Running time: 125 minutes
Starring: Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Lola Dueñas, Mabel Rivera
Rating 8 out of 10
Having domain over our own lives is something we all take for granted. The controversial question of what happens when someone's disability is so debilitating that they seek death, but are unable to bring it about without the aid of others is the subject of the powerful and moving The Sea Inside. Based on the true story of Ramón Sampedro, a ship mechanic who fought the Spanish government for 30 years for the right to die following a diving accident that rendered him a quadriplegic, The Sea Inside is the elegant and accomplished work of young Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar. At its core is a deeply potent performance by the masterful Javier Bardem in the role of Sampedro. Confined, for the most part, to bed, Bardem captures the passion and vitality of the very private Sampedro who, through his long battle to die, prompts the Spanish government to reevaluate their euthanasia laws, in the process becoming a public figure.
While Sampedro's body is motionless, his mind and imagination are always active. In beautifully realized dream sequences, Sampedro takes flight from the confines of his bedroom and swoops from the window over the countryside and down to the nearby beach and site of his accident. At other times he is able to conjure forth the smells, sounds and sights of the sea from within his own head.
Hearing such an eloquent and inspiring person as Sampedro calmly and rationally argue his case to die is disquieting. "I consider life to be a right, not an obligation," he explains. It brings into sharp focus the very meaning of life. It's why the government and his family refuse to help him. The skill of The Sea Inside is to tackle the profound subject with dignity and restraint. It never allows itself to become maudlin. Instead it shows Sampedro as a tenacious, passionate and humorous man.
Though based on true events, The Sea Inside confesses to introducing characters for dramatic events. Cared for, if not understood, by his family, he solicits the help of friends to fight his cause. One is the beautiful lawyer Julia, (Belén Rueda) who, despite being married, forges a deep bond with Sampedro, helping him get his writings published and agreeing to assist him in his suicide. Another is a village woman Rosa (Lola Duenas), who is just glad to find a man who treats her well.
In addition to Bardem's forceful portrayal, all the supporting roles are played with a depth and belief that combine to make The Sea Inside an absorbing and stirring insight into the life of an extraordinary man.
Kevin Murphy
