La dimensione argomentativa del racconto cinematografico in materia bioetica: il caso di Lo scafandro e la farfalla

The article is aimed at analyzing the narrative rhetoric of the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007, di- rected by Julian Schnabel, written by Ronald Harwood). I begin by stressing the renewed interest for narrative rhetoric. This theoretical perspective has gained new strenght both in the field of film studies and in bioethics, where the representation of beginning and of end of life issues in films and television series is examined in order to evaluate its correctness. I continue by explaining the method of the analysis, which uses the tools of screenwriting theory. I highlight, thus, the argumentative nature of the classic narrative structure of a screenplay. The main passages in a plot, in fact, constitue the steps of a dialectal confrontation between a thematic thesis and a couterthematic antithesis. The theme of The Diving Bell and The Butterfly is expressed by the following statement: “The pain due to a total paralyses annihilates the dignity of human life”. The countertheme is expressed by an opposite statement: “The value of relationships makes life worthy even in the condition of an incurable illness”. The last part of the article is focused on the notion of “progressive rhetoric”. I identify the main traits of this category: the construcrive approach; the reframing of the idea of “limit”, which in this perspective is assumed as “opportunity” and not as “obstacle”; the respect for the opposite opinion; the ability of not being “preachy”; truthfulness.I conclude by arguing that the film in exam is a case of progressive rhetoric. In particular, I argue that, by an- ticipating the bioetically crucial decision of the character in the first part of the movie, the story can then unfold with a constructive and creative approach to the end of life issue.