Madame Butterfly

I thought that this short film was very strange, yet intriguing. This type of film is not something that I  would typically seek out to watch myself, however after I watched it a couple times I appreciated the story line and animation actually. My biggest issue was how when the sailor came back he just openly took her child from her and she hardly fought back or tried to get her back. This part made me really frustrated because I feel like if that was me I would of definitely fought or tried to do anything in my power to get my child back. He legit just did two simple pulls on their attached umbilical cord and their connection was broken. I don't understand why he thought he had a right to take the child when he wasn't a father figure in the least. He left before she was even born had no help in raising his daughter whatsoever and wasn't there to see her grow or live at all. I was wondering if maybe it was purposely symbolic how she was a puppet and that was the reason why she wasn't able to fight back.

I also thought that the animation really portrayed the emotions of the characters quite well. You can feel the sadness of when the sailor leaves her and see how she waits for him. And the hope that she has when he returns, only to be left waiting again till dark, bringing her sadness again. The gramophone seemed to symbolize her hope throughout the film. The sailor gives it to her as a parting gift as well as his hat when he leaves after they have their passionate moment. During this moment he has the song playing, so after he leaves I feel like this is the song that she uses for strength. She listens to it daily and once her child arrived they both listened to it. It kind of becomes her theme song and when he returns one day you can tell she is preparing for his arrival wanting her and her child positioned just so and her theme song playing in the background. She seemed to be filled with such hope when she saw him arriving like her world would be complete now that her child would have a father and she would have him back on the island.

The real pain that you see at the end is when her child is taken by the sailor, and she flees and goes behind the stage area that is set up and just completely dissembles herself. I think this is probably the most powerful point in the story because it's a point of no going back, this pain she feels from her child being ripped from her life she can only find comfort in ending her own existence. I honestly don't blame her all the pain and longing she went through waiting for the sailor to return and he didn't. Then she finally finds some joy bonding with her daughter and being able to have a life with her only to have her being taken away. It wasn't so much as a dramatic reaction but to me it seemed like a reaction that was just at a boiling point like she had all these feelings forming over the years and when her child was taken is when she just snapped. It's also a scene that I find somewhat relatable, so have such a pain that you feel helpless over and then just wanting to take yourself apart because of it. Personally I feel like I have this way in past life situations, my emotions have just felt so strong that it feels like my life is falling apart and that I won't be able to recover. The good thing is you can't just unbolt yourself and to get through hardship you just have to become stronger to survive.