Bauby, contracted with a publisher to write a novel, decides that he still wants to write the book. Utilizing a painstaking communication system based on the blink of his good eye, Bauby begins to write with a transcriber, one letter at a time. The film is based on the actual book written by the real Bauby during this time.

As Bauby writes, an entire new world opens up to him. Despite being hopelessly confined in the natural world, he finds freedom through his words. Again and again, the cinematography captures the essence of Bauby’s experiences perfectly. This film is brilliantly shot the entire way through.

Strong supporting performances are found throughout the film, but none is more gripping than that of Max von Sydow as Bauby’s father. The veteran character actor only appears in two scenes, but he commands the screen in the most unassuming of ways. The emotional repercussions he feels as a result of his son’s condition are heart-wrenching and von Sydow is pitch perfect.

Ronald Harwood’s adaptation of Bauby’s memoir is undeniably powerful. It couldn’t have been an easy task to capture the thoughts of a man completely confined to his own interior and express it cinematically, but Harwood succeeds.

Julian Schnabel has completely outdone himself with this film. It’s hard to imagine anything that could have been done better. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly approaches perfection in filmmaking like no film in recent memory.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is an immensely satisfying film – visually, emotionally, and viscerally. It was hands down my favorite film of 2007, and a few months removed from the end of that year, I feel even more strongly about the brilliance of this film. It’s an absolute must see.

The DVD includes two featurettes: Submerged: The Making of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and A Cinematic Vision. Also included are an audio commentary track with director Julian Schnabel and a segment from the Charlie Rose show with Schnabel.