With so much horror loose in this century, we forget some of the recent horrors of the last. Few people who vacation in the Dominican Republic today are aware of the brutal regime which flourished there --- like a poisonous tropical flower --- until recent times. This is a splendid depiction of it and of the struggle to overthrow it. Surprisingly there is no reference to the United States' shameful support of Trujillo or to the Castro revolution in nearby Cuba. I also wonder why it was filmed in Mexico rather than the Dominican Republic itself. But no matter. It is a gripping and thoughtful piece of cinema.
Review of In the Time of the Butterflies
