La Langue des papillons

Adapted by screenwriter Rafael Azcona from three stories in Manuel Rivas novel "Que Me Quieres, Amor", Butterfly is a rare and insightful coming-of-age story that takes place in a rural part of northern Spain during the Second Republic when Spain had a brief flirtation with socialism and democracy. Against a background of the growing clouds of the Spanish Civil War, the film depicts the relationship between asthmatic 7-year old Moncho (Manuel Lozano) and his liberal schoolteacher played by the great Spanish actor Fernando Fernan Gomez (All About my Mother, The Grandfather).

Butterfly does not directly involve politics (at least until the end) but tells its story through snapshots of young Moncho, In the beginning, he is a quiet, shy boy who is afraid go to school because he thinks his teacher, Don Gregorio, will hit him. Gregorio, however, is a kind spirit who teaches his students to appreciate poetry, the beauty of nature, and the spirit of loving one another. Moncho grows from a frightened child to an enthusiastic young boy who is eager to learn all that he can about life. He divides his time between following his older brother's exploits playing the saxophone in a local band and chasing butterflies with his teacher friend. The butterfly here seems to be a symbol both of freedom and transformation.

I felt very involved with this young boy's world and found Lozano to be one of the most beguiling child actors that I have seen in a long time. His performance alone saves the film from Miramax-type sentimentality (which it occasionally drifts towards). Gomez is also wonderful as the compassionate teacher, symbolizing the humanitarian government that Spain enjoyed before the onset of fascism.

Eventually, Moncho must choose between his love for the teacher who opened his eyes to the beauty and wonder of the natural world and the ugly pressures of his family and neighbors to take sides in the political conflict. With the ending as shocking and memorable as Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Butterfly powerfully illuminates the human cost of war.

A European import teaches us how simple and beautiful film can be. `Butterfly' or `Butterfly Tongues' (in some US markets) tells the delightful story of Moncho, a young boy's coming of age as his world opens up through the eyes of his beloved teacher, Don Gregorio. As the teacher brings the boy into the fascinating world of butterflies, the boy begins to emerge from his cocoon. But looming on the horizon is the surgence of a fascist regime that threatens to unravel their innocent world.

In the summer of 1936, which is when the films takes place, the whole of Spain was intertwined in the struggle between the Mussolini inspired Nationalist Party and the Republicans. But as the rest of Europe was being over run by a couple different fascist regimes, Spain was trying desperately to prevent that outcome. The film `Butterfly' brings in these elements and lets these two main characters deal with the impending doom and the heart-breaking aftermath. The film also beautifully depicts these simple folks who are desperately trying to find their way in the world. From one side you have the teacher who is just trying to bring peace to his students and their world. And on the other a young boy trying to understand the gigantic world around him. The teachings of the butterflies are a metaphor for the change coming in Spain and in both of their lives. This metaphor rings cleverly through each character in the film which does beg the question did the teacher know about the coming conflict and was trying to say something subtly. After watching this film, I learned the character of Don Gregorio was played by a legendary Spanish actor named Fernando Fernan Gomez. I could see even before I knew who he was that this man is amazing. I haven't seen this kind of subtle grace since Sir John Gielgud. I wish I had a teacher like him in my life. (4 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer. (Now Playing)

Among recent Spanish films - and I refer to the last twenty five years -there has been some tendency towards an intimistic approach which rather limits deeper comprehension and the ability to grasp essential concepts for non-Spanish audiences, whether the film is dubbed or subtitled into English or not, or even for Spanish speaking people in Latin America. This causes certain difficulties, similar to what happens when European or North American audiences try to comprehend Chinese or Japanese films requiring knowledge of their history, culture, mores and values. This has certainly been the case with `Las Ratas' (1998) directed by Giménez Rico, and to some degree with other Spanish masterpieces such as `El Sur' (1982), `Los Santos Innocentes' (1984), and to a lesser extent with `El Abuelo' (1999) - reviewed elsewhere in IMDb. Perhaps for general audiences `La Plaza del Diamante' (1981, Francisco Beltrú), `Últimas Tardes con Teresa' (1983, Gonzalo Herralde), and `Las Bicicletas son para el Verano' (1983, Jaime Chávarri) are rather more accessible, but even so many nuances might be lost. This may well happen to many audiences watching the film known as `Butterfly' in English. The story is set in the north western region of Galicia during the winter and spring preceeding the outbreak of the Civil War, and told through the eyes of a little boy - Moncho (Manuel Lozano) - a tailor's son and younger brother of a would-be saxophonist. The film is a point-counterpoint on the values of friendship, loyalty and other feelings so common to ordinary townspeople living their easy and uncomplicated village lives, values which just break down under fear. You have to understand certain principles of Spanish behaviour veering from foolhardy courageousness to outright cowardice, from close friendship to open hostility, superbly summed up in the close-up final shot of Moncho's face, half angry and embittered, half bewildered and confused, as the lorry drives away. Fernando Fernán-Gómez is masterful as the lonely schoolteacher and Manuel Lozano as Moncho is definitely something very special. Watch out for Fernán-Gómez directing Manuel Lozano in `Lázaro de Tormes' (based on an anonymous medieval tale) and José Luis Garci directing him in `You're The One" (both 2000). `La Lengua de las Mariposas' is also highly recommendable for its beautiful photography in the lushly wooded green hills and valleys around Allariz and the River Arnoia in Ourense, one of the four provinces of Galicia. Worth 8 out of 10.

I give this movie 10 points and even Woody Allen said he liked it. It's a very touching story about a child and his teacher in the period previous to the Spanish civil war. The movie is based on a novel , the screenplay is almost perfect .The performances , specially but one of the best Spanish actors ever Fernando Fernan Gomez as the teacher is amazing and one you will remember for a long long time and the child Manuel Lozano is at the same quality level of performance . I have seen this movie only once and I still remembered it now. José Luis Cuerda , the director , do a very good job and Alejandro Amenabar wrote the soundtrack.The characters are so well constructed you will identify with them. I recommend this movie . Don't miss it .

In this film, we see Spain lurching toward the brink of the Spanish Civil War through the huge uncomprehending eyes of the child Moncho. The metaphor for "Butterfly" has many complex applications in this film but for me the most profound of them was the moment that Moncho's saintly teacher captures a butterfly in a net, tenderly observes it and then sets it free. If only the future of Spain had been in such sensitive hands. As the film progresses through its beautifully photographed scenes of ordinary life, the reality of the evils of Fascism and the hope of the Republicans begin to chasm the serenity of the land.

The film is not about war, it is rather, about how much personal honor people will trade for an idea of security for themselves and their families. In a way, it parallels the dilemma in the scene in Eisenstein's STRIKE in which a woman with starving children is thrown a coin by one of the factory bosses. Wonderfully executed performances in a profoundly moving film. -Rowena Silver