M.Butterfly is a movie based on the play Madame Butterfly by Henry Hwang. The movie explores themes including gender, ethnicity, and politics which are still controversial in today’s society. A Frenchman, Rene Gallimard falls in love with a “female” opera singer and he fails to see this love in a light of reality and finds himself in a relationship with a man, in the end of the movie Gallimard kills himself.
In the movie, gender and ethnicity issues were found through the character of the “female” Chinese opera singer. In Chinese opera, the female roles were traditionally played by males, and “Butterfly” whom was male was able to pass as a female in such a way that fooled Renee for so long says that Asian men are feminine. When Rene found out his “Butterfly” was a man he didn’t love him the way he loved Rene. Today still a homosexual relationship is looked down upon by some parts of society.
Both in SSTLS and M. Butterfly gender roles are similar. The Asian woman is small and fragile and falls for an white male. The man is seen as the protector and provider while the women is at home. Gender roles may be the same but they are interpreted differently. In the movie, Song points out the when an Asian woman kills herself over her love for a white man Americans see it as beautiful and Chinese feel that this is degrading to their culture. Song asked if a blonde cheerleader killed herself over and Asian business man was still beautiful. It is sad but somewhat true.
I feel that its kind of strange how a book can be set in the future and the movie set in past but still have similar connections to the same themes. Maybe history does repeat itself?
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