Over Look: There is a distinct washed out look throughout this film. There are not many vibrant colors or bright lighting in the scenes. This corresponds to the way Jean-Do views his life now after his dramatic stroke. When Jean-Do was in the hospital, the scenes were very dark and gloomy but when he was with the mother of his children there was more light, which made it seem like there was hope for him. Both the washed out look and the dim lighting gives the overall look of sadness.
Images: One scene that creates a vivid image was when the surgeon began to sew Jean-Do's eyelid shut. Jean-Do had no way of expressing to the surgeon that he was scared and didn't want him to sew anything shut. The camera filming from "behind" Jean-Do's eye let the audience see and almost feel what he was going through. Throughout the movie there are many flash backs and moments of Jean's imagination that help develop the movie's meaning. For example, while Jean-Do's voice is speaking about his life and how it has become a failure, there are images of falling glaciers that reflect his life "falling apart".
Shot Lengths: The shot lengths in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" are somewhat long, but not too long to where the audience loses interest. The long shots help to capture the patience of the speech therapist and the difficulty of the communication between him and the therapist. But if the director made the shots too long, the audience just gets frustrated and bored. If he had too long of shots then the audience would lose interest, and if he had too short of shots then Jean-Do's process to recovery would seem short and sweet. I believe that Julian Schnable had just the right length of shots throughout the film to show the hardship and troubles Jean-Do had to go through.
Shot Types: When Jean-Do first realizes he is paralyzed and has no control over anything in his life anymore, the shots are very up close and personal and from his point of view. But when Jean-Do is healthy or dreaming, the shots are normal which can reflect the control he has in his own life. The close ups when he is sick show that he is insignificant to those who are around him. The extreme long shots also exaggerate the lengthy path that Jean must endure in order to become healthy again.
Camera Angles: The constant low angle shots reflect the character's point of view rather than the character's lack of power. The doctors and friends would lean into the camera and even stoop low to make eye level with Jean-Do whenever they would speak to him. This made it seem as if Jean still had control of the situation and the others were there to help him along.
Composition: In the dream sequences, there is an obvious use of rule of thirds. In the scenes where Jean-Do is progressing into his recovery, the framing is traditional which explains that his life is gradually becoming normal once again. One example of the rule of thirds being broken is when he meets the mother of his children. The woman is neither center or in the thirds in the shot because Jean Do lacks control of his body therefor his head is aimed slightly off to the side. His vision is only in the line of where his head lays so that is why the woman isn't centered during that scene.
Camera Movement: During the scene when Jean-Do is gaining consciousness back, the camera movement is very abrupt and frantic which makes the audience feel the same fear and anxiety that he is going through. On the other hand, when Jean-Do is dreaming, the camera movement is much more smooth which creates a more peaceful scene.
Cinematography Style: The way that the camera is used to capture and create the story of Jean-Do's life changing experience shows the emotional and mental state and point of view of Jean. I believe that the cinematography doesn't call attention to itself but rather accommodates the film in a very effective way. The cinematography helps tell the story of Jean-Do with the assistance of narration and the performances of the actors.
