Prospero’s Books - 1991 - 6/10
Over-the-top adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”
A wizard living in exile attempts to thwart his daughter’s affair.
Not to spoil for those unfamiliar, but this contains vast stretches of nudity.
There is tremendous activity in every shot, from one end of the frame to the other.
This can be distracting, at times overwhelming.
Greenaway, after the success of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, Her Lover was given free rein and he took full advantage.
Cinema at once self-indulgent and truly breathtaking!
Greenaway fell off my radar for awhile, but I enjoyed Goltzius And The Pelican Company, which in look and feel echoes Prospero’s Books.