"Madame Butterfly" is a very good film based on an original 1900 stage drama by David Belasco, which he had adapted from an 1898 short story of the same title by John Luther Long. After he saw the play in London in 1900, Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote the opera that soon became known and performed around the world. This is a love story and tragedy, in which Paramount cast Sylvia Sidney as Cho-Cho San, aka, Madame Butterfly. The main male lead is Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Cary Grant. It was his 8th film in his first year in the movies, and already he had become a leading man.
This film is a wonderful exponent of the acting profession. The setting and story are in Japan, and most of the characters are Japanese. Yet, the entire cast consists of Caucasian Hollywood actors. So, the challenge of the dramatic arts here was to create scenery and roles that appear as closely as possible to be Japanese. And Hollywood had all the building trades, artists, costumers, advisors and specialists to do just that. But in 1932, Japanese actors were a rarity any place outside of Japan. So, the makeup artists went to work to transform the white actors and actresses into Japanese. And, the actors learned to speak their roles as native Japanese would when they learn to speak English through social exchange.
The result of all of this is a wonderful film with a cast who all look, sound and play their parts superbly as Japanese. Sylvia Sidney is especially endearing as Cho-Cho San. Cary Grant's Lt. Pinkerton starts off rather brash in a couple of places, but then mellows. Charles Ruggles plays the usual role of a buddy, friend, or comrade in arms that is often in films of military men, especially off duty. His Lt. Barton has been to Japan before, and takes Pinkerton under his wing to show him a good time. So, they go to Goro's Tea House, "where English is spoken," for a dinner and night of music, dancing and entertainment by geishas.
Cho-Cho San had just been acquired by Goro for training as a Geisha from her grandfather and mother. And, Goro was about to arrange a wedding for her after his best client sees her and asks about her. But, the young Pinkerton, who doesn't know proper procedures in such a place, leaves the room where he and Barton are being served dinner with a show. He discovers Cho-Cho San who tries to hide from him. Well, after the turmoil that this causes has ended, Pinkerton says that he will marry Cho-Cho San. That is after Barton tells him that marriages were not so binding in Japan, and that once he leaves Japan, Cho-Cho San would be considered divorced and able to marry again.
While the American fleet is in port in Tokyo, Pinkerton is at home evenings with his wife in the home he has acquired for them, They are very happy. There are some little incidents in between before the day comes when he leaves. Then, instead of telling her that he may never return, he lets her think that he will be back in the spring, when next the robin's nest. But back in the States, he marries his school hood sweetheart, Adelaide, after telling her about his Japanese marriage. Several months after Pinkerton leaves, Cho-Cho San gives birth to their son, whom she names Trouble, until his father can rename him. But, when three years pass, Cho-Cho San goes to the American consul to inquire about the nesting habits of robins in America. When Pinkerton is again assigned to a fleet that is based in Tokyo, his wife flies ahead to be their when he arrives. He asks her to go with him to explain to Cho-Cho San. And, just before that, Cho-Cho San had turned down her grandfather's demand that she return home with them to find another husband, since her husband had divorced her.
Cho-Cho San is excited to see Pinkerton, but then saddened when she sees Adelaide, who waited outside in their taxi. Cho-Cho San was going to surprise Pinkerton with their son, but now she doesn't signal maid, Suzuki, to bring to he boy out to meet his father. So, after Pinkerton leaves, she sends her son with Suzuki to her grandfather to bring him up in the ways of their Samurai tradition. She says she will follow. But, instead kneels by her small family shrine with Pinkerton's picture. She recalls the words of the American pledge in marriage, "until death do us part." She then stabs herself with a dagger and dies with her last words, "I love you always."
This is an excellent film with a sad ending. Those who have had a suicide in their family will see the sadness much deeper than most. The mother will miss the love and joy seeing her son grow. The son will miss knowing and loving his mother. And all of the family with miss the love and job between and among themselves.
Cho-Cho San's key line is early in the film. After Pinkerton kisses her she says, "Before kiss, I love you. Now I know I love for always."
