All throughout The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel (the director) displays a wonderful use of color and point-of-view-shots. Jean - Dominique Bauby has suffered a stroke and has been in a coma for twenty days. He is "...completely paralyzed from head to toe..." and his stroke led him into a condition called locked - in syndrome.

Schnabel offers the audience an accurate POV shot as the movie begins in a hospital room and Bauby is trying to wake up. It is as if Schnabel shoots from the inside of Bauby's eyelids. He uses accurate color schemes, such as the color of the inside of Bauby's eyelids and displaying bright light after his eyes are open.

When Dr. Cochetan is examining Bauby, Schnabel uses excellent techniques such as blurring the shot, correctly framing Dr. Cochetan's finger, and the light that he shines into Bauby's eye and opening and closing the camera lens making it seem like Bauby is struggling to keep his eyes open.

There is a particular moment in this scene in which Bauby dreams about the women that he loves (Ines). Schnabel uses a constant contrast in lighting in this moment. He flickers between bright and normal light, making it seem like an old - fashioned movie. Bauby also dreams about his son, of whom we find out about later on in the film. We discover that his son was with him when he had his stroke. Suddenly, a nurse comes into his room and wakes him up by pulling open the curtains of the nearby window.

Finally, the scene ends with Bauby's neurologist, Alain Lepage explaining to Bauby what has happened to him. Dr. Lepage says to Bauby that he has had a cerebrovascular accident and that he is "...completely paralyzed..." Schnapel uses the correct POV shot as Lepage talks directly to the camera. This makes it seem like Lepage is actually talking to Bauby.

In conclusion, Schnapel displays an excellent use of color and POV shots in the first scene of this film. He correctly portrays the perspective of Bauby. The audience can sense the fear of Bauby in this scene.