The great Spanish film Butterfly (2000) portrays a period in the history of Spain that occupies a place in the psyche of the Spanish people similar to that occupied by Camelot for the British. While most Americans know little about this period of Spanish history, it continues to stimulate the imagination of writers and film-makers throughout Spain. This was the period of the short-lived Spanish Republic that briefly flourished between the end of the monarchy and the Spanish Civil War. When the dictator General Miguel Primo de Rivera was forced from power in 1930, a remarkable political movement in support of a republican form of government sprung up among liberals, socialists, and others opposed to the monarchy. Early in 1931, King Alfonso XIII called for a series of elections that were to begin with city elections, followed by provincial elections, and culminating in a general parliamentary election. The vote in the first phase of elections, in the cities, was overwhelming in favor of the republican candidates. Alfonso read the hand-writing on the wall and left Spain, although not relinquishing his claim on the throne. Republican leaders took control of Spain, conducted elections in June of 1931, and won a sizeable majority of seats in the new Cortes, or Spanish parliament. A new constitution was quickly written and approved before the end of the year. Nevertheless, resistance to the new republican government continued to foment.

Neither the left nor the right sides of the political spectrum in Spain were unified. The left consisted of a loose coalition of liberal, democratic socialists, and anarchists, as well as communists supported by the Soviet Union vying for control. The right consisted of monarchists, fascists, and conservatives who supported the Roman Catholic Church (which was watching its power diminish under the new republic). The conservatives gained control of the government by an election in 1933. Late in 1934, the socialists and Catalan nationalists revolted against the conservative government. Sporadic violence then continued until 1936, when President Alcalá formally dissolved the Cortes in February 1936, calling for new elections. The election was narrowly won by a new coalition of leftist groups called the Popular Front. The balance of popular support for the left and the right was so precarious at this point, that neither could prevail. Street fighting ensued and opponents were regularly taken from their homes and assassinated. As the chaos escalated, the Spanish army declared themselves in revolt in July, 1936 against the republic. The Spanish Civil War was underway. The rebels appointed General Francisco Franco as their commander and he was backed politically by Spain’s fascist party. The film Butterfly is set in the winter of 1936, in the Spanish village of Galacia, in the advance shadow of the Civil War, while the outcome remained in doubt. It was a time when freedom flickered for one brief shining moment! (Now sing the theme from Camelot!)

Butterfly is the story of a relationship between a seven-year-old boy, Moncho (Manuel Lozano), and his school teacher, Don Gregorio (Fernando Fernan Gomez). As the film opens, Moncho is terrified at the idea of starting school, especially after he asks his older brother, “Did they hit you at school?”, and gets the reply, “Of course they did.” Nevertheless, the next morning Moncho’s protective mother drops him off at school, introducing him to the school master, Don Gregorio, saying, “He’s a sparrow out of the nest for the first time.” This leads immediately to Moncho being nicknamed “Sparrow” by the other children and Don Gregorio. Moncho has asthma and carries an inhaler to class in the event of an attack. When he is called up to the front of the class, he wets his pants. Humiliated by the laughter of the children, he runs out and makes for the woods. It takes a search party and his brother’s knowledge of Moncho’s special places to recover him. When Don Gregorio visits the family the next day to apologize and to encourage Moncho’s return to school, Moncho’s father, Ramón jokes, “His plan was to get a ship to America.” Don Gregorio assures Moncho that he never hits, least of all children.

Don Gregorio recognizes Moncho’s special aptitude and sensitivity. Moncho already knows how to read and exhibits unusual awareness and interest in every new detail of knowledge. He facilitates Moncho’s acceptance by the other children and seats him next to Roque, who becomes Moncho’s best friend. Moncho is inspired by the gentleness and wisdom of Don Gregorio and a special bond begins to form between the two. Moncho is impressed when Don Gregorio conscientiously refuses a bribe of a pair of capons from a wealthy landowner to give his lazy son special attention.

The benefits of the relationship cut both ways. Don Gregorio finds a rapt pupil eager to learn while Moncho learns valuable lessons in life. Don Gregorio teaches him about literature and poetry and gives Moncho a copy of “Treasure Island” to read. Moncho’s class takes a fieldtrip with Don Gregorio to learn about nature. Don Gregorio teaches them how the tongue (or proboscis) of a butterfly is wound up like a watch spring, and that a strange insect, called Tilonorrinco, gives an orchid to its mate.

Moncho takes an unsupervised fieldtrip as well, with his friend Roque, to learn about the other kind of “birds and bees.” They overhear a young man of the village at the “Farmacia” talking about his insatiable girl friend, Carmiña: “She has no shame at all in bed. As soon as I show up she brightens up.” Only problem, it seems, is that Carmiña has a dog named Tarzán who is given to jealously protective behavior. “As soon as I drop my pants, I feel his gnawing teeth in me.” Moncho and Roque follow the young man to his rendezvous with the libidinous Carmiña. Sure enough, as soon as the young man is situated where he wants to be, Tarzán is biting him from behind on the thigh or close to it! When he tosses the dog out of the shed, Carmiña immediately loses interest. Apparently, she needed Tarzán’s excitement to really get her going. The young man stomps off frustrated and angry but returns later in the movie to spear the poor dog to death, to Carmiña’s great anguish. Later, in a bit of subplot, we and Moncho learn that Carmiña is, in fact, the illegitimate daughter of Moncho’s father.

