. However, Jean-Do does learn a way to communicate by blinking and having a person write down the letters to create words and sentences.
This movie is very relative to the class based on the quality of life issue we have been discussing throughout the semester. At the beginning of the movie Jean-Do asks “What is life?” This immediately brought to mind his quality of life. Is life worth living if you are trapped in your own body and unable to communicate or create relationships with others? There is always the chance of getting better and recovering but what if you can’t? At that point the quality of the person’s life may be so poor it is not worth the pain and suffering to keep prolonging life. This film reminds us that there is value in life especially in the little things. Jean-Do mentions that he treated his wife and kids terribly and he regrets that now, but there is not much he can do to change that or make up for it.
I found this movie inspiring. After jean-do overcame the initial depression of his accident he tried to make his life the best that he could. He adapted to his new way of living and set out to finish a project that he wanted to start before his accident. He did not hide in the shadows but embraced what he now is and allowed for people to see him and communicate. I find his will to go on with his life as best as he could incredibly inspiring. He had a completely visual and hands on career which seemed to take up most of his life and after the stroke he was no longer able to be the editor of Elle. I could not imagine having the strength and will that he had to continue to live. Though this class is about death and dying I believe this movie is about putting meaning to life. I think the movie also relates to the death of Ivan illych, Jean-Do and Ivan both had similar feelings of defeat and regret but unlike Ivan, Jean-Do began to live out his life as long as he could maybe even a more meaningful one. I think that even though this class is about death it is geared for us to realize how we should live now. How to make our lives more meaningful and to not ignore the death could happen any minute.
Whenever I think about becoming a physician, it is always about preserving life and making it the best that I can for that person. But on one hand I guess I never thought to hard about how the patient is feeling, that I would know best and they might not understand the science and knowledge behind it. I thought this movie showed it from a wonderful perspective. Seeing the film play out, especially at the beginning, from the eyes of Jean-Do was very insightful and thought provoking. I could not imagine being trapped in my own body. Not being able to move, feel, speak, and forced to lay in a bed all day while others wash me and treat me like a child. I do not think I would want to live that way. I think the mind and body are separate entities and that it was great he still had his mind and thought process, but how good is one without the other? It was also terribly upsetting to see the mother of his children love him so much and that he had a mistress that he wanted to be with. It was interesting that his wife, who he did not want, was there every step of the way, and that his girlfriend would not even see him... I wonder if his girlfriend even loved him? I liked that Jean-Do had the determination to write a book and to get over his self pity, but I really do not know if I could live like that or could see my loved one to live like that. It is heart breaking and honestly thinking about it makes me feel sick.
First off, as a Communications major I'd like to point out that I don't think I handled the scene in this film where they stitch his eyeball QUITE as well as the nursing majors did. :) All that aside, I think this movie was an interesting inward look at life, and at making the "best" of a bad situation. I cannot even fathom what it would be like to be paralyzed and trapped inside your own thoughts for months at a time. I find solace in running, in going for drives, in reading, writing, making art, spending time outside--so the idea of being paralyzed but mentally capable is absolutely haunting. I think this movie definitely spoke well for nurses and doctors, as well. They were relentlessly optimistic and devoted to their patient... Even to my own suspicions. The relationships within this movie also caused some emotional trauma on my part. Being married to someone, but in love with someone else--that is a terrible situation. Then, get paralyzed, and have to live with the guilt of watching to see which individual really cares about you. It must have been awful for Jean-Do to realize that his beloved mistress wouldn't even show up to the hospital. The nonchalant way with which his father dismissed marital affairs also disturbed me. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but it always upsets me when I hear about people that honestly feel that way towards marriage and relationships. The ending of the movie is one which you can find some hope in, or basically just be extremely depressed from. He spent the last months of his life listening to the alphabet probably a trillion times, and having to face his life and his memories as his only form of entertainment. That made me wonder... If this would ever happen to me--would I have good memories to ponder??? Or would I be paralyzed and realized I never did anything to my full potential????
