Review of The Pillow Book (1995) by Marlina L — 10 Oct 2007
Really beautiful, strange, and perverse. The Pillow Book is original in all respects. Greenway's use of illustrations and screen-in-screen is both beautiful and foreboding. The film is rife with symbolism and metaphors.
Some issues I had with it: The performances and directing sometimes seemed naive. These instances stand out only because of the otherwise perfect performances. Another issue was the messages Greenaway was sending. I found the leap from respecting one's father to Freudian obsession of her father undeveloped. Also, I found Nagiko's homophobia (or perhaps Greenaway's) a bit distasteful, and contradictory to her love for Jerome. I imagine part of her growth would be about accepting Jerome as he is.
Otherwise a very interesting film, which pushes boundaries.
This review of The Pillow Book (1995) was written by Marlina L on 10 Oct 2007.
The Pillow Book has generally received positive reviews.
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