Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.
Direction
Schnabel shoots first half through Bauby's one working eye
Cinematography
Janusz Kamiński's hazy POV dissolves into memory and dream
Acting
Amalric's entire performance through voiceover and one eye
Director
Julian Schnabel
Mathieu Amalric
Jean-Dominique Bauby
Emmanuelle Seigner
Céline Desmoulins
Marie-Josée Croze
Henriette Durand
Anne Consigny
Claude
Patrick Chesnais
Dr. Lepage
Niels Arestrup
Roussin
Jean-Pierre Cassel
Father Lucien
Marina Hands
Joséphine
Max von Sydow
Papinou
Isaach de Bankolé
Laurent
Emma de Caunes
Empress Eugenia
Jean-Philippe Écoffey
Doctor Mercier
Gérard Watkins
Doctor Cocheton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Schnabel painted the title card himself; he was already a famous neo-expressionist painter before directing.
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