It sucks alot when your emotions are being restricted by your words. -.- I can't express myself completely after watching a deeply moving or thought-provoking film so I'm going try to keep this short!


"Butterfly's Tongue" (or Butterfly)is a Spanish film made in the year 2000 about a student-teacher relationship that was put to an end because of the Spanish Civil War. I quote from a BBC site, "its specifically the awakening of a young boy beginning school and experiencing life, all set against the impending doom of the Spanish Civil War." Yup.

It has received critical acclaim and I personally think it is a very beautiful film indeed.




The part that brought tears to my eyes was the end, for the rest of the movie were only scenes depicting the development of a close relationship between a teacher, Don Gregorio, and a child called Moncho, the livelihood of the Spanish and several character developments.

Don Gregorio took good care of the sickly Moncho and taught him many new facts through nature walks and explorations in the woods. He taught Moncho about the Butterfly's proboscis, thus the name of the movie.



On July 1936, the world caved in on them. Through the radio, they heard that the military uprising was successful, and Mocho's mother immediately burnt all the Republican Newspapers, Magazines and party card previously in his father's keeping. Republicans were captured in the night, and Don Gregorio was one of them.

The next day, the villagers gathered to say their last goodbyes to those captured ones that were brought to a truck. To protect themselves, they had to hurl nasty words like 'traitors!' 'Atheist!' 'Red!' Between tears, Mocho's family (who had great respect for Don Gregorio) forced themselves to say these words even if they didn't mean it. They probably felt like cowards.


In the last scene, Moncho ran after the truck along with the other villagers, crying as he shouted to his teacher, 'traitor! Red! Atheist! Nightingale! ....Butterfly Tongue......'. The movie ended with him tossing stones at the truck, looking rather lost as it inches away into the distance..





I wonder how terrible those people must have felt when they were hurling those words at their loved ones for the sake of their own survival. Some children were tricked into 'betraying' their own parents, only realising their mistake after they were captured. Seriously, I might just sink into depression or think of commiting suicide if I were them.



We're lucky to be living in the year 2009, huh. What's the economic crisis compared to this?