Madame Butterfly (1995 film)

Madame Butterfly is a 1995 musical film written and directed by Frédéric Mitterrand and produced by Daniel Toscan du Plantier and Pierre-Olivier Bardet.[1] It is based on the opera Madama Butterfly with music by Giacomo Puccini and libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Soprano Ying Huang, tenor Richard Troxell, mezzo-soprano Ning Liang, and bass-baritone Richard Cowan star in the film, in addition to singing their roles. The score was adapted, arranged, and conducted by James Conlon.

Madame Butterfly
Directed byFrédéric Mitterrand
Written byFrédéric Mitterrand
Libretto:
Luigi Illica
Giuseppe Giacosa
Based onMadama Butterfly
by Giacomo Puccini
Luigi Illica
Giuseppe Giacosa
Produced byDaniel Toscan du Plantier
Pierre-Olivier Bardet
StarringYing Huang
Richard Troxell
CinematographyPhilippe Welt
Edited byLuc Barnier
Music byGiacomo Puccini
Production
companies
Distributed byLes Films du Losange (France)
Blue Dolphin Films (UK)
Sony Pictures Classics (US)
Release dates
  • 22 November 1995 (1995-11-22) (France)
  • 23 May 1996 (1996-05-23) (U.S.)
  • 20 June 1997 (1997-06-20) (UK)
Running time
105 minutes
CountriesFrance
United Kingdom
Germany
LanguageItalian

The film was an international co-production, with the involvement of France 3, Canal+, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Sianel Pedwar Cymru, France Telecom, and Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée.

The film was released by Les Films du Losange in France on 22 November 1995 and by Sony Pictures Classics in the United States on 23 May 1996. It received positive reviews,[2][3][4][5] and won the César Award for Best Production Design.[6]

Plot

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See: Madama Butterfly plot synopsis

Cast

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Role Voice type Actor
Cio-Cio-san soprano Ying Huang
Lt. Benjamin F. Pinkerton tenor Richard Troxell
Suzuki mezzo-soprano Ning Liang
Sharpless baritone Richard Cowan
Goro tenor Jingma Fan
Prince Yamadori tenor Christopheren Nòmura
Kate Pinkerton mezzo-soprano Constance Hauman
Uncle Bonze bass Yo Kusakabe (dubbed by Edmund-Zelotes Tolliver)
Uncle Yakuside bass Kamel Touati (dubbed by Richard Tronc)
Cio-Cio's father silent Yoshi Oida
Cio-Cio's mother mezzo-soprano Thérèse Nguyen Ba Hau (dubbed by Laurence Monteyrol)
Dolore, Cio-Cio's child silent Miki-Lou Pinard
The Imperial Commissioner bass Qing Wu
The Official Registrar bass Nabil Agoun
The Aunt soprano Midori Mornet (dubbed by Asaya Otsuka)
The Cousin soprano Wen-Juan Zhao (dubbed by Catherine Napoli)

References

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  1. ^ "Madame Butterfly (1995)". BFI. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  2. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Madame Butterfly movie review (1996)". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  3. ^ "Pamina's Opera House » DVD Review: Madame Butterfly (1995, Mitterrand film)". Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  4. ^ O'Shea, Stephen (1996-01-08). "Madame Butterfly". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  5. ^ Holden, Stephen (1996-05-03). "Film Review;Love Is Blind as Ever, But the Music Is Nice". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
  6. ^ Madame Butterfly, retrieved 2019-12-04