This movie hit me hard because I have had family members that have had strokes and they pulled the plug. Also I found it inspiring because the main character found a way to make his situation a positive one. Even when he wanted to die the doctor inspired him to live for his kids. Lastly the movie showed me that sometimes tragedies can have positives because throughout the movie he was able to reconnect with his children and his estranged wife. The film relates to the course because it had end of life decisions and it dealt with how we cope with death and tragedy. However this movie doesn't change my opinion on death and end of life decisions which is people should have the right to make their own end of life decision.
When the film first started I had a hard time watching it because of how it was shot. Seeing everything blurry and fuzzy was frustrating. After learning this was because we were looking through Jean-Do’s view, which was from only one eye, I began to think about how terrible that would be. To have to see everything in that way when you can’t move, talk, don’t know where you are or what’s going on would be very frightening. Although his vision becomes more focused after awhile his vision is still hindered by the fact that he cannot see things that are on the side of his bad eye and he can’t turn his head to look at them either. Having Jean-Do narrate what was going through his mind throughout his experience helped to get a better sense of how he felt. I support PAS and I think that if I were in Jean-Do’s situation I would want to be allowed to die if I wanted to. I’m not saying I would want to die immediately, but I would like the whole comfort idea that we have talked about in class—just knowing that you can die when you want helps you feel more in control which provides a sense of comfort. Jean-Do was able to work through his physical obstacles and write a book, which was inspiring, but sadly he died ten days after it was published. At the end of the movie I still had the same feelings. Even though Jean-Do was able to write a book and spend time with his family, I feel that I would still want the option of PAS. I don’t think that I would want to go through all of that suffering and frustration when I am just going to die anyway; I guess I’m a pessimistic in that way.
I feel that this movie relates to class not just because it’s about dying but because several issues that we’ve discussed in class were brought up. For one, just the general idea that we could die at any moment seems pretty relevant. Jean-Do was a successful magazine editor and he mentions that didn’t seem to have a care in the world before his stroke. He had a wife and a girlfriend, a new car, and three children. After his stroke, Jean-Do mentions how he was never a very good father to his three children and there was nothing he could to change that now. This relates to our discussion about how fear of death drives us to do things that we want and a lack of this fear can lead us to not strive for things and realize this when it is too late. Jean-Do is now paralyzed and cannot talk so he feels that there is no way for him to make it up to his children for him not being around as much or not being that good of a dad.
i was a bit nervous about this movie when I first heard the plot of it. My mom has suffered several stokes within her life but have thankfully not effected her speech or vision. I honestly could not imagine what it would be like not having my mom talk to me or be able to see me. It does worry me that it could potentially happen to my mom, but with her most recent stoke, the doctors hopefully found the issue (a blood disease). As I watched the film, I thought about the beginning of class how we talked about our definitions of death. Though it may have not been seen at first, Jean-Do was alive, some people may argue that due to him being in a coma, he was no longer living. He did in fact come out of his coma and was able to communicate by a blink of his eye. I was thinking throughout the film, what if no one could hear me or my thoughts, what if I could not communicate, I would be living in my own world, alone. Another thing to relate to our class is the thought of assisted suicide. Did Jean-Do want to make the choice to leave the world? I also saw a relationship to The Death of Ivan Ilyich because it seems Jean-Do did not live his life the way he wished he would have-there was much more to both Ivan and Jean-Do's lives that they once did not see or understand.
I thought the film was very interesting in that they did it from Jean-Do's point of view. I think that this made the film so much more impacting because it gives you a sense of what it would be like to be in such a state where you cannot communicate with others, yet they can communicate with you. This film made me think a lot more about what I would want for myself and my family members in a situation similar. Certain scenes were more memorable than others because of small details, like when he said to himself "This is life" or when his son wipes the saliva off his face because he physically cannot do it. This film easily relates to what we have been talking about in class with end of life care, and what the true quality of life is in certain physical states. I wouldn't say that this film changed my opinion/choice on my personal wishes for end of life care, but it definitely made me think about it more.
