“M. Butterfly” quotes
(1993)
David Paul Cronenberg
directed this movie
in 1993
Title M. Butterfly
Year 1993
Director David Cronenberg
Genre Drama, Romance
Year 1993
Director David Cronenberg
Genre Drama, Romance
Plot – Official at the French Embassy in Beijing in 1964, René Gallimard, watching "Madama Butterfly" grand opera in a theater, falls in love with the main interpreter, Song Liling, and becomes her lover. Song is a kind, modest and reserved woman with whom René perfects his Chinese culture and becomes vice-consul. Furthermore, the french official listens to Song's advices and opinions about Western's presence and policies in Beijing, now that Mao-Tse-Tung is close to absolute power. However, the man has actually fallen into an incredible trap: Song Liling is a man indeed and a Chinese secret services spy too. Their relationship lasts many years, but finally the "scandal" is acknowledged and René is discredited by his colleagues. Song - now unmasked - is sent to China and Gallimard, obsessed by her, is confined in prison. During a show in prison puts on some make up as a Chinese actress and quietly kills himself in front of the prisoners.
All actors – Jeremy Irons, John Lone, Barbara Sukowa, Ian Richardson, Annabel Leventon, Shizuko Hoshi, Richard McMillan, Vernon Dobtcheff, David Hemblen, Damir Andrei, Antony Parr, Margaret Ma
show all“M. Butterfly” Quotes 10 quotes
“The Oriental woman: when she's good, she's very very very good. But when she's bad, she's Christian!”
“- Song Liling: Under the robes, beneath everything, it was always me. Tell me you adore me.
- René Gallimard: How could you, who understood me so well, make such a mistake? You've shown me your true self, and what I love was the lie, perfect lie, that's been destroyed.”“- Song Liling: Now that we embark on the most forbidden of loves, I'm so afraid of my destiny.
- René Gallimard: There is no destiny, except the one we make for ourselves.”“- René Gallimard: You made me see the beauty of the story, of her death. It's pure sacrifice. He's not worthy of it, but what can she do? She loves him so much. It's very beautiful.
- Song Liling: Yes, to a Westerner.
- René Gallimard: I beg your pardon?
- Song Liling: It's one of your favorite fantasies, isn't it? The submissive Oriental woman...” (continue)(continue reading)“- Comrade Chin: Don't you understand how degrading those images are to women? And why do you have to behave this way when he is not even here?
- Song Liling: Comrade, in order to better serve the Great Proletarian State, I practice my deception as often as possible. I despise this costume, yet for the sake of our Great Helmsman, I will endure it...” (continue)(continue reading)“The days I spent with you were the only days I ever truly existed.”
“- Song Liling: You never really loved me.
- René Gallimard: I'm a man who loved a woman created by a man. Anything else simply falls short.”
Highlights
