En el tiempo de las mariposas

So many things to say about this amazing movie. This has to be one of the saddest movies i have ever watched and the really sad part about it is that this is all true, Rafael Trujillo really existed and he really did most of the things shown in the movie. I think that this movie really brings out how it must have been when he ruled, his power, his fortune and the peoples attitude towards his rule. I would liked to have seen a little more of how badly he treated black people as I myself am a black person. I Think the role of Rafael Trujillo was portrayed well by the actor who played his role, actually I think he brought him out a little too well. After the movie I was left wondering if he was that inhumane.

This story about the Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for resisting tyranny is a remarkable film. The acting, directing and writing excellent.

Importantly, the cast was not Anglicized. Unlike, say, The Mask of Zorro, which is set in Spain but has Antonio Banderas as the only Hispanic actor in a lead role, this film opts for authenticity from top to bottom. Which serves a sign of respect for the powerful, compelling drama that is rendered.

In case you've never heard of Rafael Trujillo, he seized power in the Dominican Republic in a 1930 coup, and ruled the country through terror, torture, and assassination over the next thirty years. "In the Time of the Butterflies" portrays the Mirabal sisters, who sought to overthrow him. The movie did a worthy job looking at their lives, although it could have gone into life under Trujillo's regime a little more. Salma Hayek plays Minerva Mirabal and Edward James Olmos plays Trujillo.

Another interesting thing about Trujillo was that, although the US gladly propped him up for so many years, the CIA ended up assassinating him. You see, Trujillo had - like Manuel Noriega and Saddam Hussein - been using his position to enrich himself rather than the US. So, the CIA assassinated him in 1961. For further information, read "The CIA's Greatest Hits" by Mark Zepezauer.

This is a very good and in my opinion underrated movie.

Edward James Olmos at his best as he portrays the evil Trujillo a man who like Hitler became more evil as he got more power. He was a sexual sadist with a preference for young Mulatto girls which is how we get to the story in this movie.

The movie follows mainly Salma Hayek's character and her naivety until she realizes what Trujillo is really like.

The Mirabal sisters' assassination at the very end is sad but at least we are not shown the gory details.

One of Salma Hayeks best movies and I wish she did more like this instead of movies that exploited her looks and body. She is a very intelligent women and a good actress as this and the film Frida shows her to be.

Three sisters fight the evil Trujillo in this well-mounted mini-epic. Great acting somewhat marred by predictable dialogue, but the story works anyway. The women are gorgeous and sincere. James Olmos plays the three-dimensional lusty Trujillo. Good location photography in Mexico. Could have used more explanation of the politics.