I thought that this moving was very interesting, for a number of reasons. The main character, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered from a massive stroke, which left him crippled. He cannot talk, he cannot walk, we cannot even move. According to a review I found online, the name of the condition he had following his stroke was called locked-in syndrome. It was interesting how they showed his life before and after the stroke. I also think that this movie was from his perspective. It would have been very different had it been from another character's point-of-view. If the perspective were from someone else, it would be hard to not view him as an almost lifeless being. For me, his existence would seem to serve no function. He cannot move, he cannot feed himself, he cannot urinate or excrete waste by himself, and he cannot talk. He is basically a vegetable. The only method he has to communicate is to have someone go through the alphabet and have him blink for the letter that he wants. From an outsider's perspective, he cannot really do much of anything. However, his nurses and doctors remain optimistic and are devoted to him and his recovery. The movie takes place from the mind of Jean-Dominique. It allows us to see that while he cannot do much, he is still very much alive and his cognitive ability has not been impaired. We are able to get a unique perception of what life is, from the perspective of a man who is lock-in his own body. Despite the fact that he is crippled, he is able to write a book, and live long enough to see it published. In the end, he did die, but he was able to do something meaningful with his life, even with his debilitating condition. I think that the movie offers a unique perspective on life and is an inspiring story of a man who is crippled and trapped in his own body, but still able to accomplish an extraordinary feat.
I really enjoyed watching the film because I have never seen a film where the main character was locked inside his body and that the story was told from his point of view. At first, it took me a little while to get used to how the film was shot due to it being from Jean-Do's perspective. But once I had settled into the movie, I was able to reflect on my life and what I would want if I ever happen to be in Jean-Do's situation. What would I want to do? Would I want my children or my family, whether they be immediate or distant, to see me like that? Would I want to live life as that?
As most of my classmates have stated, a profound scene of the movie was when Jean-Do's doctor was explaining what happened and what his condition was and Jean-Do says, "This is life?". It makes you think of how you should live your life. It correlates with The Death and Dying of Ivan Ilych because Jean-Do reflects on his life and events while he was stuck inside his body and going through therapies just as Ivan Ilych did while he was on his death bed. But the two characters differ in the fact that Ivan Ilych pushed everyone he loved away, while Jean-Do rekindled, in a sense, his relationship with his estranged wife and his three children, whom he reflected that he had not spent an adequate amount of time with, and realized why he had fallen in love with his wife and how their relationship had slipped away from them. Jean-Do had the opportunity to somewhat make a better connection with his children and his estranged wife before he passed away, while Ivan Ilych just isolated himself from his family.
This film relates to class on many different issues, such as death could be at any moment, how we could feel if we reflected on our life at when we are near death- would we be happy or upset and if we had a short amount of time would we try to make the best of the time left. This film did impact me in ways that I can use in my own personal life and in my professional life, because who knows what kind of patients in what conditions that I can encounter.
I, like most everyone else, agree that this movie was very moving and powerful. One aspect of the film that really struck me was the immediate response of Jean-Do to his condition: He felt completely hopeless and questioned how meaningful and valuable a life like his—in the state that he was in—could be. The palpable relevance of this to class is the permissibility of active euthanasia, because should he have been able to communicate that it was not his wish to continue to live in such a state—which it would seem crossed his mind at least somewhat—it raises the moral question of whether the physician would be able to grant his wishes. It is fortunate, however, that Jean-Do did not give up and worked with those around him to eventually dictate the that would be compiled into the work that inspired this movie. Another germane overture this movie has to class, as Tori pointed out, is how Jean-Do did more to surround himself by his family and did not sequester himself as Ivan Ilyich did. I feel that the latter would be a more satisfactory death, because—unlike Ilyich who felt that those around him were leading ostensibly proper lives and “lying” to him—Jean-Do spent time with those he cared about. It was really depressing when the movie described his death to pneumonia shortly after his book was published. It is very fortunate that he was able to finish “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and I am so glad that his work was such a success and his memory lives on. This was a really poignant movie.