Don Gregorio is well respected in the village. He is educated, an atheist, and supports the republic. He says, “Freedom stimulates the spirit of strong men.” The priest complains, however, that starting school has taken away Moncho’s desire to be an altar boy. Even though an atheist, Don Gregorio is at great pains not to contradict directly what Moncho has learned about religion from his mother. When Moncho asks his mentor, “When people die do they die or do they not die?”, Don Gregorio adopts a Socratic approach: “What do your folks say?” “What do you think?” Only after Moncho indicates that he is afraid does Don Gregorio offer, “Can you keep a secret? Between you and me, an other worldly hell does not exist. Hate and cruelty – that’s hell.” This hints at what is to come.

During a school nature trip, Moncho suffers an attack of asthma, but doesn’t have his inhaler with him. The quick-thinking Don Gregorio picks him up and dunks him in the cold brook, alleviating his attack. This event serves to ingratiate Don Gregorio even more with Moncho’s parents. Moncho’s family consists of his parents and a brother, Andrés. In is a warm family. His mother and father clearly love one another. There is a lovely scene where they dance together at the town carnival. The mother and father do not see eye to eye on politics or religion, but are each tolerant of those differences. Moncho’s father, Ramón, supports the Republic and is a card-carrying member of Manuel Azaña’s party. He is not particularly religious. His wife is a devout Catholic. Her only focus politically is her desire to hedge the family’s bets so as to ensure survival whichever side comes out on top in the current crisis. Ramón, who is a tailor, decides that he wants to make a suit for Don Gregorio out of gratitude and respect for him as their son’s teacher. His wife says delightedly, “He’s such a good person; I’m glad you’re making a suit for him.” When Moncho later delivers the well-tailored suit, Don Gregorio gives him a butterfly net in exchange. Spotting a picture of a young woman on Don Gregorio’s mantle, Moncho is told that this was Don Gregorio’s wife, but that she died when she was just twenty-two. Quoting a poem, Don Gregorio says wistfully, “An abandoned bed, a cloudy mirror, and an empty heart.” “In other words, I’m all alone!”

Moncho’s brother, Andrés (Alexis de los Santos), gets a significant amount of screen time as well. Andrés is adolescent, hormonal, and highly interested in the opposite sex. He is an aspiring saxophonist. He and Moncho have a very nice relationship though there is likely an 8-10 year gap in their ages. They share a bedroom and converse nicely. On one occasion, Moncho asks, “You know there are races?”, showing off his latest bit of new wisdom and offering Andrés a peek at a book that shows the evidence. Andrés looks and offers thoughtfully, “Chinese girls are prettier.” This later proves relevant. Andrés is asked to join the local dance band and they make their debut at the town carnival. Since his talent level is dubious at this point, he is told to fake playing. The band plays a number with lyrics that begin, “Peanuts! If you want a little fun buy yourself a bag of peanuts.” With time, Andrés improves and becomes a real contributor to the band’s sound instead of just its size.

The band lands a gig abroad in Santa Marta de Lombás and both Andrés and Moncho are included in the trip. They are put up by the mayor of the town, a man of perhaps fifty. The mayor lives alone except for a young Chinese girl of about eighteen. Andrés is instantly struck by love’s thunderbolt the moment he lays eyes on her and is shocked to discover that she is the mayor’s wife. She is mute, having been bitten by a wolf when she was just four years of age. The girl shows up at the festival the next day while Andrés’ band is performing and Moncho draws Andrés’ attention to her presence. Inspired, Andrés stands up and delivers a splendid solo riff, much to the amazement of the entire band. Soon, however, her husband arrives and, seeing the obvious chemistry at work, whisks her away. The next morning we see her jogging across an open field. Andrés and Moncho, meantime are on top of the band’s travel bus on their way out of town. The girl reaches the side of the country road just in time to leave Andrés with a grateful glance, a wave, and a memory that will haunt him forever. Moncho opines, vaguely recalling his mentor’s poetic line, “I remember what my teacher said, ‘A bed, a mirror, and a heart.’ In other words, you’re all alone.”

Moncho also gets a lesson from his master about wooing girls, when one of their nature excursions is interrupted by the sound of giggling girls and a rushing brook. Moncho is drawn like a magnet but is demure when the school girls, including his favorite, who are swimming in panties only, dare him to come in and join them. Don Gregorio whispers to him, “Remember the Tilonorrinco” and hands Moncho a daisy. Armed with this offering, Moncho braves the currents and delivers the gift to his girl.

