Review

Review Date: 6-February-05
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

The Sea Inside (2004)

"The Sea Inside" is based on the true story of Ramón Sampedro (Javier Bardem), a quadriplegic who spent almost thirty years immobilized on a bed in Galicia, Spain, before finally fulfilling his wish to die. A vibrant man who believed life was meant to be lived even before he broke his neck in a diving accident, Sampedro yearned to be rid of the obligation of his existence despite the generous care he received from his next of kin, notably his sister-in-law (Mabel Rivera) and young nephew (Tamar Novas). In his final years (at least according to the movie), Sampedro befriended two women who gave him insight into different kinds of love but failed to redirect his desire: a beautiful lawyer clinging to life in the face of her own degeneration (Belén Rueda), and a working-class mother desperate for something to make it all seem worthwhile (Lola Dueñas). In the intertwining paths of its characters, the film attempts to illustrate both the complexity and simplicity of the mercy killing issue, how it touches families, friends, and societies but essentially boils down to a person's right to govern himself.

As directed and co-written by Alejandro Amenábar, "The Sea Inside" artfully sidesteps the emotionalism of the topic, but it doesn't get close enough to its subject. It must be noted that I'm unable to see two sides to the question of euthanasia: it is incontrovertible fact that every individual has a right to kill himself for any reason and at any time, no matter how misguided, selfish, or improvident that may be. This being the case — and people who believe otherwise not being likely to attend the movie — Amenábar spends too much time trying to argue the validity of Sampedro's request. The minutes used to pit the hero against a wheelchair-bound priest, for example, might have been better applied to describing how long and how desperately Sampedro fought the system that opposed his wish to die, or how exactly he obtained the popular status that the movie hints at but does not adequately explain (at least for an American unfamiliar with the story).

Although there is injustice in a political-religious system that denies a basic human right, the great, cosmic unfairness of Sampedro's story is that someone who has entered into an insupportable situation cannot leave it without bringing pain to those around him. A man's right to take his own life gets tricky when he needs someone to help him, and therein lies the rub. The strong point of "The Sea Inside" (in addition to fine cinematography and editing) is the way in which the supporting characters are affected by Sampedro and his longing for extinction. Both Rueda and Rivera give heartbreaking performances as women who wish the best for him but can't decide what that is. (Dueñas is more complicated as the pivotal single mom, since the line between her devotion and her weakness is fuzzy.) At the center of the picture is Bardem, an actor who usually radiates virility but is somehow perfect as an aging invalid. He imbues Sampedro with enough wit and spirit to account for the devotion he inspires, and presents the central message in a clear, strong voice: this man should be allowed to dictate his own death because that's what he wants to do. I only wish the movie revealed a little more of his personal struggle and a little less of its cause.

Copyright © 2005 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.