The film was very hard to watch because there are many people that can't speak. I can't imagine not being able to fully communicate. I though it was amazing how Jean Do was able to communicate by blinking and even write a book. I applaud the speech therapist for devising the system of blinking so Jean could communicate. Even though Jean wasn't dying, I could see him going though the stages of death. It was really sad to see him finally spending time with his children and mother of his children, but only after something awful happened to him. His life was so fast paced, he never slowed down to marry or spend quality time with his children at all. To see him despise the world as well as himself in the beginning, then watch him progress to being gracious that he was albe to still live and embrace his situation was very enlightening. After watching the film, I felt a great appreciation for life and how we really never know when our lives wiill change.
This is a perfect film to watch in this class because it deals with a situation where death was so close and despite the obstacles Jean was dealt, he was able to overcome them, commuuunicate effectiively, and write a book. Under the cicumstances, Jean was alle to bond with his family, espicaially the mother of his children. I had to think what I would do in that situation and if I would pity myself or embrace the hand I was dealt and be gracious that I was still alive. In class many peopl have agreed that they would want to be surroundedby their family if they were dying. In the film, Jean's wishes' were respected and he was able to make decisons for himself and be somewhat "independent". When he wanted to be alone, everyone would leave him alone, and when he wanted to communicate, someone would be there to do that. Sometimes it takes a horrilble thing to occur until people cheriish what they had and be gracious they are still alive and breathing.
This movie kind of hit me very personally. It reminded me of seeing my father when he was in a coma after five months. He was not paralyzed, but lost all motor control due to atrophy. He couldn’t speak, he couldn’t swallow, he couldn’t move his hands, and he couldn’t talk, (he also had a tracheostomy.) He had a speech therapist who taught him to communicate, first by blinking with his eyes… It was devastating to see him that way. And in the movie, Jean’s son watches his son wipe saliva off his face, and I remember going to the hospital to see him on father’s day… I remember how hard it was to see him the way he was; I can’t imagine what it was like for him to feel so powerless and contemplate his life…
ReplyDeleteSince I’ve been missing this Wednesday class because of softball games, Dr. Cate let me borrow this movie over Easter break and so I watched it in my living room with my dad. I watched his face throughout it, and I could tell what he was thinking of. Watching this movie takes him back to his experience. Watching him I think it’s amazing he’s even here today. When it was over I asked what he thought of the movie. He said, “It was all to true.” He remembers thinking about laying there, that he felt the same way and that it felt like he was underwater and that he was just floating and all he could hear was himself breathing. He said it was pretty spot on in that he would watch everything around him happen. He felt like he was not a part of it because he could not interact. I hits hard that he experienced this first hand. I can’t imagine being in that position.
It doesn’t make me think about death though, it makes me think of how special life is, and a privilege it is to live it and experience it. We can’t be sure of the afterlife, but we can be sure of the before death. We can only guarantee the experiences we will have alive, so we need to make the most of them. Interacting with people is a huge part of life. Seeing this film made me realize the importance of interacting and communicating with others. I think we need to make our lives worth the while and that’s based off of making relationships and sharing experiences with each other. I’ve always been pretty shy and never talked much, but I’ve learned that being active and interacting more with those around you is a very special thing that we are able to do.
On another note, he tells the speech therapist he wants to die at first. He then decides he won’t feel sorry for himself any more. He said, “Be sides my left eye, there are Two things that aren’t paralyzed, my imaginations and my memory.” That hit me. This quote made me realize how beautiful the mind is and what it is capable to do. The capabilities are endless and it’s amazing. I could write on forever about this.
I really liked this movie; it was very deep and thought provoking. I felt very inspired and I think I gained a lot of meaning from it.
