Originally Posted by
cynicalmoose
I always find the flower duet ironic: at the end, Lakmé commits suicide after a venerable British institution snatches her lover away and transports him to foreign lands. That's not usually the message I think BA is trying to convey...
I find it best not to think about these things. It's like commercials for products even remotely Italian using La donna e mobile from Rigoletto. The darker undercurrents don't really matter when they're trying to sell you delicious pasta sauce.