This movie displayed how easy it is to be overly concerned about unimportant things, such as cars, so much so that we do not think about how we treat people or we do not cherish precious moments. To me the most powerful thing about this movie was that it shows you what is important when it comes down to it. The movie does this by having Jean-Do list his greatest regrets. He regrets not being a better father to his kids and that it is now too late, he will never share another laugh with them or rumple their hair. He regrets that he treated the mother of his children badly, he regrets not marrying her, and he regrets neglecting her. All of these regrets make a person stop and realize that in the end what is most important is not how hard you party, but how well you treat those you love and how you cherish moments spent with them.
This movie was pretty good for being a foreign film. It was eye opening in a way. As Jean-Do would speak of his regrets about how he cherished the material and superficial things in his life rather than cherishing the things that matter most in life such as family. Not only was it sad but it was also inspiring. It was very cool seeing how even though he was not supposed to be able to communicate and then they created a way for him to communicate. I thought that was very creative and intelligent. What was even more inspiring is that with the complex way of how he had to communicate he still went on with writing a book.
I completely agree with you on this point. I think that as more advances come in the health care field, more things will will begin to cloud our view, like machines and tubes, and we will not be able to connect with the patient, like we are supposed to as health care workers. This movie tells the story of how the patient really is the most important part of our job.
I have never been a fan of foreign films, but I would definitely make an exception for this one. I think it almost made this film better that it wasn't in English, like it gave it more meaning or something. One thing that stood out to me in this film is the discussion with his father about living to be 100 years old. His father basically says that he doesn't want to live to be 100 because he misses his wife. He also questions it, "Like who wants to live to be 100?" Another thing that stuck with me was how Jean-Do was always thinking back to what it was like before he had the stroke. He was constantly reminiscing on his life and the way things use to be. This made me realize again how important life is and that it shouldn't be taken for granted. I have a family friend, Benny, who is also paralyzed from head to toe and has been for about five years now. It happened to him when he was 16 years old and I can only imagine everything he has missed out on in life at such a young age. It is very difficult and he talks all the time about how he would give anything to be 15 years old again before he became paralyzed. Benny, just like Jean-Do, was showing signs of undeniable progress and improvement. Even though Jean-Do didn't make it I admire the fact that he pushed through and finished his book (even though communication was very tough). I know how hard and frustrating it is to try and communicate with someone like that because that is how we have to communicate with Benny and I know how difficult it is on our end and you can tell how much he struggles with it as well. I also think it is amazing how Jean-Do's wife was willing to stay with him after what happened. Benny's girlfriend is also with him after what happened and I think it is a good thing when the other person is able to stay with their significant other even when something serious like that happens.
This movie was very well done, especially the shots where they filmed from Jean-do's perspective. They did a good job giving you an idea of what he might be going through and how he misses the earlier part of his life. I think that the point of this movie is to persuade you to consider your own life decisions just as Jean-do did. It is amazing that he was able to write a book using that communication method but I can see how he would be very motivated to do so because he had nothing else he could accomplish in his state and he wanted to leave one more thing before he died.
I have always had a small bit of love towards foreign films. Almost every foreign film that I have ever seen is incredible. This one is no exception to that. This film moved me quite a lot. Everything about was breathtaking. The actors, the angles and settings in which the film was shot, the story - EVERYTHING. As for the message, I believe that the movie sends out many many messages all variant upon each person. For me, I believe that this film sends out a message stating that "Just because you are fighting the impossible does not mean that you can't make anything of it." It seems that many people don't get any credit until after death such as Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent van Gogh, and Galileo Galilei as some examples. Regardless, they all left very deep and/or important messages upon the world in which mankind has prospered from. This film, I feel, is a great representation of that. A major part of the film that hit me deeply was how much of the narration was done from Jean-Do - both parts taken from his literary work and himself - since many of Jean-Do's statements in his work were thoughts that he had incorporated into his book from his personal views on life itself.
This movie was really interesting. It put a new persepective that I never thought about. Being in the mind of someone who is paralyzed is not something that many get to experience, nor want to be put in that situation. The idea behind the code to spell out letters is a great way to communicate with others. It definately takes a lot longer, but to be able to communicate with others in any way when put in that kind of situation is comforting. After watching this movie, it made me think about the residents that I help take care of at work. There are a couple who cannot talk to you but they still understand you. You can tell that they understand you by the look in their eyes or the small smile that comes from their mouth. After this movie, I began to talk with them more as I took care of them. I let them know exactally what I was doing and why I was doing it. This way it hopefully would provide a more comforting and trusting relationship between me and the resident. Since they understand what is going on around them, I felt that it was just the respectful way of caring for them. In the movie, they did an amazing job at portrayin Jean-Do and his last few months of his life. I could only imagine the fear that must have come over him once he realized he no longer had control over his body and could only blink his eye. It is amazing what will power can do. Being able to write a book based on this special code is one that blows my mind. There are many messages to take away from this. It was a very touching and inspireing movie. One that I will definately never forget.
