The first thing I thought about the film was oh no! I have to read subtitles the entire movie. Then after about the first ten minutes my brain adjusted, and I didn't even realize I was reading the movie. I really enjoyed the film, and I think I got a lot out of it. It didn't change my mind on disabilities, but it did on end of life choices. I always thought why live once your not able to do anything yourself. Why would I want to lay in a bed all day and stare, just give up. After seeing Jean-Do overcome his biggest struggle of not being able to move or speak and then writing a novel my blinking his eye. I saw that anything is possible. We should not give up on our own lives and we should live them to the fullest. To live a meaningful life it is important to take positive risks and live out every experience to the fullest. Imagine the impossible and hold onto memories forever.
I agree with gina when i first started the movie i was like subtitles the whole movie this stinks. however looking back at it, it allowed me to understand what it was like to have a barrier. kind of give me the idea of what the man was going threw you were watching the movie but it was not the same in my opinion. I do think that he had a quality of life however i think so only because of the care he was given when they tried to find a way to comunicate and interact. without that he would be locked in his head with no way out and personally i would go mad. It did make me think about my end of life choices however it reinforced what i want that i want to live a long life and do as much as i can now while i can hence taking the trip instead of just the class you have to live life to the fullest to get the most out of it and feel accomplished at the end.
This was a very interesting movie to watch. I found it to be a little bit confusing at times, but in the end it was very informative. It was interesting to see the point of the view of the person who was disabled. So many times we only think of how others view disabled people and forget that they have a mind and thoughts of their own. My uncle has severe Cerebral Palsy and is very limited with his ability to communicate with us. This film has made me wonder how much of what my uncle wants to communicate with us goes unsaid. It is important to remember that every person has their own thoughts and feelings no matter what their condition is and we need to respect and honor that. I do not think this film really changed my view of disabilities; rather it just gave me a clearer understanding of it. As the main character is accepting his new condition he realizes what really should have mattered in the past, which was being a good father to his children. This makes you think that you always need to try to be the best version of yourself, because we are truly never promised tomorrow.
I agree with Gina and Kelsey. At first, I was bummed out about watching a movie with subtitles. It sounded like a boring way to spend my Saturday evening. Once the movie kept going, I got more and more interested and attached to Jean-Dominique. The way that the viewer saw the film was an interesting insight into how one with a disability may feel. The camera acting as the eye of Jean-Dominique was the most intriguing aspect of the entire film in my opinion.
This changed my view of end of life decisions. While watching "Facing Death" with Hailey, I kept saying, "If I'm ever like that, please pull the plug." While watching this film, I changed my opinion of this. Anything can happen and almost anyone can make it through the most difficult times if they are given the correct resources and assistance. Jean-Dominique overcame a struggle and even wrote a book without speaking or even writing.
In my own life, I will try to make the most of everyday. You never know when your life may end or in Jean-Dominique's case, when you will no longer be able to communicate with those that you love. As cliche as it may sound, this movie has encouraged me to live each day to the fullest. We will definitely be doing that in London over the next few weeks!!
Unlike Gina, Kelsey, and Karissa, I found it very difficult to get into and never gained a keen interest in it. I appreciated it for what it was (and really did not mind the subtitles at all because it helped me follow along) because I definitely could see the value in spending my time watching it and did think that it helped expand my limited perspective; however, I thought that it involved too much "fluff". Maybe I just misinterpreted some of it or missed something involving some of the recurring scenes and characters, but I felt like it dragged on and on. For example, I distinctly remember a scene of just hair flying in the wind that seemed to go on for about 5 minutes. Just some of it seemed a little unnecessary or overdone. Despite the specifics though, I think that the overall concept and experiences portrayed in the film were very important and left me considering the brevity and uncertainty of life. I feel like everyone hears how short life really is and how important it is to live a meaningful life so many times in a short time period that it becomes almost meaningless or cliche anymore. It takes a film like this, a near death experience, or an emotionally focused story to really give the words concerning life meaning and perspective. Diving Bell and the Butterfly did in fact give me some perspective on the uncertainty of life and even some ethical dilemmas in the hospital scene. It really gave me a new perspective (first person point of view from the disabled) on the difficulties of having really any disability (especially after having lived a life of full functionality). It really is important to "live as if you'll die tomorrow" and to "learn as if you'll live forever" - Gandhi. When I die, I can only hope that I will be on good terms and have good relationships with everyone who has come into my life.
