Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

kurosawakira "The Tempest", in a sublime way, is both about itself and us, giving us a role inside the play itself and at the same time the opportunity to experience it from the outside; strongly about the art of telling stories and creating reality through them, Prospero is a wonderful archetype of a narrator.What Greenaway gives me is different yet much alike from what for example Tarkovsky gives, which may sound absurd considering the styles of film-making: the theatrical visual exuberance of Greenaway with overlaid images scarcely brings to mind the ethereally lingering camera shots of a Rublev or a Nostalghia. But if we go further, we notice that they are both as adventurous, going far away the horizon to uncharted visual territory. "The Pillow Book" (1996), although equally exuberantly visual, is far more accessible, and perhaps my favourite "Late Greenaway". Not that this doesn't have everything going for it, it is rather serious stuff. Sure, this is pompous and there are moments I'd rather shortened, and by the time we reach the wedding one, at least this particular viewer feels rather drained out. But this is so remarkably wonderful visually and deeply rich in its understanding/interpretation of Shakespeare that it doesn't really matter, but in other later Greenaways I don't feel as strongly about, this lack of deep-rooted humour makes them bothersome to watch. With "Prospero's Books" I'm more forgiving, I suppose, but as with some other amazing films ("A torinói ló" from 2011, for example), it can be tough to sit through.A notable thing, Michael Nyman's music. A wonderful experience on its own, Nyman's compositions have the power to amplify and annotate the images we see, and the effect works both ways. Curiously the music is taken from Nyman's "La Traversée de Paris". And the dancing is superb, as well as Sacha Vierny's work, that is, how it dwells in the space that surrounds it.I don't think it's easy to find a proper DVD of this, let alone a Blu-ray. I have this on an Italian DVD that, unfortunately, has only the dialogue in Italian, as well as a DVD released in Scandinavia. It's not amazing by any means, but I'm glad it exists. The back cover of the DVD has one of the funniest things I've seen. It actually states that the film has been directed by "the four-time Academy award winner Peter Greenaway".

spockaholic It's a challenge to come up with a description that conveys the abomination that this film is. I think "cinematic holocaust" sums it up. This film is offensive, painful, shameful and a blight on the face of human history.If you've actually read Shakespeare (and not just read the cliffs notes to pass your 8th grade English exam), you will sense right away that this "adaptation" has absolutely no connection to the lyrical masterpiece. For one thing, I don't think Shakespeare had fat, naked people prancing around the stage yelling "Boatswain!" for no reason.Peter Greenaway should've really been a porn director; he seems to have so much sexual frustration built up in his little noodle. As far as artistic expression, I think I've seen more compelling visuals in the radiogram of a fart.

dbborroughs Some rambling thoughts on a fondly remembered film...I saw this at the New York Film festival years ago and the film has stayed with me ever since. The film, a retelling of Shakespeares's The Tempest done in a way that only Peter Greenaway could do. We do get a retelling of the story that we all know but the film also concerns itself to a large degree with the inner life of Prospero (he's the only one you hear for most of the film), and so focus's on his collection of books that he was stranded with on his island, which are the things that give him comfort. The books which are explained to us in intriguing asides, take life in mind bending overlays of images and sounds that create pictures and worlds with in pictures, something the also bleeds out of the books and into the story itself. The layering effect is staggering and seeing this on the big screen with a good sound system is akin to being dropped into a sensory overload tank with too much information pouring into the viewer. I remember wanting to stop the film some fifteen minutes in simple because I was unable to continue to process what I was seeing. The numerous repeat viewing, an absolute must for this film because of all the film contains, have always been done in small controlled amounts of however much I can stand before my head fills up. This is a pushing of the boundaries of film and cinematic expression that will bore many, overwhelm others and enthrall still others. Love it or hate it this is a technical achievement of the highest order, its also an intellectual one as well. Does it achieve what it sets out to do? I'm not always sure but its nice to know that there is at least one filmmaker who doesn't think that his audience is too stupid to have its mind stretched.A must for anyone who wants to have their mind stretched or see what can be done with film, just be prepared to simply too much information...

Stephen "Jules" Rubin (julesotis13) I thought this a cinemagraphic joy to watch. Also Sir John magnificent. I brought it to a gentleman who lives in a residence-assisted living also. He is a master sculptor-nudes and erotic art for 60+ yrs. He showed it to two friends for an evening movie. I am accused by his 'guardian' of bringing a "pornographic movie" into the establishment. I would appreciate comments to vindicate my action and question the obvious uneducated application of such description. Also, the gentlemen who viewed it, although surprised at the nudity, are Shakespeare scholars which is one reason I brought this film to them. Thank you. lindalyncarfango@hotmail.com