Schnabel seems to have made decisions concerning the film based on what he felt was best for the story, rather than the project's box office appeal. Though Ronald Harwood's screenplay was written in English, Schnabel chose to shoot The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in French with English subtitles. That decision enables viewers to get closer to Bauby's world and get a real sense of what he is feeling. Since the film centers on Bauby's attempt to communicate with the world, it makes sense that he do it in his native tongue.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is as much about relationships as it is about communication. Bauby, a man who always had plenty of friends and lovers, discovers who his true confidants are throughout his illness. The lover he left his wife for never shows up to visit him at the hospital. However, the mother of his children, Celine (Emanuelle Seigner), visits regularly and even helps facilitate communication between Dauby and his lover. Only two friends show up. One of them took Bauby's seat on an airplane and the plane was hijacked; the friend subsequently spent four years as a prisoner in Beirut. His advice is simple but touching: Hold fast to the human inside you, and you'll survive.

I wouldn't call The Diving Bell and the Butterfly an inspirational film. The story is much too sad for that. I can't imagine living in a "locked-in" state like that and I imagine few of us can. I think the film is more heroic than anything else. Several days after watching the film, Bauby's story is still with me. His tale remains all the more remarkable since he died only ten days after his book was published.

Though The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is not an easy film to watch, Julian Schnabel has beautifully documented one man's struggle to unlock himself for the world to see.

The DVD is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Audio is presented in French Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are in English, French, and Spanish. For those who don't like subtitles, there are also dubbed versions in English and Spanish.

Four bonus features are included: a making-of featurette, "A Cinematic Vision," a Charlie Rose interview with Schnabel, and Schnabel's audio commentary.