However, other critics saw the film as technically masterful but a case where style had trumped substance. In particular the film's labyrinthine and difficult to follow plot was pointed to as a major point of complaint. One such review by Sean Axmaker of the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" called the film "lush but confusing", and states ""Purple Butterfly" is rich with emotional turmoil and searing beauty, but it could have used a little more time in the editing room to make sense of it all."