Post by Gary on Feb 19, 2018 6:52:56 GMT
I'm not the most astute movie buff, and I'm rather particular what I spend what little money I have. By the 1990's Peter Greenaway had become rather famous in cinema circles. Here in Chicago 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover' and 'Prospero's Books' were well received, although I didn't see either first run. I have since. I was initiated with 1996's 'The Pillow Book', at the behest of a friend. Quite a spectacular movie for me. I'm a visual art lover and there is more than enough to see there. Greenaway is concerned with cinema's relation to literature, so he adds split screen and super imposed elements with text in most of his films. In 'Pillow Book' a main theme is a Japanese woman's obsession with writing on the body, which her father did with her when she was young. This story aligns with Greenaway's concerns nicely and is well illustrated. Quite an eerie movie. I certainly had never seen anything like it and became a fan.
Greenaway is quick to note that he feels he is a painter first then a photographer. So he emphasizes his painterly instincts in his movies. And history, art and otherwise, is often a subtext, with many references. He has gone as far as filming a docudrama about Rembrandt's painting 'The Nightwatch' and it's back story, which I liked enough to purchase the DVD, 'Nightwatching'.
Another interesting effort for me was 2003's 'The Tulse Luper Suitcases'. Tulse Luper is an alter ego of Greenaway's who is referenced virtually throughout his early film's, along with several recurring characters. So TLS is an allegory about the periodic table and the history of uranium, told through the eyes of our intrepid protagonist, who is obsessed with actually tracing it. Being in 3 parts the movie was and is not practical for most theaters, although some attempted screening it. Greenaway made concessions to this by making another edition of the tale with 'Tulse Luper: A Life In Suitcases'. I saw and quite enjoyed that also.
I've now seen most of Greenaway's films, including purchasing a box set, 'The Early Films of....'. I really like 'The Falls', an odd tale of the VUE, the Violent Unknown Event, and it's effects on Britain. Another allegory of course, a subtext about language, and told in a satirical fashion. It reminded me of Monty Python's Flying Circus with it's sight gags and social commentary. I again thought it was quite nice to look at, as I think all his films are, narrative aside.
I can't say I entirely agree with Greenaway's insistence that 'cinema is dead'. He does make some convincing arguments for it's improvement, but I am far from his judgement on that. I like a good story, and if it is well told I'm not concerned with the production.
Greenaway is quick to note that he feels he is a painter first then a photographer. So he emphasizes his painterly instincts in his movies. And history, art and otherwise, is often a subtext, with many references. He has gone as far as filming a docudrama about Rembrandt's painting 'The Nightwatch' and it's back story, which I liked enough to purchase the DVD, 'Nightwatching'.
Another interesting effort for me was 2003's 'The Tulse Luper Suitcases'. Tulse Luper is an alter ego of Greenaway's who is referenced virtually throughout his early film's, along with several recurring characters. So TLS is an allegory about the periodic table and the history of uranium, told through the eyes of our intrepid protagonist, who is obsessed with actually tracing it. Being in 3 parts the movie was and is not practical for most theaters, although some attempted screening it. Greenaway made concessions to this by making another edition of the tale with 'Tulse Luper: A Life In Suitcases'. I saw and quite enjoyed that also.
I've now seen most of Greenaway's films, including purchasing a box set, 'The Early Films of....'. I really like 'The Falls', an odd tale of the VUE, the Violent Unknown Event, and it's effects on Britain. Another allegory of course, a subtext about language, and told in a satirical fashion. It reminded me of Monty Python's Flying Circus with it's sight gags and social commentary. I again thought it was quite nice to look at, as I think all his films are, narrative aside.
I can't say I entirely agree with Greenaway's insistence that 'cinema is dead'. He does make some convincing arguments for it's improvement, but I am far from his judgement on that. I like a good story, and if it is well told I'm not concerned with the production.