One other thing struck me about this film. It has clips that show the sizable American naval force that was based for a time at Tokyo. Remember that this is 1932, a couple of decades after the Japanese culture was open to interrelationships with Western cultures. Neither the movie nor the story it was based on show any animosity toward Americans by the Japanese. Yet, less than eight years later, Japan would join Germany in the Axis of World War II, and the next year it would bomb Pearl Harbor and lead the U. S. to officially join the war. That was just nine years after this movie came out.
This film is a wonderful exponent of the acting profession. The setting and story are in Japan, and most of the characters are Japanese. Yet, the entire cast consists of Caucasian Hollywood actors. So, the challenge of the dramatic arts here was to create scenery and roles that appear as closely as possible to be Japanese. And Hollywood had all the building trades, artists, costumers, advisors and specialists to do just that. But in 1932, Japanese actors were a rarity any place outside of Japan. So, the makeup artists went to work to transform the white actors and actresses into Japanese. And, the actors learned to speak their roles as native Japanese would when they learn to speak English through social exchange.
The result of all of this is a wonderful film with a cast who all look, sound and play their parts superbly as Japanese. Sylvia Sidney is especially endearing as Cho-Cho San. Cary Grant's Lt. Pinkerton starts off rather brash in a couple of places, but then mellows. Charles Ruggles plays the usual role of a buddy, friend, or comrade in arms that is often in films of military men, especially off duty. His Lt. Barton has been to Japan before, and takes Pinkerton under his wing to show him a good time. So, they go to Goro's Tea House, "where English is spoken," for a dinner and night of music, dancing and entertainment by geishas.
Cho-Cho San had just been acquired by Goro for training as a Geisha from her grandfather and mother. And, Goro was about to arrange a wedding for her after his best client sees her and asks about her. But, the young Pinkerton, who doesn't know proper procedures in such a place, leaves the room where he and Barton are being served dinner with a show. He discovers Cho-Cho San who tries to hide from him. Well, after the turmoil that this causes has ended, Pinkerton says that he will marry Cho-Cho San. That is after Barton tells him that marriages were not so binding in Japan, and that once he leaves Japan, Cho-Cho San would be considered divorced and able to marry again.
While the American fleet is in port in Tokyo, Pinkerton is at home evenings with his wife in the home he has acquired for them, They are very happy. There are some little incidents in between before the day comes when he leaves. Then, instead of telling her that he may never return, he lets her think that he will be back in the spring, when next the robin's nest. But back in the States, he marries his school hood sweetheart, Adelaide, after telling her about his Japanese marriage. Several months after Pinkerton leaves, Cho-Cho San gives birth to their son, whom she names Trouble, until his father can rename him. But, when three years pass, Cho-Cho San goes to the American consul to inquire about the nesting habits of robins in America. When Pinkerton is again assigned to a fleet that is based in Tokyo, his wife flies ahead to be their when he arrives. He asks her to go with him to explain to Cho-Cho San. And, just before that, Cho-Cho San had turned down her grandfather's demand that she return home with them to find another husband, since her husband had divorced her.
Cho-Cho San is excited to see Pinkerton, but then saddened when she sees Adelaide, who waited outside in their taxi. Cho-Cho San was going to surprise Pinkerton with their son, but now she doesn't signal maid, Suzuki, to bring to he boy out to meet his father. So, after Pinkerton leaves, she sends her son with Suzuki to her grandfather to bring him up in the ways of their Samurai tradition. She says she will follow. But, instead kneels by her small family shrine with Pinkerton's picture. She recalls the words of the American pledge in marriage, "until death do us part." She then stabs herself with a dagger and dies with her last words, "I love you always."
This is an excellent film with a sad ending. Those who have had a suicide in their family will see the sadness much deeper than most. The mother will miss the love and joy seeing her son grow. The son will miss knowing and loving his mother. And all of the family with miss the love and job between and among themselves.
Cho-Cho San's key line is early in the film. After Pinkerton kisses her she says, "Before kiss, I love you. Now I know I love for always."
One other thing struck me about this film. It has clips that show the sizable American naval force that was based for a time at Tokyo. Remember that this is 1932, a couple of decades after the Japanese culture was open to interrelationships with Western cultures. Neither the movie nor the story it was based on show any animosity toward Americans by the Japanese. Yet, less than eight years later, Japan would join Germany in the Axis of World War II, and the next year it would bomb Pearl Harbor and lead the U. S. to officially join the war. That was just nine years after this movie came out.