Alejando Amenábar's latest, The Sea Inside, is a far cry from Open Your Eyes and The Others. JOHN SPRY examines the film's portrait of one man's bid for freedom and release from his own broken form.


THE VERY IDEA of life after the one we lead isn't questioned until the very end of The Sea Inside, a film that uses its subject as a meaningful vessel for education and empathy by acclaimed filmmaker Alejando Amenábar. These two points are only some of the film's strengths, from a text that dares the audience to think, relate and take side on a subject that many have fundamental differences of opinion over: that is the right to die.

The Sea Inside is based on the true story of right-to-die activist Ramón Sampedro, a once able-bodied engineer who in his 20s breaks his neck while diving from a local cliff, becoming a quadriplegic. When we are initially introduced to Ramón, he has been effectively immobile from he neck down for over three decades.

Although most films (and in fact texts) framed around similar situations – that is a serious issue involving communities and relationships – tend to be part of an overall dramatic genre produced to evoke certain emotions in viewers, this film through the creative force of Amenábar has more to offer than the usual melodramatic fair. The Sea Inside offers both for and against arguments on either side of the central theme, and through the use of stereotypical characters avoids baseless accusations, focusing more on Ramón and his struggles. Ramón has pressure from within his family, community and country to keep on with his decision to end his life, as well as pressure from politicians, the Church and members of his family to cease his fight for his own freedom.

The film operates with a large cast; each are given ample screen time towards their own individual stance, as well as extended time with Ramón to justify or refute his position on right-to-die issues. All of the characters opinions are aimed directly at the audience and are included to illustrate many separate points of view. Ramón's family consists of his father, Joaquin (Joan Dalmau), his brother, Jose (Celso Bugallo), his sister-in-law, Manuela (Mabel Rivera), his nephew, Javi (Tamar Novas) and his close acquaintances include Gene (Clara Seguara) and her boyfriend Marc (Francesc Garrdio), Julia (Belén Rueda) and Rosa (Lola Dueñas).

Each plays a major part in Ramón's existence, from birth to his eventual death. Joaquin is Ramón's father who looks out for his son before and after the accident that has left him reliant on others for his most basic needs. Joaquin seems non-judgemental in terms of the action that Ramón feels he must take; in fact Joaquin does not seem capable or willing to take a stand on any issue, and wants only what any father would want – the best for his son. Jose, his wife Manuela and their son Javi look after Ramón at their home, and all enact quite different and separate roles in Ramón's life.

As an engineer who loves to build machines, Ramón is still able to create diagrams and schematic charts but relies on his nephew and brother to build these inventions on his behalf. Jose sees his life in terms of the care he and his family must give to Ramón and his own dreams have been rendered secondary to the life of Ramón. For this reason he is against Ramón wanting to die and as the film progresses he is more vocal not only with Ramón but with his entire family.

Manuela seems to understand what Ramón wants and needs to do to be truly free, and is supportive to the detriment of her husband's own wishes. Javi it seems does not mind what occurs, although is puzzled by Ramón's insistence that he be more understanding of his father. It is not until the farewell of his family that Javi understands what his Uncle is planning to do, and that he will never see him again.

The closest that Ramón comes to a love interest within the film is towards the end of his life, with two supportive and different women. Julia, a lawyer who agrees to take Ramón's case as she is struck with a degenerative disease and may one day wish the same thing as him, is instantly attracted and they become soul mates. Rosa is an opposite to Julia, a single mother with two boys who feels she has no true calling in life until she sees Ramón on television regarding his case, and seeks him out. Rosa becomes infatuated with Ramón and his plight, and eventually falls in love with him, pleading with him not to kill himself; indeed, although she offers to look after him, he argues that if she truly loved him she would assist him in his right as a human being to end his life.

Many of the characters here operate at the extremes of human emotion and only become wholly real people at the conclusion of the film; similarly, many are genre characters that exist because of the type of film produced. There are moments in the film that exist as a direct result of the director, Alejando Amenábar. One scene in particular borders on magical realism, where Ramón rises from his bed, opens a window, takes a run-up and jumps from the second story floor to fly to a deserted beach where he meets Julia. Although not strictly magical realism as it is contained within a dream, it reflects a type of sublime present in such films as Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1998).

Amenábar, who also directed The Others (2002) and Open Your Eyes (1999) (remade as Vanilla Sky (2003)), employs a cinematic style akin to his previous two films which although keeping within the aesthetic of the genre, doesn't work entirely, as there's no real attempt to import the audience into the private hell that Ramón lives with every second of his life. And yet ultimately through the honest portrayal of Ramón by Javier Bardiem, does the film succeed, delivering a portrait of a man who believes he has been fated into the position he now occupies: a brain in a jar. Ramón is able to interact with the world around him, but if unaided is unable to interact with it. In the end, aided by his friends and their love, Ramón is able to end his life while helping those close to him understand why his freedom is not only important, but that it is through the act of letting go that they prove their love for him.