Overall Look

In the film, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" the use of lighting, movement, and camera angles are what made this film what it was. In my opinion I think the director was trying to achieve this in this movie by making the audience understand and feel what Jean Bauby’s feeling. I think there is a great work of the film’s elements when Bauby is learning to communicate by blinking his eye because we see his blinks on the screen images. I think scenes like this are what add feelings to this movie.

Images

The state of the impotence of the main character is the reason why Bauby’s feelings are expressed though his imagination. These images help viewers see the world as he sees it, to feel his desperation and impotence as his vision adjusts and focuses. It is through this that the title makes total sense forthe movie.

Shot lengths

There were shots that were long in this movie the reason for this is because a big portion of the film was shot in point of view and that is why the camera shot does not capture the complete image and instead only sees what the character seeing.

Shot types

This film demonstrates a variety of shot types that use a lot of close ups and medium shots. The camera shot help bring out the feelings and moods of the characters more effectively. One scne

Camera Angles

The angles go hand and hand with the point of view shots because they reveal that during the shot, the protagonist's head is slightly tilted or just not looking straight. The camera angles really make the audience feel like they are in the movie itself.

Composition

The composition of the film changes a lot during the movie or at least has a lot of different events occurring. There are scenes where too much is happening but we can say this is good because it makes it feel more natural. Although, most of the scenes did contribute to the rule of thirds but sometimes it did not.

Camera Movement

I don’t think there is not a lot of camera movement in the movie. Majority of the scenes were filmed without the camera moving. However, there is this scene with a lot of movement which is when Bauby is put in the wheelchair for the first time because he is continuously being pushed around the room. This is one scene that uses a lot of movement.

Cinematography Style

The cinematography style of the film is intentional. The reason for that is because at the beginning when Bauby first awakens from his coma there are close ups of the doctors and they are in and out of focus quickly. This is not a mistake on the cinematographer’s part, but functions for the audience to see the confusing state Bauby was in. This is what helps the audience to understand and feel what he is feeling.