Narrowing down one scene of Julian Schnabel’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in order to examine the cinematography was not an easy process. The Film is, after all a cinematic masterpiece. Originally, I wanted to discuss my favorite part; the restaurant scene. However, after watching the film a second time I was struck by the unique style of the scene in which Jean-Do describes the power of imagination. In The Film Experience: An Introduction, Corrigan and White explain the two primary values of images. Firstly, images “present the world as a true record of events, people, and places.” Secondly, images “represent the world for us in a way that suggests specific meanings or interpretations of those events, people, and places" (Corrigan & White, 98). In The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Jean-Do’s description of imagination brings about a drastic switch from presentation to representation. As Corrigan and White point out, switching from presentation to representation often changes the way the audience views a film. With presentation they are caught up in the plot then, a representation occurs which causes them to realize they are watching a film. However, the genius of this scene is found in Schnabel’s use of stock footage and photographs to demonstrate how Jean-Do constructs his imaginary world yet; it still allows the audience to smoothly return to the actual events of Jean-Do’s life.
Up until this point in the film, the audience has been, almost exclusively, limited to Jean-Do’s point of view. We feel his sadness and frustration since we too are essentially trapped in his paralyzed body. All this changes, however, when Jean-Do begins to exercise his imagination. The audience is immediately thrust out of the reality of Jean-Do’s situation into the world he creates for himself. The first part of this switch opens with a sequence of stock footage starting with a butterfly emerging from its cocoon; a clear symbol of Jean-Do’s escape via imagination. The butterfly footage begins as an extreme close up shot only to burst into long shots of nature, Jean-Do as an amazing athlete, Jean-Do as a devilishly handsome man, and Jean-Do with beautiful women. The fact Schnabel that used stock footage is essential because it reminds the audience that these images are purely imaginational. These images are not even memories of Jean-Do’s actual experiences. Rather, the audience is to assume that he is constructing this world using bits and pieces of films and television programs. The Beach scene in particular shows Jean-Do placing himself into the famous kiss/beach scene from Fred Zinnemann’s From Here to Eternity.
The representational value of this scene becomes ever more apparent when the stock footage of various long shots taper off into documentary style, still shots of Jean-Do. This part is somewhat less representational than the stock footage due to the fact that the still shots depict actual moments of Jean-Do’s life. Nevertheless, photographs are still representations since they are highly selective glimpses of an individual’s life. In other words, photographs are generally limited to portions of our lives that we wish to record. Also, the photographs of Jean-Do are representations because they show the life that he no longer has since the cardiovascular accident. Towards the completions of this scene, the still shots begin to flash across the screen until all that the audience is left with is the jarring first glimpse of Jean-Do’s distorted face. The scene has now come full circle, returning to the presentational images of Jean-Do. While the beginning of this scene showcases the power of Jean-Do’s imagination, the end reminds the audience how devastatingly difficult it must be for him to be content with his imagination as the only means of mobility.
The success of the imagination scene and arguably, the entire film rests greatly on Schnabel’s ingenious use of cinematography. Switching between presentation to representation is an effective way to get the viewer to observe and analyze the narrative rather than just being absorbed in it. Yet, there seems to be a risk that the viewer will completely disconnect from the film. Schnabel, however, gets it right by using stock footage and photographs which are stylistically different from the presentational images. Thus, the audience grasps that these represent Jean-Do’s Imagination. He is also successful because he brings the audience back to reality with the close up shot of Jean-Do’s face, making this transition a fluid one.
Corrigan, Timothy, and Patricia White. Film Experience: An Introduction. Boston: Bedford/Saint Martin's, 2004
Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon / The Diving Bell And The Butterfly. Digital image. Flickr.com. Pathé Renn Productions. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/latelierdejacques/2314560836/>.
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