The Blue Butterfly

The Blue Butterfly (2004) is a Canadian production inspired by the true story of entomologist George Brossard and David Marenger, but adding a touch of fantasy and mystery to the plot. Its director Léa Pool takes us to the middle of the rainforest in some unnamed part of Latin America (in fact, the movie is filmed in Costa Rica) on a magical journey to fulfill the dream of a little kid who has a terminal brain tumour: catching a very rare blue butterfly, the Blue Morpho. The story is related by the young boy, Pete Carlton (Marc Donato), who in the course of the movie shares with us his memories, personal thoughts, feelings, and what he learns. The entomologist Alan Osborne (William Hurt) agrees to be a guide for Pete and his mother Teresa (Pascale Bussieres), however, the task of finding the butterfly turns out to be more difficult than expected due to the changing seasons and dangerous incidents while exploring the jungle.

For Mr. Osborne and little Pete, seeing a blue butterfly is one of the most beautiful and miraculous events. Once in the rainforest, their passion for insects and their desire to catch this exotic creature make them ignore the beauty of their surroundings: the many other living beings, landscapes and moments that could make the rest of Pete’s life more happy and meaningful than simply adding one more insect to his collection. Influenced by the people of a small village in the middle of the rainforest and their stories (beliefs passed on by their ancestors and myths about the jungle), Pete starts to appreciate these other things than just the Blue Morpho, which eventually becomes less relevant. Nevertheless, Pete keeps those thoughts for himself since Osborne and his mother have already spent time and resources to find the butterfly in very unfavourable conditions, so he continues with the search.

Pool presents the rainforest as a beautiful and exotic place; such beauty makes it a place with an atmosphere full of magic and spontaneous mysticism by which one can achieve an understanding of nature. There are many close-up shots framing diverse animals and plants and complete shots that accompanied by peaceful background sounds and intense colours captivate our attention. All the emphasis is given to the flora, fauna, and landscapes of the jungle creating a romantic portrayal of the Latin American rainforest. Even though there are people living in the village, the plot shares with the viewers a general perception is of an ideal environment free of human intervention when the three Canadians leave the village to explore the jungle; for Pete, there is a division between nature (represented by the butterfly) and himself as a human. On the other hand, Pool also questions this romanticization of nature by exposing another side of the exploration and problematizing the concept of nature.

Meeting Yana, a girl from the local village, Pete reflects on her questions about his desire to catch the Morpho. When Pete says that the butterfly is a miracle, Yana replies "I am blue butterfly, you are blue butterfly, everything is blue butterfly." This line changes Pete's perception of nature and its apparent separation from humans. He understands that what he had considered a miracle of the Latin American rainforest, is in fact only an alibi for his desire to escape his own reality, to stop thinking about his illness. In the end, finding the butterfly does not satisfy Pete's desires, but the journey does help him to understand that Latin America and its natural "miracles" have nothing magical or mystic on them other than what society constructs. The way in which the rainforest is romanticized can misrepresent the reality, whether this omitted information or attributes are positive or negative, like the beauty of its people's culture and traditions, or the dangers of its wild places and species, as presented in the movie.