Normally I prefer movies with action and a fast-paced plot line, but this film was absolutely beautiful. As far as the production of the movie goes, the producers were really able to portray the effects of the stroke from both Jean-Dominique's and his family's perspective. For me, the strongest scene was the repeated shot of someone in a space suit (or some type of suit..) floating aimlessly underwater in the ocean, having no control whatsoever. It's hard to try and put yourself in Jean's situation, but the closest I got was picturing myself in the suit, continuously flowing with the movements of the ocean.
One thing I felt was controversial was how after establishing a communication system, the first things Jean-Dominique said was, "I want death". After hearing that, the nurse took a moment to gather herself, and then continued as if nothing had happened. This is in line with the current ethical debate regarding assisted suicide. If Jean-Dominique's words were able to form a novel, then why weren't his words and wishes respected, or even taken slightly seriously? I'm not saying that assisted suicide would have been the best option in this circumstance, but the film could have at least touched on this issue instead of dismissing it all together.
Lastly, my favorite quote from the film: "Cling to the human inside of you."
I really enjoyed the change in pace of this movie. While it did not develop into diverse and action based scenes, the emotional quality of the scenes relayed the grief and difficult choices of those involved. This film gave me an entirely new perspective on disability and the physical and emotional difficulties which go along with it. Working in the healthcare field, I find it is often easy to forget that patients are cognitively aware, despite that physically they may be disabled. The level and quality of care given to Jean-Dominique demonstrates that the healthcare workers truly recognize his humanity despite his apparent lack of facilities. This type of care should be set as a standard for all healthcare institutions. Despite that it should be set as a standard one also has to consider cost vs. benefit. While the life and quality of life of Jean-Dominique were extended by treatment, most individuals nor government funded care programs have the ability to fund such comprehensive treatment. This would require rationing care to only those who have the best prognosis for recovery. I believe that it is possible to live a meaningful life despite serious physical disability, as was demonstrated in Jean-Dominique's writing a book despite his inability to move or speak. This balancing cost vs. benefit in determining the level of care given to patients is a difficult decision, but must be considered as high quality treatment can not be provided without high cost, and only with high quality treatment is it viably possible to provide reasonably meaningful quality of life.
I watched this film in Death and Dying with Dr. Cate and found this movie to be absolutely inspiring. It just goes to show that nothing should hold you back in life. I just kept thinking that more often I should reflect on my life when I feel like complaining and know that it could always be worse. This movie also made me think about advance directives. They are important for people to have, especially at our age. In case something happens where we are not able to communicate our wishes, they will be expressed. I thought about tough situations which normally we like to ignore and pretend like it won't happen to us. As I learned in my previous class, death is a touchy subject for most people. They do not want to discuss themselves dying which is understandable, but death is inevitable for all of us. Once our mortality is recognized and accepted, life can be lived to its fullest. At first I thought that the film was a little slow. However, Jean-Do's humorous remarks that only the viewers could hear made it more entertaining. He never had a "poor me" attitude. I can not begin to imagine how frustrating it would be to have extreme difficulty communicating. He never gave up and did more then anyone though was possible by writing his novel letter by letter. He did not let his life go to waste even though he had an enormous obstacle in his way. Healthcare is a constant controversial issue. Jean-Do needed a large amount of help and support even doing the most simple every day tasks. The cost of this kind of care is huge and creates financial struggles in the healthcare field especially because people can not afford the treatment. However, Jean-Do was not in a vegetative state and although some may have given up, he proved that he had a lot more living left to do.
I really enjoyed this video. I fell that it did not change my view on disabilities as much as it reinforced my views. Disabled people are still people, no matter if they can communicate or not. In my own experience, I have seen it happen so many times where patients have been in comas for years, and when they wake up, they say they heard every conversation that happened near them. Although these patients are not necessarily "disabled", it ties into the idea that we should not view disabled people as uncomprehending, or inable to understand. They understand, even if they cannot express that. That being said, this movie really portrayed the idea that you should live your life as if you will die tomorrow. You never know what can happen, and it would be awful to look back at your life with regrets that you know you cannot change.
I really liked this video, it definitely gave me a different perspective on disabilities. We always are concerned about how we feel about other's disabilities and forget to think about how they feel. Do they feel trapped? Lonely? Respected? Taken advantage of? I worked at a rehabilitation center my junior year of high school and I wish I had watched this before that experience. I was always as patient and respectful as I could be, but I feel as though I would of looked at each person with more compassion. Hopefully, we will never know how it feels to be in a disabled state, but if we do I hope that others will treat me with respect and compassion and patience.
