British filmmaker Peter Greenaway says life offers only two subjects:
One is sex and the other is death.
Greenaway uses both and romanticizes neither; indeed, his goal is the antithesis of the sanitary and sentimental portrayal of humanity. Although his films have met with outrage from some viewers, cult audiences praise them for insightful messages: that people are detached from violence because they fail to see others’ bodies as identical to their own; that predatory capitalism has caused humans to lose sight of our shared physicality and mortality; and that taboos are simply a system allowing people to exercise power over others. This book examines nine of Greenaway’s feature films, dedicating a chapter to each:
The Draughtsman’s Contract ;
A Zed and Two Noughts ;
The Belly of an Architect ;
Drowning by Numbers ;
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover ;
Prospero’s Books ;
The Baby of Macon ;
The Pillow Book ; and
8-½ Women . The author examines the characters and plot, studies the structure and elements of the story, explores Greenaway’s motives and reactions, and reveals audience reactions, including comments from viewers. A filmography lists films written and directed by Peter Greenaway from 1962 to 2004.