The movie Angels and Insects has a dark storyline about the relationships that take place in a mansion between the aristocrat family members, and also their relation to workers and servants. Animals are used as metaphor to unfold the narrative.
For example, William is a scientist and a guest in the mansion, who is helping Sir Halard, the owner of the house, with the organization of his private collection. William is attracted to his daughter Eugenia, who is depressed after her fiancé passed away. In a scene, William brings out rare butterflies to show Eugenia. The butterflies fly over them, but also stick to her body. He then takes out moths to show and tell, but when the moths stick to Eugenia’s body, she screams for help. This particular scene, to me, indicated the good/bad about Eugenia’s character. The butterfly was used to convey emotions of happiness and delight, while the moth was used to let the viewer know Eugenia dark side. As the story progresses we find out about Eugenia’s secret and the controversy happening in the mansion.
This movie brings up some questions about the use of animals as metaphor to understand stories and people. How were these metaphors created? Why do we think of a bird as a free animal? Or moths and roaches as sings of darkness? Could these metaphors be reversed?
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