Madama Butterfly (1974)

Name: Madama Butterfly
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Released: 1974-09-14
Rating: 9.5
Cast: Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Robert Kerns, Christa Ludwig, Michel Sénéchal

Music

145 min

"Karajan magnificent in unique treatment of familiar tragedy"

Plot Summary

Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns star in this Jean-Pierre Ponnelle-directed version of the Puccini opera, with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. Madama Butterfly is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire for companies around the world, ranking 7th in the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.

Why this could be the movie

Plot hook: Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, and Robert Kerns star in this Jean-Pierre Ponnelle-directed version of the Puccini opera, with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.
Genre cues: Music
Director clue: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Lead cast: Mirella Freni and Plácido Domingo