Rating: 
Summary: Vivan las mariposas!
Review: I decided to purchase this DVD despite the negative reviews I read about it. I'm very dissapointed with this movie. It makes Trujillo's reign seem benign. Does not really show the fear of those who lived in that time, and more importantly, made the Mariposas look like whining instigators. I read Julia Alvarez's book, and have read as much as possible about life during this time in the Dominican Republic.I also have first hand accounts of what it was like from family members who lived in the country during that time and even exhiled in other countries as a result of this. This movie does not even come close to portraying any of this.
Rating: 
Summary: In The Time of Butterflies: The Trujillo Gag order..........
Review: I found this movie interesting. Although I have not read the book by Julia Alvarez, I found substance in the unfolding Dominican story. What I, as a viewer, saw was a Dominican Republic, back in the 1960s, under a tyrannical dictator. The historical piece, no doubt, will never quite reach book depth. But I held a different point of view. And what I saw was social, economic, political, legal "oppression" under the late Trujillo. The movie shortcomings, in my opinion as a viewer: the actors did a good job, but, in all honesty, they lacked a certain substance. They did not, I feel, fulfill the energy, the emotions, the anger, the outcry, that certain sense of not knowing what tomorrow may or may not bring under a Latin American dictatorship. Overall, I do praise each actor for his/her attempt to bring about a movie of a distant island in the carribean that few people pay much attention to other than baseball, hurricanes, Sammy Sosa. I believe the movie would had been better off filmed in the Dominican Republic; this way, the Dominican culture would had been better represented of the people, the times, the culture, and of course, the politics.
Rating:
Summary: An inaccurate interpretation
Review: I have read the book, seen the movie and met the surviving sister. I must say that the book was excellent although it was fictional but the movie was horrible. The movie did not follow the story line of the book and only focused on Minerva Mirabal. Although she was the strongest and most outspoken of the trio, the movie interpretation should have focused on the other two sisters and the surviving sister. And if the movie was supposed to be based on the book, it should have followed the book. The book is a lot better and explains in much better detail the sequence of events that led to the assasination of the sisters. My recommendation is to read the book if you want to know what really happened.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent movie- Emotional, Interesting and historical
Review: I Loved this movie; different content and effort to bring a part of the history of the first city of the new world, The Dominican Republic. After I saw this movie, I was moved to research more abou the Dominican Republic and the Dictator Trujillo and I was amazed to know that this small Island located in the "antillas" is the cultural heritage of America, where the first university, Hospital, catedral of the new world "America" was founded. Trujillo destroyed very important historical sites and used his brutal power over the Dominicans,torturing and planting the seed of terror and resignation in his own people; In my research I found that he used to have all the families to post a sign at the entrance of their houses that prays "In this house Trujillo is the Boss". The movie will not reflect the real misery that people lived, but the excellent work of consolidated actors make this film more interesting. I loved the movie, the "Trama", as I never imagined that three sisters would have the courage and strenght to face an evil man and sacrifice in the name of Freedom and love to their motherland; I live and was born in a country of Europe and did not need to tras-culturized myself in order to understand a part of any other country's history. I will give this Real life Story a 5 stars. If you are a very well cultured person, you will love to discover a part of a distant island that have the pride to be the first in the best of "America"s foundation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie- Emotional, Interesting and historical
Review: I Loved this movie; different content and effort to bring a part of the history of the first city of the new world, The Dominican Republic. After I saw this movie, I was moved to research more abou the Dominican Republic and the Dictator Trujillo and I was amazed to know that this small Island located in the "antillas" is the cultural heritage of America, where the first university, Hospital, catedral of the new world "America" was founded. Trujillo destroyed very important historical sites and used his brutal power over the Dominicans,torturing and planting the seed of terror and resignation in his own people; In my research I found that he used to have all the families to post a sign at the entrance of their houses that prays "In this house Trujillo is the Boss". The movie will not reflect the real misery that people lived, but the excellent work of consolidated actors make this film more interesting. I loved the movie, the "Trama", as I never imagined that three sisters would have the courage and strenght to face an evil man and sacrifice in the name of Freedom and love to their motherland; I live and was born in a country of Europe and did not need to tras-culturized myself in order to understand a part of any other country's history. I will give this Real life Story a 5 stars. If you are a very well cultured person, you will love to discover a part of a distant island that have the pride to be the first in the best of "America"s foundation.