We can all complain about this movie being in french but I think that it is more important to focus on the inspirational story being told here. It blows my mind that this man was able to go through what he did and what he was able to accomplish. Not only was this man able to learn how communicate through blinking, he was able to write a book. I feel that many people wouldn't even have the motivation to learn how to communicate. I think that many people would just give up due to their paralysis. Also, I think that the worst part of this story is how his family all abandoned him and refused to come see him. I wouldn't have been able to make it through a situation like that without my family and friends by my side.
Without going into too much detail, my mom experienced this syndrome for over 6 months of her life. She was stricken with Guillian Barre syndrome which slowly paralyzes you from the feet to the head and then reverses over time. She had the worst case they had ever seen. She had to have both of her eyes sewn shut and was unable to communicate at all for several months until the paralysis started reversing. She was totally cognizant the whole time. We, too, communicated in what ever way we could. Initially it was by tying a bell to her toe, one of the first things to start moving again (which ironically was atypical). We would speak and ask for yes (one twitch) or no (two twitches) of her toe. We used spelling like they used in the movie. It was a nightmare for me. I can't imagine what my mother truly felt or how she found the strength to persevere through this illness. When she was finally able to communicate at length I asked her how she survived. She said her only other option, death, was not an option. I remember her saying she felt so trapped and alone even when people were in the room. Lonliness was her worst enemy. She never really wanted to talk at length about the experience as it was too painful. I can see how Jean-Do was able to do what he did - his only other option was not worthy.
I felt this film was pretty inspirational and did not mind that it was not in English. I have only watched a few foreign films in my day and frankly tend not to watch them because it gets annoying trying to read and watch the action going on at the same time. However, this movie did surprise me and it was better than I had imagined. In a sense, being in French just added to the delivery of the movie because it took it to a more personal level. Instead of just soaking in all that's going on, we have to read and in a sense "put effort into" understanding the movie, just as Jean-Do had to put extensive amounts of effort into writing a book. It was interesting to witness the amount of heart this guy had, to be able to hang in there through his locked-in syndrome. I know it would be beyond difficult for me to do the same. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone interested in a foreign movie or just an inspirational pick-me-up.
This movie was very interesting and definitely was an eye opener to me. Seeing Jean-Do's frustration struck me at heart. This man thought he could talk and could hear himself, but the frustration he had because nobody else could is something that is hard to wrap your mind around. If I was ever in a situation like this, I can only hope I would half the strength of this man. The patience and hard work that this man had is truly inspirational. At a time when most would want to give up and just succumb to death, he prevailed and worked hard, learning to communicate in a completely different language. I think we should find strength in this movie and should find inspiration in the life of Jean-Do.
Locked in syndrome reminded me of something I saw a few years ago. There was a TLC special on people who have been trapped inside their bodies. In a few extreme cases (where the people had a similar but more complicated illness), the people have been declared dead when they are not. They know everything that is happening to them but can not move or speak to get in contact with the doctors. For some reason their heart beat is also very faint so this causes problems as well. They have described being wheeled down to the morgue and then finally "waking up" (being able to move and speak all of a sudden). I can not imagine how scary this would be. As Annie said this movie was very inspiring. To write a novel one letter at a time the way he had to is absolutely incredible. Even though it was sad, it teaches us to make the best out of situations in life and the "don't take even the little things for granted" lesson.
I thought this movie was very inspirational instead of sad. Yes, Jean-Do obviously had his regrets about being a father, how he treated the mother of his wife, etc. And while that influenced his thoughts, I don't think they really control him. At the beginning of the movie he said he wanted to die, that was more the shock of the injury. But he quickly moved past his self-pity, and though he had regrets, he made his life purposeful in the best way he could.
So while some of the people above are saying that this movie made them appreciate the life they have now, I think the meaning of this movie in general was just to appreciate life, no matter what. It did have a "don't take the little things for granted" lesson, but I don't think that was the purpose of the story. I didn't walk out of that movie thinking "wow, something like that could happen to me at any time, I must appreciate every little moment." I walked out thinking "Wow, that guy was so strong and brave. Dispite his disability, regrets, etc., he kept on trucking through. I want to be that strong too."
