Il Finale
Year: 1989
A unique stylistic blend of dramatic social realism and Latin American soap opera, the film is a story of high hopes and unattained desire. Raúl and José are Cuban emigrés struggling to succeed in Los Angeles. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and a melodramatic sensibility make up José’s world. Raúl, his lover, overflows with optimism, but his enthusiasm soon fades as his race and sexuality make him the victim of economic and sexual exploitation. As José loses himself in Puccini’s tragedy, Raúl metaphorically lives out Madame Butterfly’s fate.
Available for research at UCLA
