M. Butterfly

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Playwright David Henry Hwang crafted his smash-hit stage play about love and illusion by mixing elements of a true story with echoes of Puccini's Madame Butterfly. When M. Butterfly came to the screen, certain aspects of its dramatic effect would have to be re-thought, a task given to David Cronenberg, still best known in 1993 as a director of brainy sci-fi and horror. Although the resulting film was widely considered a failure at the time, hindsight shows it to be a cool, controlled look at how various kinds of fictions infiltrate peoples' lives. The story takes off with a French diplomat, newly assigned to China in 1964, who falls hard for a performer in the Peking Opera; Cold War espionage enters the scene as well. Most viewers will not be surprised at the biggest twist in the tale, but that doesn't seem to have been Cronenberg's main interest in pursuing this story, and indeed the downplaying of the gimmicky possibilities actually increases the theme of a person (or a nation, given the political backdrop) willing himself to believe in things that are visibly not true. Hwang's script hits a little heavily on the critique of the Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing fantasy of the white man seducing the Asian woman, but the subtext of Sixties-era China and Vietnam certainly adds intrigue. Jeremy Irons is fine as the diplomat, a difficult and obtuse character, and John Lone is clipped and brittle in an equally complex role. A warm film it's not, and its themes are a little to skeletal to come to life. But better than its reputation? Absolutely. --Robert Horton

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Playwright David Henry Hwang crafted his smash-hit stage play about love and illusion by mixing elements of a true story with echoes of Puccini's Madame Butterfly. When M. Butterfly came to the screen, certain aspects of its dramatic effect would have to be re-thought, a task given to David Cronenberg, still best known in 1993 as a director of brainy sci-fi and horror. Although the resulting film was widely considered a failure at the time, hindsight shows it to be a cool, controlled look at how various kinds of fictions infiltrate peoples' lives. The story takes off with a French diplomat, newly assigned to China in 1964, who falls hard for a performer in the Peking Opera; Cold War espionage enters the scene as well. Most viewers will not be surprised at the biggest twist in the tale, but that doesn't seem to have been Cronenberg's main interest in pursuing this story, and indeed the downplaying of the gimmicky possibilities actually increases the theme of a person (or a nation, given the political backdrop) willing himself to believe in things that are visibly not true. Hwang's script hits a little heavily on the critique of the Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing fantasy of the white man seducing the Asian woman, but the subtext of Sixties-era China and Vietnam certainly adds intrigue. Jeremy Irons is fine as the diplomat, a difficult and obtuse character, and John Lone is clipped and brittle in an equally complex role. A warm film it's not, and its themes are a little to skeletal to come to life. But better than its reputation? Absolutely. --Robert Horton

M. Butterfly David Henry Hwang Study Guide, Lesson Plan & more ... Go deep into David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly eNotes study guide with book summary, notes, essays and analysis from educators and fellow students. Amazon.com: M. Butterfly: Jeremy Irons, John Lone, Barbara Sukowa ... Playwright David Henry Hwang crafted his smash-hit stage play about love and illusion by mixing elements of a true story with echoes of Puccini's Madame Butterfly ... M. Butterfly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia M. Butterfly is a 1988 play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer. M. Butterfly.: David Henry Hwang, David Henry Hwang: 9780822207122 ... "A brilliant play of ideas a visionary work that bridges the history and culture of two worlds." Frank Rich, New York Times "Audaciously imaginative big in ... M. Butterfly Summary - BookRags.com Homework Help, Book ... M. Butterfly Summary. Act 1, scenes 1-3. M. Butterfly opens in present-day Paris. Rene Gallimard is in a small prison cell. He describes his monotonous daily routine ... M. Butterfly - David Henry Hwang - Google Books THE STORY: Bored with his routine posting in Beijing, and awkward with women, Rene Gallimard, a French diplomat, is easy prey for the subtle, delicate charms of Song ... M. Butterfly (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia M. Butterfly is a 1993 romantic drama film directed by David Cronenberg. The screenplay was written by David Henry Hwang based on his play of the same name. Jeremy ... M. Butterfly (1993) - IMDb Director: David Cronenberg. Actors: Jeremy Irons: Ren Gallimard John Lone: Song Liling Barbara Sukowa: Jeanne Gallimard Ian Richardson: Ambassador Toulon ... M. Butterfly: Information from Answers.com Plot David Cronenberg's cinematic intensity eviscerates this adaptation of David Henry Hwang's passionate stage production. Based on a true incident involving a ... M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs ... M. Butterfly has 3,296 ratings and 141 reviews. Saxon said: French spy falls in love with a Chinese opera singer only to discover over twenty-years later...