Straight up this shit was crazy. Seriously though, the fact that his own family didn’t even make any attempts to come visit him is really disturbing to me. I think this movie helped to put things into perspective for us since it was in foreign language and we had to read everything. It is actually inspirational that he was able to compose an entire book by blinking.
I enjoyed this movie. I was not bothered at all by the subtitles. I really enjoyed the beginning of the movie how everything was shown through the eyes of Jean-Dominique. The fact that only he could hear himself made everything much more real to me. With the combined visuals and his trapped thoughts, I think that the film worked very well to have the audience sympathize with Jean-Dominique. I think he grew exponentially as a person throughout the film. At the beginning, he was only concerned about himself. He wanted to die. Later, he actually thought, I should stop pitying myself. From that moment on, he tried his best to live a good life. He thought about his family, and he also decided to continue his book deal even though it was so difficult for him to do.
Simply amazing! althought there were a few parts that left me questioning like if he is paralyzed why isn't he on a ventilator or what happend to his father like his reaction to his sons death. I think it is extrodinary that this man was able to communicate with just one eye and was able to publish a book within 5 months. I know I would never want to be in that situation. He didnt want to be either he in fact wanted to die. Eventually he realized he had to stop pitying himself and that he may be paralyzed but his imagination and memory had not been damaged... very moving
This movie had me all over a place. That point of view watching his eye get stitched such about gave me an anxiety attack. It was very good at giving perspective though about how quickly life can change. At first he hates it and tells the nurse to kill him, but once he comes to terms with what happened to him, he ends up writing a book like that. The patience and the amount of time it would've taken writing a book one letter at a time is pretty awesome. I thought this film was really really good and was impressed with it. When i heard we were watchign a foreign film i was pretty disappointed but it had my attention the whole time.
Bizarre! I liked it though. It made me think of whether or not I would want to live in a condition such as the main character did. I think it would be miserable. I suppose it did allow him to see the errors in his ways.
This movie was a true eye opener. It was very tragic how Jean-Do had to meet his unfortunate end by contracting pneumonia after having made great progress. I do agree that this movie showed what Jean-do truly valued in his life when he was at his weakest. He had many regrets from his former playboy lifestyle. I liked how he thought about his family in his flashbacks and talked about how he truly loved them and missed them. I thought it was really sad when he realizes he may never redeem himself or love his kids by ruffling their hair ever again.
This movie displayed how easy it is to be overly concerned about unimportant things, such as cars, so much so that we do not think about how we treat people or we do not cherish precious moments. To me the most powerful thing about this movie was that it shows you what is important when it comes down to it. The movie does this by having Jean-Do list his greatest regrets. He regrets not being a better father to his kids and that it is now too late, he will never share another laugh with them or rumple their hair. He regrets that he treated the mother of his children badly, he regrets not marrying her, and he regrets neglecting her. All of these regrets make a person stop and realize that in the end what is most important is not how hard you party, but how well you treat those you love and how you cherish moments spent with them.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was pretty good for being a foreign film. It was eye opening in a way. As Jean-Do would speak of his regrets about how he cherished the material and superficial things in his life rather than cherishing the things that matter most in life such as family. Not only was it sad but it was also inspiring. It was very cool seeing how even though he was not supposed to be able to communicate and then they created a way for him to communicate. I thought that was very creative and intelligent. What was even more inspiring is that with the complex way of how he had to communicate he still went on with writing a book.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on this point. I think that as more advances come in the health care field, more things will will begin to cloud our view, like machines and tubes, and we will not be able to connect with the patient, like we are supposed to as health care workers. This movie tells the story of how the patient really is the most important part of our job.
DeleteI have never been a fan of foreign films, but I would definitely make an exception for this one. I think it almost made this film better that it wasn't in English, like it gave it more meaning or something.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stood out to me in this film is the discussion with his father about living to be 100 years old. His father basically says that he doesn't want to live to be 100 because he misses his wife. He also questions it, "Like who wants to live to be 100?"
Another thing that stuck with me was how Jean-Do was always thinking back to what it was like before he had the stroke. He was constantly reminiscing on his life and the way things use to be. This made me realize again how important life is and that it shouldn't be taken for granted. I have a family friend, Benny, who is also paralyzed from head to toe and has been for about five years now. It happened to him when he was 16 years old and I can only imagine everything he has missed out on in life at such a young age. It is very difficult and he talks all the time about how he would give anything to be 15 years old again before he became paralyzed. Benny, just like Jean-Do, was showing signs of undeniable progress and improvement. Even though Jean-Do didn't make it I admire the fact that he pushed through and finished his book (even though communication was very tough). I know how hard and frustrating it is to try and communicate with someone like that because that is how we have to communicate with Benny and I know how difficult it is on our end and you can tell how much he struggles with it as well.
I also think it is amazing how Jean-Do's wife was willing to stay with him after what happened. Benny's girlfriend is also with him after what happened and I think it is a good thing when the other person is able to stay with their significant other even when something serious like that happens.
This movie was very well done, especially the shots where they filmed from Jean-do's perspective. They did a good job giving you an idea of what he might be going through and how he misses the earlier part of his life. I think that the point of this movie is to persuade you to consider your own life decisions just as Jean-do did. It is amazing that he was able to write a book using that communication method but I can see how he would be very motivated to do so because he had nothing else he could accomplish in his state and he wanted to leave one more thing before he died.
ReplyDeleteI have always had a small bit of love towards foreign films. Almost every foreign film that I have ever seen is incredible. This one is no exception to that. This film moved me quite a lot. Everything about was breathtaking. The actors, the angles and settings in which the film was shot, the story - EVERYTHING. As for the message, I believe that the movie sends out many many messages all variant upon each person. For me, I believe that this film sends out a message stating that "Just because you are fighting the impossible does not mean that you can't make anything of it." It seems that many people don't get any credit until after death such as Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent van Gogh, and Galileo Galilei as some examples. Regardless, they all left very deep and/or important messages upon the world in which mankind has prospered from. This film, I feel, is a great representation of that. A major part of the film that hit me deeply was how much of the narration was done from Jean-Do - both parts taken from his literary work and himself - since many of Jean-Do's statements in his work were thoughts that he had incorporated into his book from his personal views on life itself.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was really interesting. It put a new persepective that I never thought about. Being in the mind of someone who is paralyzed is not something that many get to experience, nor want to be put in that situation. The idea behind the code to spell out letters is a great way to communicate with others. It definately takes a lot longer, but to be able to communicate with others in any way when put in that kind of situation is comforting.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this movie, it made me think about the residents that I help take care of at work. There are a couple who cannot talk to you but they still understand you. You can tell that they understand you by the look in their eyes or the small smile that comes from their mouth. After this movie, I began to talk with them more as I took care of them. I let them know exactally what I was doing and why I was doing it. This way it hopefully would provide a more comforting and trusting relationship between me and the resident. Since they understand what is going on around them, I felt that it was just the respectful way of caring for them.
In the movie, they did an amazing job at portrayin Jean-Do and his last few months of his life. I could only imagine the fear that must have come over him once he realized he no longer had control over his body and could only blink his eye. It is amazing what will power can do. Being able to write a book based on this special code is one that blows my mind. There are many messages to take away from this. It was a very touching and inspireing movie. One that I will definately never forget.
We can all complain about this movie being in french but I think that it is more important to focus on the inspirational story being told here. It blows my mind that this man was able to go through what he did and what he was able to accomplish. Not only was this man able to learn how communicate through blinking, he was able to write a book. I feel that many people wouldn't even have the motivation to learn how to communicate. I think that many people would just give up due to their paralysis. Also, I think that the worst part of this story is how his family all abandoned him and refused to come see him. I wouldn't have been able to make it through a situation like that without my family and friends by my side.
ReplyDeleteWithout going into too much detail, my mom experienced this syndrome for over 6 months of her life. She was stricken with Guillian Barre syndrome which slowly paralyzes you from the feet to the head and then reverses over time. She had the worst case they had ever seen. She had to have both of her eyes sewn shut and was unable to communicate at all for several months until the paralysis started reversing. She was totally cognizant the whole time. We, too, communicated in what ever way we could. Initially it was by tying a bell to her toe, one of the first things to start moving again (which ironically was atypical). We would speak and ask for yes (one twitch) or no (two twitches) of her toe. We used spelling like they used in the movie. It was a nightmare for me. I can't imagine what my mother truly felt or how she found the strength to persevere through this illness. When she was finally able to communicate at length I asked her how she survived. She said her only other option, death, was not an option. I remember her saying she felt so trapped and alone even when people were in the room. Lonliness was her worst enemy. She never really wanted to talk at length about the experience as it was too painful. I can see how Jean-Do was able to do what he did - his only other option was not worthy.
