The British Council Sri Lanka, in partnership with Scope Cinemas, held its first screening for the Sri Lankan New Year with the cinematic rendition of Madama Butterfly, a Japanese tragedy produced by the Royal Opera House. This rendition is based on the story ‘Madame Butterfly’ by John Luther Long and the play ‘Madame Butterfly’ by David Belasco. Giacomo Puccini, an Italian composer whose work is a testament to encapsulating the human voice intricately, adds a tantalising score to this love story doomed to fail. The 1904 opera is deemed one of his most revered works, and this cinematic version, which lasts approximately three hours, takes us on a journey designed to make the audience a part of the story.

The story comprises two lovers, Cio-Cio San, a young geisha portrayed by Asmik Grigorian, and B. F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer portrayed by Joshua Guerrero. Their tragedy is communicated to the audience through a series of charming musical dialogues that portray a diverse range of emotions, from joyful love and desire to agony and sadness. Interestingly, both actors deem Madama Butterfly to be their toughest work, as both characters require an immense amount of focus and effort to deliver perfection, vocally and physically. Grigorian, without a doubt, is the star of the show, as the sole focus on her yearning and despair remains the enchanting image post-show. Puccini’s score was inspired by Japanese folk melodies, and distinct emotion is evident in each aria.

The deep dive into this is explained to the audience in the cinematic version during the introduction, where Susanna Stranders, theatre repetiteur, describes her role, emphasizing the importance placed on the seamless transition from soft piano notes to the grand orchestra. She makes an interesting point when she states that the opera has few references to “The Star Spangled Banner” in the way it enamours the story with melodies that reflect heavy emotion. The command of text, music, and drama tying this opera together to present a tragedy is a way of honouring the exceptional score by Puccini. The orchestra, led by conductor Kevin John Edusei, commits itself to an intense symphony of instrumentals that draws the audience in to keep their eyes only on the stage. One riveting scene that remains memorable is the interaction between Pinkerton and the Consul, where the Consul calls Pinkerton a ‘carefree American’ with a gospel of acquiring everything he wants.

The British Council is giving away two complimentary tickets for the ballet ‘Swan Lake’ screening in May. You can enter the giveaway by writing an email to lk_arts@ britishcouncil.org describing why you like ballet in 200 words or less, and stand a chance to win a ticket. Pinkerton’s philosophy in Japan is summed up in one phrase: ‘marriage for 999 years with a monthly get-out card’, which turns out to be an accurate foreshadowing of Cio-Cio San’s future. While it could be said that the ending is quite predictable, as tragedies often have limited endings, the direction of the performance makes it such that the ending still feels like an incomplete part of their love story, allowing the audience to continue its trajectory in their imaginations. The audience of the movie felt just as immersed in it, as Savindi, a huge fan of opera and a member of the audience, found Butterfly’s performance in particular very emotional.

One can hope that the initiative taken by the British Council to showcase works of opera in Sri Lanka will lead to more cinematic screenings of such influential works of art, as Madama Butterfly successfully imprinted its presence in the hearts of the audience during these three shows at Scope Cinema.

By Tiranya Ranasinghe