I found the film to be somewhat disturbing, maybe because it is hard to face what Jean-Do was going through when I’m younger and don’t really have any major troubles such as that besides my dad having cancer, however, that does not effect me like this would. 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, work, and pretty much do what I want, when I want. I honestly have thought more about death from this class and everything going on with my dad than i ever have before and in fact, I really don’t want to think about it as much as i do. My life has changed because of work, school, and medical situations in my family/life and the film just better 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. (And is currently effecting my father now in so many ways, but not to this extreme). 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 sometimes not for the better.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the film Jean-Do’s neurosurgeon was explaining details about his stroke and his current condition. He said with the new resuscitation technology they were able to save his life (or something to that effect). And Jean-Do says “This is life?” He is physically trapped, he can’t speak or move. He is forced under the bright fluorescent hospital lights staring at the same spot on the white wall. Is that life? In the beginning he cannot communicate and is forced to listen to people talk about him like he is not in the room. At this point I remember thinking I needed to get my affairs in order because I don’t want that- I don’t want resuscitation- that isn’t life. In the film Jean-Do came off as mildly frustrated in the beginning and communicated he wanted to die. I’m the type of person that can get frustrated easily and if I were in his position I think I would feel a little more frustrated than he did. But he changes and becomes patient and humorous, he laughs at himself and others. He adapts to his new life and makes enormous efforts in communication. Reflecting on the progress Jean-Do makes by the end of the film is inspiring. He does have a life. Through blinking he writes a book and makes his existence meaningful and purposeful. I learned that just because things are unusual, difficult or slower you can still find a purpose to live. Also the film made me realize not to get so caught up in the future because it probably won’t turn out like I hope or plan it. Jean-Do keeps a positive attitude throughout most of the film; I think there is something to take away in this too. It shows that a positive mind-set can make a world of difference. He begins his positive thinking after he consciously decides not to pity himself anymore.
ReplyDeleteHow does this film relate to this course? In this course we studied death which ends life; consequently we have had discussions on life and how death puts value to life. Though the course is designed around death, I think an objective of the course is for us to learn not to take life for granted anymore, to not live like zombies and to become conscious of our own time limit. To be conscious of the fact we will die.
There is a lot of emphasis on physicality in the world. The film makes me ask, what if most of that physicality was taken away? And you were left only your mind? Would you be happy? Frustrated? Not want to live? What happened to Jean-Do could happen to me. Instead of focusing on all the physical things in the world maybe I should focus on thinking and developing my mind. Instead of being naïve and uncritical I should be more skeptical and imaginative.
My initial reaction to the film was how scary it must be to think that you are able to communicate but realize that really people are unable to hear what you are saying. That is extremely terrifying and I cannot imagine how that must feel. Jean-Do awakens in a hospital after having a stroke and is unaware of where he is or what has happened. He is physically unable to speak or even move his tongue to swallow. It was disturbing watching the doctors examine him from his point of view because it made me feel like they were almost examining me. It is extremely scary to be trapped in your own body with no way to communicate to others how you are feeling, what you want, or any of your thoughts. However, Jean-Do does learn a way to communicate by blinking and having a person write down the letters to create words and sentences.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is very relative to the class based on the quality of life issue we have been discussing throughout the semester. At the beginning of the movie Jean-Do asks “What is life?” This immediately brought to mind his quality of life. Is life worth living if you are trapped in your own body and unable to communicate or create relationships with others? There is always the chance of getting better and recovering but what if you can’t? At that point the quality of the person’s life may be so poor it is not worth the pain and suffering to keep prolonging life. This film reminds us that there is value in life especially in the little things. Jean-Do mentions that he treated his wife and kids terribly and he regrets that now, but there is not much he can do to change that or make up for it.
I found this movie inspiring. After jean-do overcame the initial depression of his accident he tried to make his life the best that he could. He adapted to his new way of living and set out to finish a project that he wanted to start before his accident. He did not hide in the shadows but embraced what he now is and allowed for people to see him and communicate. I find his will to go on with his life as best as he could incredibly inspiring. He had a completely visual and hands on career which seemed to take up most of his life and after the stroke he was no longer able to be the editor of Elle. I could not imagine having the strength and will that he had to continue to live.
ReplyDeleteThough this class is about death and dying I believe this movie is about putting meaning to life. I think the movie also relates to the death of Ivan illych, Jean-Do and Ivan both had similar feelings of defeat and regret but unlike Ivan, Jean-Do began to live out his life as long as he could maybe even a more meaningful one. I think that even though this class is about death it is geared for us to realize how we should live now. How to make our lives more meaningful and to not ignore the death could happen any minute.
