Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- theatrical
- restrained
- arthouse film night
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the adaptation restrained but dramatically flattened, with uneven performances and implausible late developments weakening its treatment of the provocative stage material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
René Gallimard's relationship with Song Liling unfolds amid diplomatic work, espionage, and revolutionary China.
Gallimard maintains his belief in Song's feminine identity despite circumstances that repeatedly challenge it.
Song is a Beijing Opera singer whose stagecraft and intimate performance shape the film's central deception.
The story is situated during China's Cultural Revolution, where diplomacy and surveillance surround the lovers.
Films like M. Butterfly, and why
The Last Emperor
historical romance shaped by secrecy, betrayal, and cross-cultural misunderstanding
The Crying Game
lgbtq+ drama examining concealed identity, social performance, and tragic intimacy
Dangerous Liaisons
period romance centered on forbidden desire, deception, and emotional self-delusion
The Lives of Others
stylized historical drama about espionage, identity, and psychologically destructive attachment
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 1993-10-01
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (253)
Cast
- Jeremy Irons
- John Lone
- Barbara Sukowa
- Annabel Leventon
- Shizuko Hoshi
- Ian Richardson
- Richard McMillan
- Vernon Dobtcheff
- David Hemblen
- Damir Andrei
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is M. Butterfly about?
- A French diplomat's consuming affair with a Beijing Opera singer becomes a tragic collision of espionage, theatrical identity, and romantic illusion.
- What is M. Butterfly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of M. Butterfly as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is M. Butterfly violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in M. Butterfly as mild.
- What did critics think of M. Butterfly?
- Critics generally found the adaptation restrained but dramatically flattened, with uneven performances and implausible late developments weakening its treatment of the provocative stage material.
- Which films are like M. Butterfly?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Emperor, The Crying Game, Dangerous Liaisons, and The Lives of Others.
- How long is M. Butterfly?
- M. Butterfly runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch M. Butterfly?
- In United States, M. Butterfly is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