Rating:
Summary: Does not do justice to the book or to the history
Review: I must say that after watching the movie I was really disappointed. I read the book a couple of years ago and the book made such an impact on me that it inspired me to learn more about the country that my parents were forced to leave behind at a young age. The Mirabal sisters are from my hometown in the Dominican Republic and they are considered martyrs in their own right. The day of their death, November 25, is a holiday in the Dominican Republic; it is celebrated with commemoration ceremonies, memorial services and school assemblies. I was disappointed with the movie because it played more like a fictional story, rather than a work of reality. I was watching the movie with some friends that have no knowledge of the Dominican Republic and I had to explain so many things from actual history and from the book that were not part of the movie. I felt that In the Time of the Butterflies (the movie), was pure fluff. Historically it made no sense whatsoever and Trujillo didn't seem that bad. It was not really explained why it was that Trujillo had it in for Minerva Mirabal in particular and how her sisters, Patria and Maria Teresa, were involved, but more or less were just casualties by association. Also, let's be honest, Marc Anthony's character was not that important, so why does he appear on the cover of the DVD case instead of the other two sisters or even Trujillo himself. Bottom line, if you want to learn anything about the Dominican Republic do not watch this movie... It is clearly a product of Hollywood trying to diversify itself by putting all the Latinos it can find in a movie about a place that they have no real knowledge about.
Rating:
Summary: Does not do justice to the book or to the history
Review: I must say that after watching the movie I was really disappointed. I read the book a couple of years ago and the book made such an impact on me that it inspired me to learn more about the country that my parents were forced to leave behind at a young age. The Mirabal sisters are from my hometown in the Dominican Republic and they are considered martyrs in their own right. The day of their death, November 25, is a holiday in the Dominican Republic; it is celebrated with commemoration ceremonies, memorial services and school assemblies. I was disappointed with the movie because it played more like a fictional story, rather than a work of reality. I was watching the movie with some friends that have no knowledge of the Dominican Republic and I had to explain so many things from actual history and from the book that were not part of the movie. I felt that In the Time of the Butterflies (the movie), was pure fluff. Historically it made no sense whatsoever and Trujillo didn't seem that bad. It was not really explained why it was that Trujillo had it in for Minerva Mirabal in particular and how her sisters, Patria and Maria Teresa, were involved, but more or less were just casualties by association. Also, let's be honest, Marc Anthony's character was not that important, so why does he appear on the cover of the DVD case instead of the other two sisters or even Trujillo himself. Bottom line, if you want to learn anything about the Dominican Republic do not watch this movie... It is clearly a product of Hollywood trying to diversify itself by putting all the Latinos it can find in a movie about a place that they have no real knowledge about.
Rating:
Summary: Viva las Mariposas!
Review: I recently watched the film In the Time of the Butterflies, and thought it was excellent. Of course the book was better in that it was much more in depth, but I still think that the film captured the essence of the book. Salma Hayak was superb. I read the book several years ago, then recently I re-read it. So that I could see where the movie differed from the text. My girlfriends and daughter saw the film first, then read the book. What they said to me was that the film was so moving that it made them want to read the book! We all cried at the end. I would highly recommend this DVD. I would also recommend purchasing the book.
Rating:
Summary: Viva las Mariposas!
Review: I recently watched the film In the Time of the Butterflies, and thought it was excellent. Of course the book was better in that it was much more in depth, but I still think that the film captured the essence of the book. Salma Hayak was superb. I read the book several years ago, then recently I re-read it. So that I could see where the movie differed from the text. My girlfriends and daughter saw the film first, then read the book. What they said to me was that the film was so moving that it made them want to read the book! We all cried at the end. I would highly recommend this DVD. I would also recommend purchasing the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mirabal/Butterflies
Review: I think the movie was great but I feel it should have had more content as far as culture and life style of Dominicans in that era. I haven't read the book yet, but many films don't stick to the letter of the book. The film, although true, ended too sad -- too abruptly. I think it should have shown the outcome of their legacy and how it is remembered in Latin American countries.
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