M. Butterfly

M. Butterfly is a 1993 American romantic drama film directed by David Cronenberg. The screenplay was written by David Henry Hwang based on his play of the same name. The film stars Jeremy Irons and John Lone, with Ian Richardson, Barbara Sukowa, and Annabel Leventon. 

Plot
Loosely based on true events (see Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu), the film concerns René Gallimard ( Jeremy Irons<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;">), a French<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"> diplomat assigned to Beijing<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;">, China<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"> in the 1960s. He becomes infatuated with a Chinese opera<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"> performer, Song Liling ( John Lone<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;">), who spies<span style="display:inline!important;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.93px;font-variant:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:22.28px;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;"> on him for the Government of the People's Republic of China. Their affair lasts for 20 years, with Gallimard all the while apparently unaware (or willfully ignorant) of the fact that in traditional Chinese opera, all roles are performed by men.

Cast

 * Jeremy Irons as René Gallimard
 * John Lone as Song Liling
 * Ian Richardson as Ambassador Toulon
 * Barbara Sukowa as Jeanne Gallimard
 * Annabel Leventon as Frau Baden
 * Shizuko Hoshi as Comrade Chin
 * Vernon Dobtcheff as Agent Entacelin