Brilliant political bio pic movie “In the Time of the Butterflies” (2001) directed by Mariano Barroso and starring Salma Hayek, Mia Maestro, Demian Bichir, Edward James Oimos, Lumi Cavazos among others.
Its a movie based on the life of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic, political activists against the brutal oppressive regime of Leonidas Trujillo, the dictator of Dominican Republic.
Minerva Mirabal (Salma Hayek) is born in an accomplished family, but she and her sisters want to study. She wants to study law, but women are not allowed to study law in that country. Every day apparently people were taken away and killed in the country side or in prison camps.
The Mirabal sisters represented a powerful voice against the oppression of Trujillo. They organised leaflets, underground arms procurement, and used the church as a powerful voice. Minerva passed out the law college, but was not given the certificate and not allowed to practice law.
The three sisters all got involved apart from Minerva, Mate (Mia Maestro) and Patria (Lumi Cavazos). All their husbands/ boyfriends were picked up and tortured in jail. The ending is quite tragic as Trujillo had his way but he himself was assassinated within six months of the Mirabal sisters’ death.
Its a beautiful, powerful movie, without too much of preaching and haranguing about. The undertone of rebellion is quite brilliantly brought about by Salma Hayek with her performance. All the sisters, Mia, Lumi have done good roles. IMDB 6/10