Towards the sea (Mar adentro)

Country of production and year: France, Spain, Italy 2004 Genre: biographical drama Director: Alejandro Amenábar Screenplay: Alejandro Amenábar, Mateo Gil Music: Alejandro Amenábar Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe Cast: Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Lola Duenas Medical topic: euthanasia Description: The film tells the true story of a man named Ramón Sampedro (Javier Bardem). At the age of 25, the Spaniard suffered a spinal cord injury while diving into water and was left paralyzed for the rest of his life. He can only speak and move his head. Bedridden and dependent on the care of his brother’s family, he no longer wants to live a life he considers meaningless. He initiates legal proceedings to secure the right to euthanasia, which is prohibited in Spain. As the case gains publicity, various people appear in his circle who wish to support him—some try to dissuade him from his intention to die by suicide, while others want to make it possible out of respect for his decision. His encounters with them reveal to the viewer the true face of Ramón, a man in his fifties: on the one hand, a withdrawn cynic who cannot cope with his disability; on the other, a sensitive poet, full of dreams of a beautiful life lost forever. For the protagonist, who once served on a ship, the titular sea is a symbol of the world he longs for and does not want to view from the perspective of a wheelchair. "Mar adentro" is a film that you watch with interest at first, but which begins to wear thin over time. It is not lacking in very authentic, multifaceted emotions. But the screenplay should also be treated as a carefully documented academic study on euthanasia, weighing all the pros and cons in turn. A major strength of "Mar adentro" is the fantastic, emotionally charged music composed by the director himself, who has a habit of scoring his own films.