From: jgp@raid.Rational.COM (Jim Pellmann)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: Prospero's Books (was Re: Most <pejorative adjective> Movie)
Date: 10 Sep 92 19:25:36 GMT

nichols@math.umn.edu (Preston Nichols) writes:

>Since so many different and strongly worded opinions about this film have been  
>posted recently, I thought I would see if anyone can address my personal  
>reaction.

>I enjoyed the film a lot, at least as a challenging bundle of visual stimulus,  
>but I was unable to decide between two possible conlcusions:

>	1. The film was sumptuously beautiful, but empty.  Greenaway has
>	an elaborately developed visual esthetic which he knows how to
>	put on film, but he has nothing to add thematically to Shakespeare's
>	original treatment of the story.  Indeed, Greenaway's
>	technological overprocessing obscures much of the depth of the
>	play, and gives us nothing but (admittedly masterful) flash and
>	spectacle in compensation.

>	2.  The multilayered sounds and images convey an original and
>	substantive new interpretation of The Tempest, one which is
>	perhaps expressible only in the medium of film.

>My problem is that I suspect that 2. is correct (because of my opinion of other  
>Greenaway films I have seen), but if so, I couldn't decipher even fragment of  
>what he's up to.

>If you agree with 1, or if your opinion of Prospero's Books is entirely  
>negative, please restrain yourself: you have nothing to teach me unless you can  
>convince me that we're not just both missing something.

>If you agree with 2, I would be grateful for any exegesis, explanation, or  
>evens hints that you can offer.

>Another question: Can anyone identify (or discuss!) any art-historical  
>influences or references (or jokes) in Prospero's Books or any other Greenaway  
>stuff?

It looks like the Greenaway debates are starting up again.  There was
a *lot* of discussion on this when PB first came out.  I've archived a
lot of it, and if anyone is interested, they can e-mail me, and I'll
forward it.

My opinion is 2, and this is borne out of reading the only reliable
source for info about the movie, Greenaway himself:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Prospero's Books"
published by: Four Walls Eight Windows
              PO Box 548
              Village Station
              New York, NY  10014
trade paperback (8.5 x 10.5 inches), 168 pages, $24.95
(c) 1991
ISBN: 0-941423-60-3
  
This is a beautiful edition, with black and white stills from the film,
color illustrations of some of the paintbox images of the books, many of 
Greenaway's original sketches, and reproductions of the art works that
inspired certain sets and scenes.  In addition to the script, there is 
an introduction written by Greenaway, the textual description of each 
of the 24 books, and the complete list of credits from the film.
  
The script is broken into 3 sections:
  
- the past: Prospero relates his history both to the audience and Miranda
  
- the present: Prospero's machinations for revenge
  
- the future: all plans for revenge are superseded
  
It is further divided into sections, and individual shots.  The act and
scene numbers from "The Tempest" are also referenced.
  
My opinion is that reading the book is imperative to fully appreciating
the film.  Even if one is intimately familiar with "The Tempest", it is
vital to understand the framework within which Greenaway is working.
(Some might argue that any film which has prerequisite reading is defeating
the purpose, and I'll leave that discussion for others.)
  
I saw the film before reading the book and was overwhelmed by the images
and plot.  After reading the book, I saw it again and I got much, much more
out of it.  And on my third viewing I was able to relax and catch even more
things. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greenaway also said: "'Prospero's Books' is the 'Terminator 2' for
intellectuals."

Needless to say, I think a lot of this, and all Greenaway's films.

-- Jim

--
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"I lived in my head mostly."                | Jim Pellmann (jgp@rational.com)
"That's not a bad neighborhood."            | RATIONAL
"There were some pretty strange neighbors." | Santa Clara, California
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies