Michael Winterbottom’s debut feature Butterfly Kiss is described as a “road movie” in an introduction to the film by House of Psychotic Women author Kier-La Janisse on this Blu-ray release, and it’s hard to find a better way to summarize this 1995 thriller starring Amanda Plummer as a troubled young woman searching for release – and a woman named Judith – while traveling with the waif-like Miriam (Saskia Reeves). Indeed, one can even find references to Thelma and Louise in the backgrounds of the gas stations the two protagonists frequent throughout. Besides the obvious associations to the aforementioned duo and Bonnie and Clyde before them, Frank Cottrell Boyce’s script explores a much more… well, psychotic storyline as Plummer’s Eunice (or Eu), and Reeves’ Miriam (or Mi) go on a spree of incidental murders and self-punishment that also leads to a sort of romance, all told with video footage of Miriam explaining the events presumably after being captured by authorities.
Winterbottom begins the film on a shockingly brutal note as the viewer is subjected to Eunice’s mentality for the first time; there’s a quirky off-kilter exchange between her and a gas station attendant that will recur throughout the film, all culminating in a flash cut to the attendant dead on the floor. So begins a whirlwind of murderous events that toe the line for the audience, wherein Butterfly Kiss continually seems to be asking for forgiveness even as it keeps serving up reprehensible acts committed by its main characters throughout the movie. Eunice’s references to religion and the punitive self-flagellation she forces herself to endure are also major thematic elements here, with Boyce drawing particular attention to the similarities between Eunice’s male homicides and the story of Judith and Holofernes in which Judith beheads the Assyrian general.
The film doesn’t necessarily go that far in its depiction of female rage but it certainly presents its fair share of disturbing imagery. Plummer showcases a malevolent combination of charm and vitriol, often making her the black widow of this tale as she lures men and women into her orbit with gravitas before becoming enraged at some minor event and killing them. At odds with Eunice’s unfiltered and morally ambiguous character traits, Miriam is cowed and reserved, and the film makes it clear through her own narrative that before Eunice she lived a quiet and fairly unromantic lifestyle with her mother. Butterfly Kiss explores the deviant blossoming romance between the two, including the reasons why Miriam might be drawn into this lifestyle since Eunice is really the only one that pays Miriam any amount of attention, but also because she’s able to bring out a new side of Miriam that she was unable to recognize in herself previously. Plummer’s chaotic performance is obviously the standout here, but often Eunice is so consumed by her manic actions that she becomes something of a caricature; Reeves’ Miriam is the quiet, and more realist, draw as Winterbottom exposes the sense of closeness and camaraderie she experiences around Eunice and the blossoming of her own identity, leading to the film’s tragic conclusion as Miriam confronts and vanquishes her own externalized punishments and sets Eunice free in the process.
While Butterfly Kiss offers a fairly simple premise in the guise of a road movie, its symbolism is rich with meaning and Winterbottom smartly defers from summarizing its message overtly; instead, the audience is left with haunting imagery of a reverse baptism amongst various songs by The Cranberries and is tasked with putting the pieces together. Viscerally graphic and intensely manic, Butterfly Kiss envelopes the viewer in its exploration of two unlike women finding solidarity in each other, and the best experience here is knowing that as the audience, we’re simply along for the ride.
Blu-ray
Butterfly Kiss has been released on Blu-ray as disc one in the House of Psychotic Women Volume 2 boxset from Severin Films. The film gets a new 2K scan from the original camera negative in 1.85:1 aspect ratio by the British Film Institute approved by Winterbottom and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. Grain is medium-bodied but resolves nicely throughout, as the film ventures its way through different English locales. Detail is often quite good, especially skin textures which are often prominently displayed thanks to the film’s intimate close-up shots driving in cars and trucks. Background details are often readily visible. Darker sequences can lose some clarity (see a scene about a quarter way through where Eunice and Miriam look out at the cityscape in the dark), but overall color grade is consistent, maintaining verdant hues and emphasizing the ruddier complexions of both of its main characters. Occasional film lines can crop up but the negative looks relatively free of damage. Overall, this is a very good transfer of the film.
Audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track. This sounds quite strong with consistent dialogue volume, a weighty score mostly made up of Cranberries cuts, and the occasional moody orchestral swelling. English subtitles are also included.
For extras, Severin Films has collected a large number of new supplemental features. An introduction by Kier-La Janisse sees the author identifying the major thematic elements of the film, quoting some critical analysis, and defining the film’s uniqueness as a British road movie. An additional intro from scriptwriter Cottrell Boyce finds him recounting a particularly weird true story that led to the inspiration of the story, morphing it from just a film about “stealing cars” into something more.
An audio commentary by film historian Kat Ellinger can be selected to accompany Butterfly Kiss, wherein she relates a number of facts about the production of the movie as well as digesting the various motifs at play in the movie; she digs into the conflict of the time, the uniqueness of feminine serial killing, and even pointing out the unusual accent Plummer sports. It’s an excellent listen. Michael Winterbottom provides a new 20 minute interview where he goes into the origin of the film, how he cast Plummer and Reeves, and the genesis of the story created with Cottrell Boyce. Amanda Plummer’s 20 minute conversation talks about the way the film refuses to place judgment or criticize its characters, working with Winterbottom and honing her accent, and the revealing qualities of the Eunice/Miriam I, Spy game. Saskia Reeves talks about working with the crew on building Miriam as a character, accidentally washing her hair after the perm, and Miriam’s transformation throughout.
Produce Julie Baines gives a 9 minute interview on how she got into film production, making a road movie in the UK, and her appreciation of the film centering around two women. Finally, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey provides an interview about working with Amanda Plummer’s choreography, the difficulty of shooting on film, and the color green used throughout the movie.
Fianlly, a trailer and a short film called “Pleasures of War” directed by Ruth Lingford are included. The short is an animated feature with no narration depicting a violent war and a woman’s use of sex usurp the terrorizer.
Extra Features
- NEW scanned in 2K from the original camera negative by The British Film Institute
- NEW Introduction By Kier-La Janisse, Author Of House Of Psychotic Women (1080i; 5:13)
- NEW Introduction By Writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce (1080p; 3:51)
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Kat Ellinger
- NEW Between Everyday And The Extreme – Michael Winterbottom On Directing BUTTERFLY KISS (1080p; 22:07)
- NEW No Judgement – Amanda Plummer Remembers Portraying Eunice (1080p; 21:23)
- NEW You’re Not Judith – Saskia Reeves On Portraying Miriam (1080p; 14:51)
- NEW Pestilence Through Petrol – Julie Baines On Producing BUTTERFLY KISS (1080p; 8:56)
- NEW Front Light And Black Sky – Seamus McGarvey On Shooting BUTTERFLY KISS (1080p; 17:51)
- Trailer (1080p; 1:24)
- “Pleasures of War” short film (1080p; 11:39)
Verdict
Butterfly Kiss is a visceral and schizophrenic version of the road movie that finds friendship in chaos. This Blu-ray release showcases a great transfer and a large number of extras that expand upon the film.
