Butterfly

Butterfly is, plot-wise, a simple coming out narrative. Flavia is a teacher, wife and mother. She is also a closeted lesbian. Through flashbacks, we learn of a relationship Flavia had when she was a student with a girl named Jin. The relationship was passionate, loving and freeing for Flavia. However, it ended badly and Jin became a nun. This negative experience caused Flavia to retreat into the closet. There she remained until the present day when she meets Yip. Yip is a singer and free spirit who awakens feelings in Flavia. The two women embark on a relationship. This relationship acts as a catalyst for Flavia to finally live and speak her truth to herself and those around her.

More than a simple coming out narrative, the film is overtly political. Butterfly goes beyond Flavia being gay and beyond speaking about how homosexual oppression. Tiannamen Square is an event that occurs during the flashbacks. The film shows protests and powerful speeches from people of all walks of life. Flavia herself is active in such protests. This is a stark contrast to the present day Flavia who is not politically outspoken. She even refuses to help two of her students who are at risk for being discovered as being gay. One of many themes in Butterfly is how exhausting it can be to be political over time. For Flavia and other LGBTQ* people, their very existence is political and thus exhausting.

Sometimes I see bad takes on the internet about how it is easier to be a lesbian than a gay man. The belief is that the negative response to lesbianism is less overt violence and more denial and silencing. And I will never engage in debates comparing levels of oppression because that’s a waste of time. What Butterfly shows is how the attitude of silencing and invisibilizing queer and especially queer female identities can feel hopeless. The sense of isolation can be palpable. The film depicts Flavia as trapped or at least limited in her entire life. There is a sense of invisibility or futility to Flavia’s life that comes from her not being accepted or even represented.

Yet there’s also a sense of tragic hope to Butterfly. Despite the oppressive place Flavia lives, others like her exist. Butterfly beautifully depicts the joy and relief to finding another outcast like yourself in a society that marginalizes you. In scenes with Flavia and either Jin or Yip, there’s a sense of freedom and hope in the darkness. In Flavia’s life, the light only comes in when she’s with someone with whom she can be truly herself. Butterfly depicts the tragedy and sense of hope that comes from living in an oppressive society but finding another outcast to connect to.

Butterfly’s use of cinematography to set a mood is masterful. The scenes of Flavia’s day-to-day life are cold, grey and unwelcoming. By contrast, her memories of Jin are light, airy and have a soft filter. This gives the scenes a sense of idealized nostalgia that can only exist for memories long since past. In the present, when Yip becomes more of a part of Flavia’s life, there is more colour and light. Her world literally becomes more vibrant when she has someone who makes her feel hope.

Butterfly is a simple, gorgeous and effective drama. It is not only a heart-wrenching depiction of what it is like to be gay in Hong Kong but has universal truths about being gay regardless of country. Butterfly is overall, a beautiful and powerful film about love, oppression and coming out.

Overall rating: 8.3/10

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