X
  • 2012
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2012
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 40 m
Black Butterflies

Summary Poetry, politics, madness, and desire collide in the true story of the woman hailed as South Africa's Sylvia Plath. In 1960s Cape Town, as Apartheid steals the expressive rights of blacks and whites alike, young Ingrid Jonker finds her freedom scrawling verse while frittering through a series of stormy affairs. Amid escalating quarrels w...

Directed By: Paula van der Oest

Written By: Greg Latter

  • 2012
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2012
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 40 m

Black Butterflies

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
66
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 5 User Ratings
7.0
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary Poetry, politics, madness, and desire collide in the true story of the woman hailed as South Africa's Sylvia Plath. In 1960s Cape Town, as Apartheid steals the expressive rights of blacks and whites alike, young Ingrid Jonker finds her freedom scrawling verse while frittering through a series of stormy affairs. Amid escalating quarrels w...

Directed By: Paula van der Oest

Written By: Greg Latter

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
66
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 9 Critic Reviews
66
56% Positive
5 Reviews
44% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Mar 1, 2012
In its jagged style and tone Black Butterflies is as close to an inside-out view of Jonker's tumultuous life as a movie could go without sinking into chaos. Its hues are continuously changing, and the seaside weather around Cape Town reflects her tempestuous emotional life.
By Stephen Holden FULL REVIEW
80
Feb 26, 2012
Paula van der Oest's biopic of South African poet Ingrid Jonker is conventional yet captivating thanks in large part to a terrific lead performance from Carice van Houten.
FULL REVIEW
75
Feb 29, 2012
Neither another bland biopic about a self-destructive artist nor an historical scrapbook about a country in the grip of slavery, Black Butterflies is a dark, moving depiction of the life and death of a brave rebellious, idiosyncratic woman who made significant strides toward changing the world around her and paid a heavy toll for her passion.
By Rex Reed FULL REVIEW
63
Feb 26, 2012
A reasonably sensitive and occasionally insightful look into the mind and psyche of an impassioned and deeply troubled artist.
FULL REVIEW
60
Feb 28, 2012
Carice van Houten (Black Book) is superb as the emotionally unstable Jonker - all manically beaming highs and depressively gloomy lows, a tempestuous force of nature in a movie that too often plays it blandly polite.
By Keith Uhlich FULL REVIEW
50
Mar 2, 2012
The script is cliché-ridden and ends on an overly sentimental note.
By V.A. Musetto FULL REVIEW
50
Feb 28, 2012
Art, politics, and craziness conspire to form a rather mechanical melodrama in Black Butterflies.
By Nick Schager FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 5 User Ratings
7.0
40% Positive
2 Ratings
60% Mixed
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 5 User Ratings
7.0
40% Positive
2 Ratings
60% Mixed
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company IDTV Film, Cool Beans, Comet Film Produktion GmbH, Spier Films, Riba Film International, NTR, Nederlands Filmfonds, CoBo Fonds
Release Date Mar 2, 2012
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline Her words united a whole continent. [Scandinavian DVD.]
Website http://www.blackbutterflies.nl/
View All Details

Awards

South African Film and Television Awards
• 6 Wins & 8 Nominations
Nederlands Film Festival
• 3 Wins & 4 Nominations
Rembrandt Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations

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