Butterfly (UK DVD title
Butterfly's Tongue) is the English language DVD release title for
(Spanish
The Tongue of the Butterflies), a 1999 Spanish film directed by
José Luis CuerdaJosé Luis Cuerda is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.He has produced three films of Alejandro Amenábar .-Filmography as Film Director:* 1982 - Pares y nones...
. The film was also titled, in various places, as the
Butterfly's Tongue and
Butterfly Tongues. The film centers on Moncho (Manuel Lozano) and his coming-of-age experience in Galicia in 1936. Moncho develops a close relationship with his teacher Don Gregorio (
Fernando Fernán GómezFernando Fernán Gómez was a Spanish actor and director. He was born in Lima, Peru as his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was making a tour of Latin America. Inheriting his surname as a stage name, he moved to Spain in 1924.After the Spanish Civil War he began a study of Law but...
) who introduces the boy to different things in the world. While the story centers on Moncho's ordinary coming-of-age experiences, tensions related to the looming
Spanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña...
periodically interrupt Moncho's personal growth and daily life.
The film is adapted from 3 short stories from the book "" by Galician author
Manuel RivasManuel Rivas is a Galician writer, poet and journalist. He began his career in some Spanish newspapers like El Ideal Gallego, La Voz de Galicia, El Pais, and was the sub-editor of Diario 16 in Galicia...
. The short stories are "", "", and "Carmiña".
The film received some critical acclaim. It was nominated for the 2000 Goya Award for "Best Picture" and it won the Goya Award for "Best Adapted Screenplay."
Butterfly also has a 95% rating on RottenTomatoes.com.
Cast
- Fernando Fernán Gómez
Fernando Fernán Gómez was a Spanish actor and director. He was born in Lima, Peru as his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was making a tour of Latin America. Inheriting his surname as a stage name, he moved to Spain in 1924.After the Spanish Civil War he began a study of Law but...
as Don Gregorio
- Manuel Lozano as Moncho
- Elena Fernandez
Elena Fernández is a Spanish actress.Elena is best known for her roles in films , directed by Gonzalo Suarez and distributed by Pedro Almodovar, and the award-winning La lengua de las mariposas, distributed internationally as Butterfly's Tongue or Butterfly.Elena is also widely recognized from...
as Carmiña
- Uxia Blanco as Rosa
- Gonzalo Martín Uriarte as Ramón
- Alexis de los Santos as Andrés
Plot
In a
GalicianGalician can refer to:* Galician language, of Galicia * Galician people, an ethnic group of Galicia, Spain* Galician wine, wine produced in Galicia, Spain- See also :* Galicia * Music of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias...
town, a young boy, Moncho, goes to school for the first time and is taught by Don Gregorio about life and literature.
When fascists take control of the town, they round up known Republicans, including Don Gregorio. Moncho's father is also a Republican, and his family fears that he too will be taken away in the purge if the fascists discover his political leanings. In order to protect themselves, the family goes to the town square to jeer the captured Republicans as they are paraded out of the court house and boarded onto a truck. The film ends with Moncho, despite his continued great affection for his friend and teacher, yelling hateful things and throwing rocks at Don Gregorio and the other Republicans as the truck carries them away, though the last thing Moncho yells are the words for the tongue of a butterfly,
espiritrompa (in Spanish), a favorite word taught to him by Don Gregorio, presumably in an attempt to let his dear friend know that he does not truly mean the words he is yelling.