AFI Fest Interview: Cast & Crew of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Every year there's a film (or two) that elevates the viewer experience to the next level. That higher ground is an inspiring one and in film terms – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphandre et le papillon) is an example of the power of art; what art is supposed to do and its relevance to our lives.

Based on a novel Jean-Dominique Bauby (who blinked the book to an interpreter after a stroke left him paralyzed with only one blinking eye), if this would have happened to just about anybody else, people would scream euthanasia – but Bauby used his imagination to inspire us. Julian Schnabel who gets better with each film (Basquiat, Before Night Falls) along with Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and a terrific cast and crew delights us with a film full of splendor and imagination about the human spirit that will move you beyond words. It's an award contender, especially for Max Von Sydow's perf if there's any justice out there. This film is the perfect merger between cinema and art – definitely one of the best films of the year… if not the best.

At a press round table which included six other members of the press in the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, I met with the director Julian Schnabel, writer Ronald Harwood, actors Max Von Sydow, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze.

Yama Rahimi: At what point was the decision made to make the film in French?
Julian Schnabel: The film came to me through Johnny Depp who was attached to it. Even then I wanted to make the film with Johnny and French actors and Johnny acting in French. So the intention was always to shoot it in France and actual locations. Not everybody knew that but you don't tell everybody everything.

YR: Did the actors received the English or translated script?
JS: The English one. I wanted each actor to translate their parts and how they would say the dialog in their own words.

YR: How was working with Julian and how interactive was the shooting?
Mathieu Amalric: We did talk and rehearse before the film but when the shooting started, we did it very fast because Julian makes few takes. He didn't want to make a sentimental film so he brought it down. There was a lot of drama already so he wanted to bring life to it. For example for a scene at the beach, we had four days scheduled because it was an important scene but he did it in one day. We finished the film 10 days earlier. He also didn't want the voice over scene to be done months later in the post production. I was in a different room with headset and microphone. He did my voice overs hearing the actors performing in front of the camera. I felt sorry for the actors because there wasn't anything I could do to help them.

YR: I love both of your work but I don't see enough of your films. What is the situation? Don't you find enough material that you like or not many offers?
Marie-Josee Croze: No. I have been busy ever since "The Barbarian Invasion" but not many of our films get released in the US.
Emmanuelle Seigner: That's true not all of the films get released here but I was also in "La Vie en Rose".

YR: How was working with Julian Schnabel?
MJC: Well Julian is not like any other director. He's an artist  and makes a film like he paints. It was a liberating experience because he wants you to be free and make mistakes and live the character. He wants characters not "acting". At the same time he keeps you insecure and unstable which keeps you from thinking too much about dialog and acting.
ES: I met him when after I did "Bitter Moon" and he was nice to me since the film wasn't received well. He told me he wanted to work with me. So when this project came along, he contacted me. He kept his word which I didn't expect. He's not like other directors who want to put you in box which can be very limiting.

YR: How difficult was it act in front of the camera without Mathieu?
MJC: It was difficult but we got used to it. The camera operator became our contact person.
ES: I had a few scenes with Mathieu but Julian knew what he wanted. I also knew the real Jean-Dominique Bauby because I did several shoots for ELLE at the time. Mathieu captured him well.

YR: What was the biggest challenge for the adaptation?
Ronald Harwood: I read the book long before I was offered to adapt it. When Kathleen Kennedy offered it, I accepted it. Then it took me a while to find a way in because I didn't want the entire film with a man in bed. The biggest motivation for a writer comes when he has to give back the money. Then I found the way in which was that the camera becomes the man.

YR: How did Julian change the script?
RH: He broke it apart and added all the imagery. He had to do it and he was right. For example he shows the reversal when we see Jean-Dominique Bauby in bed much earlier than in the script.

YR: I don't know where to start you have given us so many great performances over the years. You wrote Ronald Harwood a letter for the script?
Max Von Sydow: Yes and I never done it before. I was taken by the script which doesn't happen very often. This was a precious script. When I first read script, I was taken by it immediately. It was a cameo but a cameo with a development, only two scenes. When I look for a part, I look for a good part but what is a good part? A good part is one with a development.

YR: In your career which spans more than 40 years, how do you think the films has changed?
MVS: In my personal opinion think that the more personal and intimate films disappear in favor of more special effects oriented ones. Films like this are rare.

YR: How was working with Julian?
MVS: I was set for a date to shoot but he called two weeks before to do a scene via phone for the actress. It was my first time acting via phone.

YR: That scene is the most powerful and profound scene in the film. If there's any justice, you should get an award for it not that you need any awards.
MVS: I never work for awards but if somebody wants to give me an award for something that's fine.

YR: I want you to be given an award for it.
MVS: Then I thank you.

[A special thanks and mention goes to Alvaro Montoya for the slew of pictures above!]