M Butterfly- Page 2

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:32am

There's a Song in his heart.

Changed it now, Mrs Picky!!!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:40am

KJisgroovy: I fail to see how MB is about the benefits of imperialism and the inferiority of Asian culture to Western culture. You're not supposed to agree with Pinkerton or even like him. Sharpless even takes Cio-cio-san's side over Pinkerton's. And Cio-cio-san's downfall is that she sided with a white man and abandoned her own culture. It's actually a critique of imperialism.

Now, I will agree that the opera is definitely stereotyped.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:51am

"It's actually a critique of imperialism"

It's a critique on a weak culture that falls to a stronger culture.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 12:10pm

No, it's a critique on a culture ravaging another without any thought or concern for the harm it will do. Cio-cio-san is a victim of imperialism.

It's based on a story that was very anti-imperialist.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 12:34pm

Right.
That's the point.

Cio-Cio-San is a poor, pathetic, submissive victim, who rather than extracting revenge or you know, moving on... kills herself.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 1:59pm

That's a very common theme with operas in general, though.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 2:14pm

Absolutely!

I don't think Puccini was a bad person... or whatever... he was reflecting ideas and additudes of his time(maybe even a bit before his time)... and working within the conventions of his art... I think Madame Butterfly is a wonderful and moving work of art... but... like The Merchant of Venice... presents some problems if you really look at the subtext of certain representations.

kmc

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 3:55pm

That's fair; I can definitely agree with that.

The music is definitely the opera's saving grace. I don't like the story that much, if at all.