The town organizes a tribute to Don Gregorio on the occasion of his retirement from teaching. Now free to speak his mind, he leaves no doubt about his political allegiances, stating, “If we can allow one generation, just one generation to grow up free in Spain, then no one will ever be able to take away their liberty. No one will be able to steal that treasure from them.” At this, the wealthy landowner storms out, mentally tagging Don Gregorio as an enemy of fascism.

This is bad timing, because the fascists are gaining the upper hand. The townspeople hear a broadcast announcing that the country must be ruled by an iron fist. Although this political upheaval has reached its climax point, the undercurrents have been present throughout the film. Moncho’s pragmatic mother burns her husband’s party affiliation card and every newspaper in the house. She admonishes the boys to remember that “Dad never said anything against the priests” and “Dad is not a republican.” She ensures that he does not join a group gathering to support the republican mayor. That night, Andrés and Moncho see from their bedroom window townspeople being dragged from their homes by soldiers. The fascists have rounded up those with republican loyalties.

In the morning, decked out in their Sunday best, Moncho’s family joins the rest of the townspeople in a requisite denunciation of the captives. Denounce or be denounced! As the captives are led out, one by one, into a waiting transport truck, the citizens yell, “Atheist”, “Murderer”, “Traitor”, “Red”, and similar epithets. Moncho’s mother urges her family to join in, realizing that the alternative is that Ramán will be dragged away among them. Andrés reluctantly shouts, “Thugs, criminals, trai . . . “, but is caught mid-word when the next person to emerge is one of his fellow band members. Don Gregorio is the last to be marched out, squinting at the sudden burst of daylight. “Shout now Ramán. You, too, Mancho, shout”, commands Mancho’s mother. “Atheist!” “Traitor!” “Red!” “Murderer!” Mancho shouts with the others. He and the other young boys pick up stones, run after the departing truck, hurling the stones as it speeds away. Mancho hurls his last insults as the truck pulls into the distance: “Tilonorrinco!” “Proboscis!” Mancho stares in gentle bewilderment as the frame freezes, then fades to black-and-white.

One can do no more than sit in stunned silence when this film comes to its inexorable conclusion. This is witnessing the destruction of innocence! Now we have seen in close juxtaposition all that is glorious in human nature and all that is darkest. This is the hell described earlier by Don Gregorio: the earthly hell of hate and cruelty. The final portion of the movie raises it to the profound – not “saving” it, but elevating it. Now we have this to ponder. Where does self-preservation leave off and cowardliness and betrayal begin? Would we, could we, have acted any differently? How much harder is it to maintain personal decency in the presence of violent repression? What did Don Gregorio think as his truck pulled away? Was he glad that Moncho’s mother had the presence of mind to save her family or did he feel that his efforts to enlighten and to promote freedom had all been for naught?

The importance of the Spanish Civil War extended well beyond Spain. It became a kind of dress rehearsal for World War II, with the Soviet Communist Party supporting the leftist elements in Spain and the German Nazi Party supporting the Spanish fascists. Liberal idealists from America, Britain, and elsewhere were organized into international brigades fighting on the side of the supporters of the Republic. The Republic that was ultimately crushed by civil war was also important in another way. The writers of the script of Buttefly gave Don Gregorio a prescient line about the potential impact of a small taste of freedom. Having tasted it, the people of Spain would never lose the desire for it. Although General Franco and the fascists completed the defeat of the supporters of the Republic in 1939 and maintained iron control over Spain until Franco’s death in 1975, the new king and prime minister who came to power after 1975 immediately moved to establish a democratic government in Spain. Many historians believe that the memory of the freedoms under the Republic of the early 1930’s was a major factor contributing to the democratization of Spain in 1976.

The characters in Butterfly include none that are hackneyed or one dimensional, except, perhaps, the wealthy landowner – the incipient fascist. The performers met the challenge thus presented with high quality performances. Fernando Fernan Gomez was extraordinary as Don Gregorio. He is a veteran Spanish actor who has appeared in over 170 films during his career. He won the Goya Award for Best Actor in 1998 for the title role of The Grandfather. He has also appeared in such films as Belle Epoque and All About My Mother. Little Manuel Lozano was wonderful as Moncho, providing all of the sense of wide-eyed wonderment that the role requires. Also very effective were the performances in the roles of Mancho’s brother, mother, and father.

Butterfly, skillfully directed by Jose Luis Cuerda, was originally called “Butterfly’s Tongue” (or, in Spanish, La Lengua de las Mariposas). The script was based on three short stories by Manuel Rivas. Butterfly is a visually-appealing film that deals with fundamental truths, good and bad, about human nature. Although the film fully exploits all of the potential of the lush setting in rural Spain, the themes are universal. It is food for both the heart and the mind, being both a poignant and a thought-provoking experience.


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You might want to check out these other excellent films from Spain:

L’Age D’Or
All About My Mother
Belle Epoque
Carmen
Cria!
El
The Grandfather
Labyrinth of Passion
Sex and Lucía
Spirit of the Beehive
Talk to Her
Thesis
Tie Me Up! Time Me Down!
Tierra
Tristana
Vacas
Viridiana
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age