ReplyDeleteI felt this film was pretty inspirational and did not mind that it was not in English. I have only watched a few foreign films in my day and frankly tend not to watch them because it gets annoying trying to read and watch the action going on at the same time. However, this movie did surprise me and it was better than I had imagined. In a sense, being in French just added to the delivery of the movie because it took it to a more personal level. Instead of just soaking in all that's going on, we have to read and in a sense "put effort into" understanding the movie, just as Jean-Do had to put extensive amounts of effort into writing a book. It was interesting to witness the amount of heart this guy had, to be able to hang in there through his locked-in syndrome. I know it would be beyond difficult for me to do the same. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone interested in a foreign movie or just an inspirational pick-me-up.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very interesting and definitely was an eye opener to me. Seeing Jean-Do's frustration struck me at heart. This man thought he could talk and could hear himself, but the frustration he had because nobody else could is something that is hard to wrap your mind around. If I was ever in a situation like this, I can only hope I would half the strength of this man. The patience and hard work that this man had is truly inspirational. At a time when most would want to give up and just succumb to death, he prevailed and worked hard, learning to communicate in a completely different language. I think we should find strength in this movie and should find inspiration in the life of Jean-Do.
ReplyDeleteLocked in syndrome reminded me of something I saw a few years ago. There was a TLC special on people who have been trapped inside their bodies. In a few extreme cases (where the people had a similar but more complicated illness), the people have been declared dead when they are not. They know everything that is happening to them but can not move or speak to get in contact with the doctors. For some reason their heart beat is also very faint so this causes problems as well. They have described being wheeled down to the morgue and then finally "waking up" (being able to move and speak all of a sudden). I can not imagine how scary this would be. As Annie said this movie was very inspiring. To write a novel one letter at a time the way he had to is absolutely incredible. Even though it was sad, it teaches us to make the best out of situations in life and the "don't take even the little things for granted" lesson.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very inspirational instead of sad. Yes, Jean-Do obviously had his regrets about being a father, how he treated the mother of his wife, etc. And while that influenced his thoughts, I don't think they really control him. At the beginning of the movie he said he wanted to die, that was more the shock of the injury. But he quickly moved past his self-pity, and though he had regrets, he made his life purposeful in the best way he could.
ReplyDeleteSo while some of the people above are saying that this movie made them appreciate the life they have now, I think the meaning of this movie in general was just to appreciate life, no matter what. It did have a "don't take the little things for granted" lesson, but I don't think that was the purpose of the story. I didn't walk out of that movie thinking "wow, something like that could happen to me at any time, I must appreciate every little moment." I walked out thinking "Wow, that guy was so strong and brave. Dispite his disability, regrets, etc., he kept on trucking through. I want to be that strong too."
from SHAD
ReplyDeleteStraight up this shit was crazy. Seriously though, the fact that his own family didn’t even make any attempts to come visit him is really disturbing to me. I think this movie helped to put things into perspective for us since it was in foreign language and we had to read everything. It is actually inspirational that he was able to compose an entire book by blinking.
I enjoyed this movie. I was not bothered at all by the subtitles. I really enjoyed the beginning of the movie how everything was shown through the eyes of Jean-Dominique. The fact that only he could hear himself made everything much more real to me. With the combined visuals and his trapped thoughts, I think that the film worked very well to have the audience sympathize with Jean-Dominique. I think he grew exponentially as a person throughout the film. At the beginning, he was only concerned about himself. He wanted to die. Later, he actually thought, I should stop pitying myself. From that moment on, he tried his best to live a good life. He thought about his family, and he also decided to continue his book deal even though it was so difficult for him to do.
ReplyDeleteSimply amazing! althought there were a few parts that left me questioning like if he is paralyzed why isn't he on a ventilator or what happend to his father like his reaction to his sons death. I think it is extrodinary that this man was able to communicate with just one eye and was able to publish a book within 5 months. I know I would never want to be in that situation. He didnt want to be either he in fact wanted to die. Eventually he realized he had to stop pitying himself and that he may be paralyzed but his imagination and memory had not been damaged... very moving
ReplyDeleteThis movie had me all over a place. That point of view watching his eye get stitched such about gave me an anxiety attack. It was very good at giving perspective though about how quickly life can change. At first he hates it and tells the nurse to kill him, but once he comes to terms with what happened to him, he ends up writing a book like that. The patience and the amount of time it would've taken writing a book one letter at a time is pretty awesome. I thought this film was really really good and was impressed with it. When i heard we were watchign a foreign film i was pretty disappointed but it had my attention the whole time.
ReplyDeleteBizarre! I liked it though. It made me think of whether or not I would want to live in a condition such as the main character did. I think it would be miserable. I suppose it did allow him to see the errors in his ways.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was a true eye opener. It was very tragic how Jean-Do had to meet his unfortunate end by contracting pneumonia after having made great progress. I do agree that this movie showed what Jean-do truly valued in his life when he was at his weakest. He had many regrets from his former playboy lifestyle. I liked how he thought about his family in his flashbacks and talked about how he truly loved them and missed them. I thought it was really sad when he realizes he may never redeem himself or love his kids by ruffling their hair ever again.
ReplyDelete