BREATHE

UK, 2017, 118 minutes, Colour.
Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Ed Speelers, Tom Hollander, Hugh Bonneville, Stephen Mangan, Jonathan Hyde, Diana Rigg, Penny Downie, Miranda Raison, Camilla Rutherford.
Directed by Andy Serkis.

Breathe is a fine British film, based on the true story of Robin Cavendish, a tea-broker working in Kenya in the late 1950s, enterprising, charming, seen at first as a cricket match, the keen sportsman. He suddenly collapses and is diagnosed with polio, needing a ventilator to breathe, paralysed from the neck down.

There have been many films with health subjects, fighting against adversity, overcoming adversity – films like Me Before You.

One of the problems film reviewers have with films like this is that they are considered “worthy�, a word which is not always complementary. It often implies that this is the kind of film better made for television and the television audience at home, that this is a kind of film that could be labelled as sentimental. (But this reviewer always likes the quotation from W.Somerset Maugham that “sentimentality is only the sentiment you disapprove of�!).

And this become something of a problem with British films compared with American films. It is a contrast between films made with a stiff upper lip and films made with heart on sleeve.

So the question arises, especially with Breathe.

By way of review, it can be said that this is a moving film, in fact produced by Robin’s son, Jonathan Cavendish as tribute to his parents. Andrew Garfield embodies Robin Cavendish, lively before the polio, initially despairing but continually moving ahead in great hope for 34 years before his death in the 1990s. Garfield is limited in his performance by having to rely on words and the use of his eyes, his mouth, raising his eyebrows, otherwise paralysed. And he is supported well by Claire Foy as Diana, his wife, who urged him to live and who was with him, supporting his zest for life, with the experiments for coping with communication, for a chair with a ventilator in it, designed by Ted Hall (Hugh Bonneville), and the work promoted by Dr Clement Aitken on behalf of disabled people (Stephen Mangan).


For Andrew Garfield’s performance, the dialogue and its expression has to be conveyed by tone of voice, pauses and rhythms, smiles, eyes and eyebrows raised. This is the case even in the significant sequence where he goes to Germany, sees disabled people in an ultra-clean and scrubbed mortuary -like display, the disabled in layers, heads out, mirrors in front of them, almost imprisoned in a mausoleum. Cavendish gives an impassioned speech, an emotional thinking man’s speech.

This can also be seen in a very brief sequence where Dr Aitken and Robin Cavendish go to appeal to a philanthropist for funds for more chairs with ventilators. The philanthropist is played by Diana Rigg. The sequence is clear, clipped, successful. No mucking about with sentimentality here!

The emotional demand on the audience is initial disbelief that such a collapse could happen, that Cavendish would prefer to die. However, his wife is a strong and committed woman, arranging for him to be surreptitiously released from hospital, start to enjoy life at home, find different ways in which he could be comfortable and safe. This leads to his active intervention in improving conditions for the disabled, the chairs with ventilators, a plane flight – and even being stranded for 36 hours in Spain after an accident, lots of people gathering joyfully, the local priest giving them all a blessing and that God’s sometimes seemingly harsh jokes bring people together in celebration.

By the end, Robin Cavendish had achieved a great deal – and there is a final challenge for the audience to reflect on issues of assisted suicide, the choice of the person concerned, the impact on the family. This film portrays what actually happened and so is a contribution to the moral debate.

1. The title? The effect of breathing and difficulties? Symbolic meaning? The breath of life, spirit?

2. Issues of health, the 1950s? Polio, ventilators, collapse of lungs, oesophagus in breathing? Not long prospects for life?

3. Issues of courage? True story? Robin Cavendish, his family, Ted Hall? Dr Clement Aitken? (And Jonathan Cavendish, Robin’s son, as producer of the film?)

4. Robin Cavendish and his achievement, through his life, his choice for life, his suffering and health, moved towards quality of life, helping the disabled, encouraging improvements in technology for quality of life?

5. The introduction, Robin, the English gentleman, cricket, attracted to Diana, hitting the six over her head? The drive with her, the conversation, looking over the countryside? Her two brothers and their discussion with her about her choice? The strong stands? The wedding? Love – and Bing Crosby singing True Love?

6. Kenya, 1959? Colony, empire? Issues of race? The Mau Mau story? The prisoners, the leader giving permission for the rest to die and their doing so? Importation of Tea? Robin and his work, friends, society, socials, tennis with Colin? His fall? Swinging the hoop and his collapse? Diana and her pregnancy, having to cope?

7. The hospital, polio and the explanation how polio could be contracted? The difficulties in breathing, the ventilator, the pipe to the throat? Paralysis from the head down? Going to England, with Diana’s brothers, whispering “let me die�? The birth of his son, Diana laying the baby next to his cheek, his not looking?

8. The drama about his life, Diana and her complete love, urging him to live? The choice, the visits, the severe doctor and his views, the work of the staff in the hospital?

9. The decision to live, Robin able to communicate by words but only by gestures of mouth, eyes, and eyebrows? The visits, Diana faithful? The birth, bringing the baby, her naming him Jonathan?

10. His wanting to get out of the hospital, the plan, Diana going to the house, paying the cash, the renovations, setting up the house? The drama with touches of humour getting Robin out of the hospital? His five pound bet with his neighbour about getting out? The doctor and his severity? At home, the room, Diana in the bed next to Robin’s? Happiness, the ventilator? The dog and the accident with the switch? The realisation of dangers, Robin being saved? The device of having the bell by his head to attract notice?

11. His life over 30 years, the experience, the effect on him? On the family? And Jonathan? The importance of the variety of improvements and initiatives?

12. Ted Hall, his studies, engineering, his work, the chairs? Called to Spain, fixing up the chair?

13. The invention of the seat, the ventilator inside the seat? Robin demonstrating it? The ability to move out and around?

14. Going on the flight, going to Spain, Diana’s brother and the accident, their being stranded, 36 hours, the lift, the priest coming out, saying that and human suffering could bring people together for celebrating? The crowd turning up, the lights, the music and dancing?

15. The contrast between the priest’s words and the words of the hospital minister and his visitation, the more pious interpretation of suffering and Robin spitting at him?

16. The visit by Dr Aitken, his reputation, working with Robin? The plan to go to the philanthropist to raise the money, her rather severe manner, quick and concise, giving the money? Making the 10 chairs, the people coming out of the hospital, including the man who wagered the 5 pounds?

17. The visit Germany, the disabled in a kind of mausoleum, spotlessly clean, like tombs, heads out, mirrors to reflect reality? Robin and his reaction, the reaction of the doctor?

18. The conference, the speech, hope, the applause?

19. His decision about his death, after 30 years, the right time? The party and farewell to everyone? The twins, the brother singing, the other sad? Worked with Colin? The timing, Diana and Jonathan and their farewell, Dr Aitken and the administration of the drug?

20. The moral issues? Assisted dying? Contribution to the discussion?

21. Robin Cavendish’s achievement, his contributing to hope?