Whenever I think about becoming a physician, it is always about preserving life and making it the best that I can for that person. But on one hand I guess I never thought to hard about how the patient is feeling, that I would know best and they might not understand the science and knowledge behind it. I thought this movie showed it from a wonderful perspective. Seeing the film play out, especially at the beginning, from the eyes of Jean-Do was very insightful and thought provoking. I could not imagine being trapped in my own body. Not being able to move, feel, speak, and forced to lay in a bed all day while others wash me and treat me like a child. I do not think I would want to live that way. I think the mind and body are separate entities and that it was great he still had his mind and thought process, but how good is one without the other? It was also terribly upsetting to see the mother of his children love him so much and that he had a mistress that he wanted to be with. It was interesting that his wife, who he did not want, was there every step of the way, and that his girlfriend would not even see him... I wonder if his girlfriend even loved him? I liked that Jean-Do had the determination to write a book and to get over his self pity, but I really do not know if I could live like that or could see my loved one to live like that. It is heart breaking and honestly thinking about it makes me feel sick.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, as a Communications major I'd like to point out that I don't think I handled the scene in this film where they stitch his eyeball QUITE as well as the nursing majors did. :)
ReplyDeleteAll that aside, I think this movie was an interesting inward look at life, and at making the "best" of a bad situation. I cannot even fathom what it would be like to be paralyzed and trapped inside your own thoughts for months at a time. I find solace in running, in going for drives, in reading, writing, making art, spending time outside--so the idea of being paralyzed but mentally capable is absolutely haunting.
I think this movie definitely spoke well for nurses and doctors, as well. They were relentlessly optimistic and devoted to their patient... Even to my own suspicions.
The relationships within this movie also caused some emotional trauma on my part. Being married to someone, but in love with someone else--that is a terrible situation. Then, get paralyzed, and have to live with the guilt of watching to see which individual really cares about you. It must have been awful for Jean-Do to realize that his beloved mistress wouldn't even show up to the hospital. The nonchalant way with which his father dismissed marital affairs also disturbed me. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but it always upsets me when I hear about people that honestly feel that way towards marriage and relationships.
The ending of the movie is one which you can find some hope in, or basically just be extremely depressed from. He spent the last months of his life listening to the alphabet probably a trillion times, and having to face his life and his memories as his only form of entertainment. That made me wonder... If this would ever happen to me--would I have good memories to ponder??? Or would I be paralyzed and realized I never did anything to my full potential????
This movie hit me hard because I have had family members that have had strokes and they pulled the plug. Also I found it inspiring because the main character found a way to make his situation a positive one. Even when he wanted to die the doctor inspired him to live for his kids. Lastly the movie showed me that sometimes tragedies can have positives because throughout the movie he was able to reconnect with his children and his estranged wife.
ReplyDeleteThe film relates to the course because it had end of life decisions and it dealt with how we cope with death and tragedy. However this movie doesn't change my opinion on death and end of life decisions which is people should have the right to make their own end of life decision.