The first thing I thought about the film was oh no! I have to read subtitles the entire movie. Then after about the first ten minutes my brain adjusted, and I didn't even realize I was reading the movie. I really enjoyed the film, and I think I got a lot out of it. It didn't change my mind on disabilities, but it did on end of life choices. I always thought why live once your not able to do anything yourself. Why would I want to lay in a bed all day and stare, just give up. After seeing Jean-Do overcome his biggest struggle of not being able to move or speak and then writing a novel my blinking his eye. I saw that anything is possible. We should not give up on our own lives and we should live them to the fullest. To live a meaningful life it is important to take positive risks and live out every experience to the fullest. Imagine the impossible and hold onto memories forever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with gina when i first started the movie i was like subtitles the whole movie this stinks. however looking back at it, it allowed me to understand what it was like to have a barrier. kind of give me the idea of what the man was going threw you were watching the movie but it was not the same in my opinion. I do think that he had a quality of life however i think so only because of the care he was given when they tried to find a way to comunicate and interact. without that he would be locked in his head with no way out and personally i would go mad. It did make me think about my end of life choices however it reinforced what i want that i want to live a long life and do as much as i can now while i can hence taking the trip instead of just the class you have to live life to the fullest to get the most out of it and feel accomplished at the end.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting movie to watch. I found it to be a little bit confusing at times, but in the end it was very informative. It was interesting to see the point of the view of the person who was disabled. So many times we only think of how others view disabled people and forget that they have a mind and thoughts of their own. My uncle has severe Cerebral Palsy and is very limited with his ability to communicate with us. This film has made me wonder how much of what my uncle wants to communicate with us goes unsaid. It is important to remember that every person has their own thoughts and feelings no matter what their condition is and we need to respect and honor that. I do not think this film really changed my view of disabilities; rather it just gave me a clearer understanding of it. As the main character is accepting his new condition he realizes what really should have mattered in the past, which was being a good father to his children. This makes you think that you always need to try to be the best version of yourself, because we are truly never promised tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gina and Kelsey. At first, I was bummed out about watching a movie with subtitles. It sounded like a boring way to spend my Saturday evening. Once the movie kept going, I got more and more interested and attached to Jean-Dominique. The way that the viewer saw the film was an interesting insight into how one with a disability may feel. The camera acting as the eye of Jean-Dominique was the most intriguing aspect of the entire film in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThis changed my view of end of life decisions. While watching "Facing Death" with Hailey, I kept saying, "If I'm ever like that, please pull the plug." While watching this film, I changed my opinion of this. Anything can happen and almost anyone can make it through the most difficult times if they are given the correct resources and assistance. Jean-Dominique overcame a struggle and even wrote a book without speaking or even writing.
In my own life, I will try to make the most of everyday. You never know when your life may end or in Jean-Dominique's case, when you will no longer be able to communicate with those that you love. As cliche as it may sound, this movie has encouraged me to live each day to the fullest. We will definitely be doing that in London over the next few weeks!!
Unlike Gina, Kelsey, and Karissa, I found it very difficult to get into and never gained a keen interest in it. I appreciated it for what it was (and really did not mind the subtitles at all because it helped me follow along) because I definitely could see the value in spending my time watching it and did think that it helped expand my limited perspective; however, I thought that it involved too much "fluff". Maybe I just misinterpreted some of it or missed something involving some of the recurring scenes and characters, but I felt like it dragged on and on. For example, I distinctly remember a scene of just hair flying in the wind that seemed to go on for about 5 minutes. Just some of it seemed a little unnecessary or overdone. Despite the specifics though, I think that the overall concept and experiences portrayed in the film were very important and left me considering the brevity and uncertainty of life. I feel like everyone hears how short life really is and how important it is to live a meaningful life so many times in a short time period that it becomes almost meaningless or cliche anymore. It takes a film like this, a near death experience, or an emotionally focused story to really give the words concerning life meaning and perspective. Diving Bell and the Butterfly did in fact give me some perspective on the uncertainty of life and even some ethical dilemmas in the hospital scene. It really gave me a new perspective (first person point of view from the disabled) on the difficulties of having really any disability (especially after having lived a life of full functionality). It really is important to "live as if you'll die tomorrow" and to "learn as if you'll live forever" - Gandhi. When I die, I can only hope that I will be on good terms and have good relationships with everyone who has come into my life.
