The Dream of Butterfly (1939) User Reviews

Powerful, musical melodrama

[benoit-3 · 10/10 · 8 January 2006]

I saw this powerful melodrama on Quebec television, in French ("Songe de Butterfly"), in the fifties. It tells the story of an opera singer whose life circumstances parallel the plot of the Puccini opera "Madama Butterfly" until the fateful night she performs this opera one last time in the title role. It was my introduction to opera. I find it hard to believe this film is from 1939. It felt much more contemporary and modern when I watched it. The director went on to direct many, many grand spectacles, including many filmed operas. This director, although forgotten today, must have been, for obvious reasons, one of Italy's favourite sons and his films must have been extremely popular and influential at the time in the whole of Europe.