When the film first started I had a hard time watching it because of how it was shot. Seeing everything blurry and fuzzy was frustrating. After learning this was because we were looking through Jean-Do’s view, which was from only one eye, I began to think about how terrible that would be. To have to see everything in that way when you can’t move, talk, don’t know where you are or what’s going on would be very frightening. Although his vision becomes more focused after awhile his vision is still hindered by the fact that he cannot see things that are on the side of his bad eye and he can’t turn his head to look at them either. Having Jean-Do narrate what was going through his mind throughout his experience helped to get a better sense of how he felt. I support PAS and I think that if I were in Jean-Do’s situation I would want to be allowed to die if I wanted to. I’m not saying I would want to die immediately, but I would like the whole comfort idea that we have talked about in class—just knowing that you can die when you want helps you feel more in control which provides a sense of comfort. Jean-Do was able to work through his physical obstacles and write a book, which was inspiring, but sadly he died ten days after it was published. At the end of the movie I still had the same feelings. Even though Jean-Do was able to write a book and spend time with his family, I feel that I would still want the option of PAS. I don’t think that I would want to go through all of that suffering and frustration when I am just going to die anyway; I guess I’m a pessimistic in that way.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this movie relates to class not just because it’s about dying but because several issues that we’ve discussed in class were brought up. For one, just the general idea that we could die at any moment seems pretty relevant. Jean-Do was a successful magazine editor and he mentions that didn’t seem to have a care in the world before his stroke. He had a wife and a girlfriend, a new car, and three children. After his stroke, Jean-Do mentions how he was never a very good father to his three children and there was nothing he could to change that now. This relates to our discussion about how fear of death drives us to do things that we want and a lack of this fear can lead us to not strive for things and realize this when it is too late. Jean-Do is now paralyzed and cannot talk so he feels that there is no way for him to make it up to his children for him not being around as much or not being that good of a dad.
i was a bit nervous about this movie when I first heard the plot of it. My mom has suffered several stokes within her life but have thankfully not effected her speech or vision. I honestly could not imagine what it would be like not having my mom talk to me or be able to see me. It does worry me that it could potentially happen to my mom, but with her most recent stoke, the doctors hopefully found the issue (a blood disease). As I watched the film, I thought about the beginning of class how we talked about our definitions of death. Though it may have not been seen at first, Jean-Do was alive, some people may argue that due to him being in a coma, he was no longer living. He did in fact come out of his coma and was able to communicate by a blink of his eye. I was thinking throughout the film, what if no one could hear me or my thoughts, what if I could not communicate, I would be living in my own world, alone. Another thing to relate to our class is the thought of assisted suicide. Did Jean-Do want to make the choice to leave the world? I also saw a relationship to The Death of Ivan Ilyich because it seems Jean-Do did not live his life the way he wished he would have-there was much more to both Ivan and Jean-Do's lives that they once did not see or understand.
ReplyDeleteI thought the film was very interesting in that they did it from Jean-Do's point of view. I think that this made the film so much more impacting because it gives you a sense of what it would be like to be in such a state where you cannot communicate with others, yet they can communicate with you. This film made me think a lot more about what I would want for myself and my family members in a situation similar. Certain scenes were more memorable than others because of small details, like when he said to himself "This is life" or when his son wipes the saliva off his face because he physically cannot do it.
ReplyDeleteThis film easily relates to what we have been talking about in class with end of life care, and what the true quality of life is in certain physical states. I wouldn't say that this film changed my opinion/choice on my personal wishes for end of life care, but it definitely made me think about it more.
I thought that this moving was very interesting, for a number of reasons. The main character, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffered from a massive stroke, which left him crippled. He cannot talk, he cannot walk, we cannot even move. According to a review I found online, the name of the condition he had following his stroke was called locked-in syndrome. It was interesting how they showed his life before and after the stroke. I also think that this movie was from his perspective. It would have been very different had it been from another character's point-of-view. If the perspective were from someone else, it would be hard to not view him as an almost lifeless being. For me, his existence would seem to serve no function. He cannot move, he cannot feed himself, he cannot urinate or excrete waste by himself, and he cannot talk. He is basically a vegetable. The only method he has to communicate is to have someone go through the alphabet and have him blink for the letter that he wants. From an outsider's perspective, he cannot really do much of anything. However, his nurses and doctors remain optimistic and are devoted to him and his recovery. The movie takes place from the mind of Jean-Dominique. It allows us to see that while he cannot do much, he is still very much alive and his cognitive ability has not been impaired. We are able to get a unique perception of what life is, from the perspective of a man who is lock-in his own body. Despite the fact that he is crippled, he is able to write a book, and live long enough to see it published. In the end, he did die, but he was able to do something meaningful with his life, even with his debilitating condition. I think that the movie offers a unique perspective on life and is an inspiring story of a man who is crippled and trapped in his own body, but still able to accomplish an extraordinary feat.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching the film because I have never seen a film where the main character was locked inside his body and that the story was told from his point of view. At first, it took me a little while to get used to how the film was shot due to it being from Jean-Do's perspective. But once I had settled into the movie, I was able to reflect on my life and what I would want if I ever happen to be in Jean-Do's situation. What would I want to do? Would I want my children or my family, whether they be immediate or distant, to see me like that? Would I want to live life as that?
