MADAME BUTTERFLY
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *
Okay, admit it. You hate opera. You've known this fact since childhood and have never wavered in your opinion. Now, confess. You've actually never seen a real opera. Flipping the dial and having accidentally seen a few minutes on PBS doesn't count.
If this syllogism fits you, then I have just the movie for you. After watching the utterly lifeless MADAME BUTTERFLY, you will confidently be to proclaim that you were right all along. Opera is a musical hoax perpetrated by a bunch of rich intellectuals. As Mark Twain put it about one opera composer, "I am told that his music is better than it sounds."
Being a big opera buff, I can testify that opera is one of God's gifts to mankind, but as in all things, there are bad examples. French documentary director Frederic Mitterand's MADAME BUTTERFLY is devoid of energy and the singing quality is minimal. In the spirit of full disclosure, I should admit that "Madame Butterfly" is not one of my favorite of Puccini's operas, nevertheless, the production of it does not have to be this boring.
The story is set in Nagasaki, Japan in 1904, and it is a simple tale. American naval Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton (American singer Richard Troxell) purchases himself a Japanese wife called Butterfly (Chinese singer Ying Huang). The American consul named Sharpless (American singer Richard Cowan) warns Pinkerton that having a foreign wife has responsibilities. Pinkerton ignores this, and much of the film happens during the three years when he is away. Although he sends no money, Butterfly somehow manages to keep up her middle-class existence as evidenced in her clothes, servants, and housing. This is one of the many flaws in the staging.
The director pays little attention to the singing and music, and fixes his attention on the play. His actors try more to speak their lines than sing them. The singers he chose have modest voices with little resonance or interest. Huang's voice is quite undeveloped and shallow, and Troxell's voice is a little too high pitched and almost seems to squeak. Only Cowan has a voice that commands attention. The other singers in the cast are unmemorable.
Ah, the dialog. All operas are full of silly little lines, and this one is no exception. As Butterfly and her retinue slowly process up the hill for the wedding, they sing, "So much sun. So much sky. Look, we've reached the top. So many flowers." When her prospective bridegroom sees her, he remarks, "She's like a porcelain doll. She sets me on fire."
My biggest problem with the movie is the staging. The actors give frozen gestures, and their movements are leaden. If the singing was exceptional, you could probably ignore the staging, but it isn't. The singers in this film have minuscule acting ability so they bring little to their roles to compel the audience's attention. Troxell, for example, has exactly two expressions. In the first part of the show, he has a fake smile glued to his face, and in the last part, he looks like he is suffering from a chronic case of gas.
The only reason to bring an opera to the screen is to open it up, but here most scenes are in or about the house giving the picture a claustrophobic feeling. On an opera stage, you would expect this, but not in a movie.
As you probably all know, the story has a tragic ending. Here the actors' lack of ability mutes its effect, but the ending does breathe into the show its only semblance of life. I will say this about the film, there are a few classic arias that are pleasant to hear again even if they are not particularly well done.
On the good side, the cinematography by Philippe Welt and the sets by Michele Abbe-Vannier are full of warm browns. The interiors scenes are the best, and the wooden tones radiate with a peaceful glow. Exterior shots are less effective, but the ones of the morning haze are particularly lovely.
If you do go, make sure you go early or drink lots of coffee. This film is a great cure for insomnia. Being a critic, I forced myself to see it all, and since the press screening was in the morning after four cups of coffee, I was wide awake.
MADAME BUTTERFLY runs 2:09. It is in Italian with English subtitles. At the time of the press screening, it was not rated by the MPAA, but it is a G film for every reason except possibly for the theme which might get it a PG. There is no sex, nudity, or bad language. There is a little underdone and unrealistic violence at the end. The film would be fine for any kid old enough to be interested. I can not recommend this tepid attempt at turning an opera into a movie. I give the movie a single * for a few good arias.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: September 13, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews