MADAME BUTTERFLY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
France, 1995 U.S. Release Date: beginning 5/23/96 (limited) Running Length: 2:14 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Ying Huang, Richard Troxell, Ning Liang, Richard Cowan, Jing-Ma Fan Director: Frederic Mitterrand Producers: Daniel Toscan du Plantier and Pierre-Olivier Bardet Written by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luiji Illica Cinematography: Philippe Welt Music: Giacomo Puccini U.S. Distributor: Arrow Releasing In Italian with subtitles
You want multi-national? How's this: a Chinese actress playing a Japanese girl in a French film based on an Italian opera? At first glance, it might seem odd, but, as brought to the screen by first time feature director Frederic Mitterrand, this adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's classic MADAME BUTTERFLY is electric.
Film and theater occasionally mesh well; the same is rarely true of film and opera. Exceptions like Ingmar Bergman's THE MAGIC FLUTE are rare. The grand, overstated gestures of the operatic stage do not translate well to the cinema, and even the best sound systems cannot reproduce the transcendent fidelity of a live performance. For the most part, therefore, motion picture versions of operas are doomed to exist primarily as pale, two-dimensional shadows of a more vibrant medium.
For his 1995 version of Puccini's MADAME BUTTERFLY, Mitterrand (a documentary film maker and the nephew of the late French President) chose not to film a live performance or craft a set-bound, stagy motion picture. Instead, he took his cast and crew on location (although the soundtrack was previously recorded), giving this rendition of the opera a decidedly cinematic quality. There's a lot of camera movement, and cinematographer Philippe Welt was given the opportunity to compose a variety of complex shots and make frequent use of close-ups. Because the lens catches each nuance of every performance, acting is as much a requirement as strong, clear singing. From a technical standpoint, Mitterrand's approach to MADAME BUTTERFLY is unique, and it reaps dramatic dividends.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Puccini's opera tells of a self-absorbed American naval officer named Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton (Richard Troxell) who buys a 15-year old geisha, Cio-Cio-San (a.k.a. "Butterfly", played by Ying Huang), to be his "Japanese wife." From the beginning, Pinkerton has no intention of staying with Butterfly -- he is using her as temporary amusement, a bit of comfort in a foreign port. Despite being enchanted by her quiet, fragile beauty, he has no difficulty abandoning her at the first opportunity. Yet, even after Pinkerton has been gone for three years, Butterfly awaits his return, confident that he loves her as much as she loves him.
MADAME BUTTERFLY takes place in 1904 Japan, just outside of Nagasaki, and, in addition to being a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, it also illustrates a common international perception of American imperialist attitudes. Pinkerton isn't just a good-looking, dislikable cad who abandons a young, innocent girl -- he's a personification of his entire nation, and, by extension, Butterfly represents the countries that the United States ruthlessly plundered and left behind. Using archival footage of the time, Mitterrand brings home the film's historical perspective far better than a live version ever could.
I'm not an opera buff or a voice critic, but it seems that Richard Troxell's vocal performance is somewhat weak, especially in comparison with that of Shanghai Conservatory soprano Ying Huang, whose arias are clear and vibrant. Acting-wise, both leads are solid. The likes of Ning Liang (as Butterfly's maid, Suzuki), Richard Cowan (as the American consul, Sharpless), and Jing-Ma Fan (as Goro, the oily marriage broker responsible for Butterfly and Pinkerton's union) do justice to the supporting roles.
For the most part, operas, like musicals, improve with familiarity. It's difficult to guess how Puccini die-hards will react to some of Mitterrand's creative choices, but the result is a cinematic success -- powerful, passionate, and memorable. It's a daring way for the director to present MADAME BUTTERFLY, and I applaud his decision to try something different than a traditional, formal version. I have little doubt that my appreciation will increase with successive viewings.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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