ReplyDeleteAs most of my classmates have stated, a profound scene of the movie was when Jean-Do's doctor was explaining what happened and what his condition was and Jean-Do says, "This is life?". It makes you think of how you should live your life. It correlates with The Death and Dying of Ivan Ilych because Jean-Do reflects on his life and events while he was stuck inside his body and going through therapies just as Ivan Ilych did while he was on his death bed. But the two characters differ in the fact that Ivan Ilych pushed everyone he loved away, while Jean-Do rekindled, in a sense, his relationship with his estranged wife and his three children, whom he reflected that he had not spent an adequate amount of time with, and realized why he had fallen in love with his wife and how their relationship had slipped away from them. Jean-Do had the opportunity to somewhat make a better connection with his children and his estranged wife before he passed away, while Ivan Ilych just isolated himself from his family.
This film relates to class on many different issues, such as death could be at any moment, how we could feel if we reflected on our life at when we are near death- would we be happy or upset and if we had a short amount of time would we try to make the best of the time left. This film did impact me in ways that I can use in my own personal life and in my professional life, because who knows what kind of patients in what conditions that I can encounter.
I, like most everyone else, agree that this movie was very moving and powerful. One aspect of the film that really struck me was the immediate response of Jean-Do to his condition: He felt completely hopeless and questioned how meaningful and valuable a life like his—in the state that he was in—could be. The palpable relevance of this to class is the permissibility of active euthanasia, because should he have been able to communicate that it was not his wish to continue to live in such a state—which it would seem crossed his mind at least somewhat—it raises the moral question of whether the physician would be able to grant his wishes. It is fortunate, however, that Jean-Do did not give up and worked with those around him to eventually dictate the that would be compiled into the work that inspired this movie.
ReplyDeleteAnother germane overture this movie has to class, as Tori pointed out, is how Jean-Do did more to surround himself by his family and did not sequester himself as Ivan Ilyich did. I feel that the latter would be a more satisfactory death, because—unlike Ilyich who felt that those around him were leading ostensibly proper lives and “lying” to him—Jean-Do spent time with those he cared about.
It was really depressing when the movie described his death to pneumonia shortly after his book was published. It is very fortunate that he was able to finish “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” and I am so glad that his work was such a success and his memory lives on. This was a really poignant movie.
The film was very hard to watch because there are many people that can't speak. I can't imagine not being able to fully communicate. I though it was amazing how Jean Do was able to communicate by blinking and even write a book. I applaud the speech therapist for devising the system of blinking so Jean could communicate. Even though Jean wasn't dying, I could see him going though the stages of death. It was really sad to see him finally spending time with his children and mother of his children, but only after something awful happened to him. His life was so fast paced, he never slowed down to marry or spend quality time with his children at all. To see him despise the world as well as himself in the beginning, then watch him progress to being gracious that he was albe to still live and embrace his situation was very enlightening. After watching the film, I felt a great appreciation for life and how we really never know when our lives wiill change.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect film to watch in this class because it deals with a situation where death was so close and despite the obstacles Jean was dealt, he was able to overcome them, commuuunicate effectiively, and write a book. Under the cicumstances, Jean was alle to bond with his family, espicaially the mother of his children. I had to think what I would do in that situation and if I would pity myself or embrace the hand I was dealt and be gracious that I was still alive. In class many peopl have agreed that they would want to be surroundedby their family if they were dying. In the film, Jean's wishes' were respected and he was able to make decisons for himself and be somewhat "independent". When he wanted to be alone, everyone would leave him alone, and when he wanted to communicate, someone would be there to do that. Sometimes it takes a horrilble thing to occur until people cheriish what they had and be gracious they are still alive and breathing.
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