M. Butterfly
BB
(out of 5)
Reunite brilliant auteur David Cronenberg with his Dead Ringers star Jeremy Irons and you should have another classic, but this time the story just doesn’t play out all that well. Based on factual events, it stars Irons as a British diplomat in China during the eighties who strikes up an affair with a Chinese opera singer (John Lone) who turns out to be both a spy and a man. Somewhere in all the espionage, deceit and performances of Madame Butterfly, however, a real relationship blossoms between these two oddly-paired individuals. The Crying Geisha Game it most certainly is not, and the ending is too arch to have much emotional impact.
USA, 1993
Directed by David Cronenberg
Screenplay by David Henry Hwang, based on his play
Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky
Produced by Gabriella Martinelli
Music by Howard Shore
Production Design by Carol Spier
Costume Design by Denise Cronenberg
Film Editing by Ronald Sanders
