Dir.
Alejandro Amenabar, 2004, Spain , 125 mins
Cast: Javier Bardem, Belen Rueda, Lola Duenas
Alejandro Amenábar's (The Others) biopic of the final years of Ramon Sampedro (Bardem), could have descended into a melodramatic study of moral responsibility. It is to Amenábar's great credit, and that of all the actors involved, that with his latest film The Sea Inside this does not even come close to happening.
The film is based on Sampedro's published book, Letters from Hell, which relates the feelings of an erudite, humorous man who has been paralysed from the neck down for almost 30 years. He has decided that he has now had enough of life and wants to die with dignity, but cannot poison himself because of his situation. He is forced to take on the Spanish constitution to try to ensure anyone who helps him die will not be prosecuted. That said, The Sea Inside is in no way depressing, nor is it a brain-bashing message movie.
Amenábar only touches on the legal battle deciding instead to concentrate on Sampedro's touching relationship with those who love him, in particular two women who arrive in his life after hearing about his decision. Beautiful, intelligent Julia (Rueda) is the lawyer helping to fight his cause, who is herself afflicted with a debilitating disease and Rosa (Dueñas) is a local woman with a bad job and bad history with men, who thinks she can persuade him to change his mind. In both cases Sampedro realises these women need his help, and both their lives are more fulfilled for having known him.
Amenábar also doesn't patronise nor shy away from showing that this is a man who still has all the normal human emotions. The scenes showing how the love grows between Sampedro and the married Julia are flirtatious and sexy.
Spanish heartthrob Javier Bardem brings Sampedro back to life using his accomplished method acting abilities and some very impressive make-up effects. When asked about any challenges in playing the role the actor says: "Breathing was difficult, because he didn't have muscles under the diaphragm so the way he talked was very specific. And that was very tiring to do, but it was something I had to do really. At least I was able to stand up and stretch." As he explains, when people feel angry they can lash out and leave the room, Sampedro did not have that escape, so he felt it was important to avoid high emotions.
It is particularly poignant that The Sea Inside has been nominated for an Oscar (in the foreign language category) in the same year as the death of Christopher Reeve, one of the world's most vocal campaigners for research into cures for quadriplegia.
One of Sampedro's most important and vehement points is that just because you are disabled it does not mean you have lost your free will. He abhors the idea that many of us believe all disabled people think alike just because they share the same physical situation. There is a particularly interesting scene in the film when he makes this point to quadriplegic priest Padre Francisco (José María Pou), who has come to his home to make the case that life is a divine right and only God can take it away. The scene uses humour to make the very strong point that Sampedro feels life is not an obligation and everyone should have a choice if they don't want to live anymore.
On the whole, given the subject matter, The Sea Inside is actually life affirming. It also shows how powerful the love for another human being can be, whether that is familial, friendly or sexual. The film is at its saddest when it looks at the impact of Sampedro's decision on those around him, particularly his elderly father and bitter, but loving, brother.
This could have been a very claustrophobic piece indeed, but skilfully avoids that by showing the beautiful scenery where Sampedro escapes to in his dreams; the haunting soundtrack, composed by director Amenábar; and the clever use of old photographs to tell Sampedro's life as a world traveller before the accident.
The Sea Inside is ultimately about a moral decision without asking you to make one. Amenábar says he never set out to make four films in a row about death, but as he seems to be so good at dealing with this emotive subject he clearly made the right decision.
Joyce Dundas
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