The Sea Inside, written by Alejandro Amenabar and Mateo Gil, is a film in which a man is quadriplegic, and he wants to be allowed to commit assisted suicide. I liked this film, but it was a bit too depressing for me. I much prefer movies that are kind of sad, but then end up happy. One could say that this movie ended up happy, but I don’t think so. Julia did not remember Ramón at all, and she was still sick. Before he committed suicide, Ramón didn’t even make up with his family. They must feel terrible that he is gone now and that they never said a true good-bye. I know I would feel badly. However, it was very successful in getting its message across to its viewers. Even though assisted suicide is still illegal in Spain and many other countries, it has probably changed the views of some people on that topic because they realized that a lot of people who would like assisted suicide are in Ramón’s position. And Ramon’s position was very sad and rather pitiful even. Viewers of this film would feel sorry for him and they might change their opinions.
Many films and books have things in common, like their literary aspects. Films have these even though they aren’t literature. One literary aspect of this film was the plot. It had a very interesting plot that made it a very climactic movie. There were twists and turns that made you want to keep watching. The characters also made the movie good. Most of the characters in it had a different opinion on whether Ramón should die or not. This created conflict within the characters, which made them clash a lot. Manuela, Rosa, José, German, Javier, Padre Fransisco, and Hermano Andrés all want Ramón to stay alive and they really don’t want to help him commit suicide. On the other hand, Julia, Géné, Marc, and Santiago all support him and would help him die if it was legal. Another literary aspect was the setting of the film. It was important because it was by the sea, which was a major symbol of the film. It was also in the countryside of Spain, so they were probably also very conservative in their view of pro-life or pro-choice. Spain is very Catholic, and the Catholic view is that assisted suicide is a complete sin. If they hadn’t been in Spain, they might’ve had a different opinion, so there wouldn’t even be a movie. There would be no conflict in it. The literary aspects are important to this film, because the film would be completely different without them.
But, there were also many cinematic aspects to the film that are unique to just movies. Like the music used in it. one example that I liked in the movie was when he was ‘flying’ to the sea, over the villages and mountains. There was a beautiful, very famous aria playing during the shot. It is beautiful, but it also makes the viewers feel sentimental and sad, which is what the writers wanted us to feel in this scene. It’s when Ramón is flashing back to when he dived into the ocean and became paralyzed. The viewers are supposed to feel sad for Ramón that he can no longer swim in the ocean, let alone go to the sea. Actually, in this same scene, the camera movement, photography, and editing are also interesting. The camera doesn’t shoot one view and then cut right to the next; it actually makes the viewers feel like they are flying with Ramón. I also think that the costumes were very appropriate in this film. All the characters that made up Ramón’s family were dressed as Spanish farmers, which is exactly what they were. And all of Ramón’s lawyers, who were probably from a large city, were dressed in clothes that habitants of a large cosmopolitan city in Spain could possibly wear.
The Sea Inside and the Diving Bell and the Butterfly are two true stories that have very similar topics. One similarity between them is that they are both memoirs of men who were dying. A second (rather obvious) similarity between them is that the two main characters, Jean and Ramón, are both quadriplegics. Yes, this is very obvious, but it makes one think that their messages might be the same. But they aren’t, which leads me to their main difference. Jean is almost optimistic about the remainder of his life. He wants to live it up while he can, and tell as many others as he can that life is really worth living. He wants to live his quadriplegic life to the fullest. He still wants to wear his normal clothes, and he still wants to see his family and friends. He just wants to try and continue his normal life, even though quadriplegia is not a normal condition. On the other hand, Ramón just wants to be rid of life. He wants to live no longer. The only thing that he wants at that point in his life was to commit suicide. That is the only thing that was on his mind. And he was also very selfish about this. He would accept no other opinions about it. I believe that Jean and ramon had completely different outlooks on life, and even though they are both quadriplegic, there is no way to say their situations are the same.
I would recommend this film to people. It’s a really good film with a good message, and it really makes you think about life. Although it was much too depressing for my taste, I liked the film. Its cinematic aspects were used brilliantly, and they all made the movie beautiful and touching. The literary aspects were also used well. They made the movie climactic and interesting. If there were no different cinematic aspects, it would have been boring and would have seemed tedious. When the shots changed, it got one’s attention and made the movie really moving. Without literary aspects, the movie would have also been extremely boring and without conflict or in the plot. So, overall, it was a very good film, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a movie that makes you think. My last thought: was it depressing? Or maybe just thoughtful?
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