Il Finale

A unique stylistic blend of dramatic social realism and Latin American soap opera, the film is a story of high hopes and unattained desire. Raúl and José are Cuban emigrés struggling to succeed in Los Angeles. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and a melodramatic sensibility make up Jos遒s world. Raúl, his lover, overflows with optimism, but his enthusiasm soon fades as his race and sexuality make him the victim of economic and sexual exploitation. As José loses himself in Puccini’s tragedy, Raúl metaphorically lives out Madame Butterfly’s fate.

Available for research at UCLA