ReplyDeleteNormally I prefer movies with action and a fast-paced plot line, but this film was absolutely beautiful. As far as the production of the movie goes, the producers were really able to portray the effects of the stroke from both Jean-Dominique's and his family's perspective. For me, the strongest scene was the repeated shot of someone in a space suit (or some type of suit..) floating aimlessly underwater in the ocean, having no control whatsoever. It's hard to try and put yourself in Jean's situation, but the closest I got was picturing myself in the suit, continuously flowing with the movements of the ocean.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I felt was controversial was how after establishing a communication system, the first things Jean-Dominique said was, "I want death". After hearing that, the nurse took a moment to gather herself, and then continued as if nothing had happened. This is in line with the current ethical debate regarding assisted suicide. If Jean-Dominique's words were able to form a novel, then why weren't his words and wishes respected, or even taken slightly seriously? I'm not saying that assisted suicide would have been the best option in this circumstance, but the film could have at least touched on this issue instead of dismissing it all together.
Lastly, my favorite quote from the film: "Cling to the human inside of you."
I really enjoyed the change in pace of this movie. While it did not develop into diverse and action based scenes, the emotional quality of the scenes relayed the grief and difficult choices of those involved. This film gave me an entirely new perspective on disability and the physical and emotional difficulties which go along with it. Working in the healthcare field, I find it is often easy to forget that patients are cognitively aware, despite that physically they may be disabled. The level and quality of care given to Jean-Dominique demonstrates that the healthcare workers truly recognize his humanity despite his apparent lack of facilities. This type of care should be set as a standard for all healthcare institutions. Despite that it should be set as a standard one also has to consider cost vs. benefit. While the life and quality of life of Jean-Dominique were extended by treatment, most individuals nor government funded care programs have the ability to fund such comprehensive treatment. This would require rationing care to only those who have the best prognosis for recovery. I believe that it is possible to live a meaningful life despite serious physical disability, as was demonstrated in Jean-Dominique's writing a book despite his inability to move or speak. This balancing cost vs. benefit in determining the level of care given to patients is a difficult decision, but must be considered as high quality treatment can not be provided without high cost, and only with high quality treatment is it viably possible to provide reasonably meaningful quality of life.
ReplyDeleteI watched this film in Death and Dying with Dr. Cate and found this movie to be absolutely inspiring. It just goes to show that nothing should hold you back in life. I just kept thinking that more often I should reflect on my life when I feel like complaining and know that it could always be worse. This movie also made me think about advance directives. They are important for people to have, especially at our age. In case something happens where we are not able to communicate our wishes, they will be expressed. I thought about tough situations which normally we like to ignore and pretend like it won't happen to us. As I learned in my previous class, death is a touchy subject for most people. They do not want to discuss themselves dying which is understandable, but death is inevitable for all of us. Once our mortality is recognized and accepted, life can be lived to its fullest. At first I thought that the film was a little slow. However, Jean-Do's humorous remarks that only the viewers could hear made it more entertaining. He never had a "poor me" attitude. I can not begin to imagine how frustrating it would be to have extreme difficulty communicating. He never gave up and did more then anyone though was possible by writing his novel letter by letter. He did not let his life go to waste even though he had an enormous obstacle in his way. Healthcare is a constant controversial issue. Jean-Do needed a large amount of help and support even doing the most simple every day tasks. The cost of this kind of care is huge and creates financial struggles in the healthcare field especially because people can not afford the treatment. However, Jean-Do was not in a vegetative state and although some may have given up, he proved that he had a lot more living left to do.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this video. I fell that it did not change my view on disabilities as much as it reinforced my views. Disabled people are still people, no matter if they can communicate or not. In my own experience, I have seen it happen so many times where patients have been in comas for years, and when they wake up, they say they heard every conversation that happened near them. Although these patients are not necessarily "disabled", it ties into the idea that we should not view disabled people as uncomprehending, or inable to understand. They understand, even if they cannot express that. That being said, this movie really portrayed the idea that you should live your life as if you will die tomorrow. You never know what can happen, and it would be awful to look back at your life with regrets that you know you cannot change.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this video, it definitely gave me a different perspective on disabilities. We always are concerned about how we feel about other's disabilities and forget to think about how they feel. Do they feel trapped? Lonely? Respected? Taken advantage of? I worked at a rehabilitation center my junior year of high school and I wish I had watched this before that experience. I was always as patient and respectful as I could be, but I feel as though I would of looked at each person with more compassion. Hopefully, we will never know how it feels to be in a disabled state, but if we do I hope that others will treat me with respect and compassion and patience.
ReplyDelete