Together with the Book: "Fear of Drowning" (see my review), this is all you will need to watch this Film over and over again, and enjoy it more every time. They both serve as wonderful companions. The book contains the exceedingly well written script to this incredibly complex, well thought out, multi-layered Film. Also included are the scenes that were cut, which I am sure all afficionados will find quite interesting, and a sort of list of the locations of the number count in the film, as well as some great photos.

I am not going to review the Film here. Look in the VHS Section for that. I will say that "Drowning by Numbers" is my favorite Film because of its complexity, playfulness, symbolism, its numerous allusions, beautiful cinematography, excellent acting and casting, wonderful music and of course, its Script, which this book is. To the person who enjoys the Film, this will surely make them enjoy it even more. Buy it, and start counting. One-Antares, Two-Capella, Three-Canopus, Four-Arcturus, Five-Agreetor, Six-Anektor.....

It may be because it was filmed near where I live (Suffolk, England and the Nethertlands) It maybe it's quintessential Englishness and it's bizarre twists or it maybe that it's just a classic story of love, lust, trust and betrayal that ends in beautiful tragedy. This is only my favourite film of all time because of this book. Watch the film, read the book, then watch the film again (visit Southwold, drink a pint of Adnams, walk round the lighthouse, take a stone from the beach) then read the book. The book retells the lives of nine (then five, and in the end three) people who live a life so out of the ordinary it's probably happening in every town across the world. It deals with the relationships between men and women and hilights the games we play and what happens when we go too far.

I use to hate post modern art and the idea of appropriation until i discovered that one could take what already existed and create a completely new work of art from it. Greenaway is a genious of such, and his exhibits in Europe prove it, as do this book. This book is a fine example of the next step in photographic arts via the computer age using manipulation. A must for the visually aware of art and photo.

Not only is this book stunningly written, it's also very erotic. Although I don't recommend this to those with a weak stomach, it's still the best screenplay I've ever read.

What I enjoy most about the Film "Drowning by Numbers", is its multi-level complexity. This film can be seen over and over again, and new clues, deatails, innuendo, and games can be found. Judging from this book, Greenaway spent years thinking about its creation. In one hundred short chapters, sometimes really only paragraphs or lists, he gives us the viewers, readers, and players, thirsting from more information, almost more than we can handle. Not only are we given the locations of the Number Count in the Film, (but not defenitely, otherwise it would not be a game) but also the Names of the 100 Stars the Skipping girl counts. This will obviously do nothing for those who do not like this film and dismiss it as Overblown, Anglocentric and Self-indulgent. Too bad for you. But if you do enjoy this Film, then you will really enjoy all of the little, and not so little insights, and games. Or are they? If you read this, you will never see the Film again in the same way, and you will probably see it again, several times, perhaps 100 times. After that it does not matter, because all 100's are the same...or are they?

This book is a really comprehensive (maybe a bit too comprehensive!) work on PG's films. It is divided in tidy parts, one part for one feature. There are a few omissions like, PG's exhibitions and more in-depth review of his earlier, more experimental films but the book is truly worthwhile to read as it is. Steinmetz's writings are objective and rewarding. Greenaway's writings, which might be called some kind of background information on the films, are very instructive and thought-provoking. The books biggest plus may be the high quality images from the films and of PG's drawings (which probably serve as personal story-boards). Highly recommended.

This is a hard book to review on its own for me, as it is the book of one of my most favourite movies, of the same name.
Peter Greenaway set out to make a movie very loosely based on the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, a court lady of the Heian period of Japan. This book contains the script of the movie, along with pictures. But it is more than a movie script, it stands alone as a work of art. It is, for me, an exploration of the beauty of the written word, for both what it represents (the story told by the word)and the sheer beauty/art of the words (the calligraphy).

It is hard to write about this book (and movie) without sounding like a pretencious tosser! But believe me, if you love art, beauty, the orient, or Ewan McGregor (there are a lot of you out there)you are sure to appreciate something from, if not all of,the Pillow Book.

The genius of Peter Greenaway is found in the pages of this book which provides some of the text glossed over in his edit process of the film, The Pillow Book. Most delightful is the process of this curator, painter, poet, film maker and author as he crafts the film loosley based on the writings of Sei Shonagon. In adding the text of the thirteen poems which are illuminated so vibrantly in the film, a new dimension is added to a film that is a jewel. In particular, the words of the main character, Nagiko to her dead lover, Jerome are in themselves, a poem of immense beauty and visual splendor. The companion to thefilm, it is a must for every library

This is an awesome book. If you are a fan of the movie, this is the perfect companion for it. It has the script for the movie and it has the translations of what is written on the character's bodies. I am a big fan of actor Ewan Mcgregor and this was the perfect addition to my collection. Take my advice buy it.

Woods' book is an exellent introduction to Greenaway's films. Woods' covers all of Greenaway's film's up to the Pillow Book. Primarily, as the title suggests, Woods is concerned with the coporeal qualities of Greenaway's cinema (and other things as well but being naked and playing dead is Woods' focus). The book can be a bit thick for those not interested in really getting into Greenaway's films. However, for those who are interested in very astute commentary on one the most interesting and challenging filmmakers working today, I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

This book contains the narrative to the 1980 film "The Falls",
the biographical sketches of nearly 92 of the victims of the
Violent Unknown Event. There are minor differences between
this text and that used in the film.

There are no photographs.

A good way to clear the table of unwanted guests is to mention the name Peter Greenaway. These five syllables are known to cause pink cheeks and raised voices in both lovers and haters of pretentiousness in cinema. I would then recommend the perfect gift to these "art lovers": Peter Greenaway: Interviews, edited by Vernon Gras and Marguerite Gras.

One of the many aspects of Greenaway's work that I admire is the way he always causes walkouts during screenings of his films, which include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover; A Zed and Two Noughts; and The Belly of an Architect. At every Greenaway film I have seen there have been noisy exits by disgusted moviegoers. Not only that, but total strangers have come up to me in the theater lobby and said, "Isn't that the worst movie you have ever seen?" That alone makes me a Greenaway fan for life, aside from the fact that his work is completely involving, beautiful, and lots of fun. Especially fun is Greenaway's obsession with lists and numbers, as well as his witty commentary on nature and the way that systems control information -- and life itself. A far cry from minimalism, Greenaway's films are all works of excess. And this (very) British filmmaker knows how to use multimedia in his films -- which brings up the subject of pretentiousness.

Strangely, for a man who has made over 20 films, Greenaway seems to think that after a century, cinema is pretty much a dead medium. He feels that literature and especially painting are way ahead of film, that the one thing holding back cinema is the Hollywood narrative. The problem with cinema is that it relies on books or stories, when it should be more like a painting -- which, according to Greenaway, gives a more complete picture emotionally and intellectually than a standard narrative.

Peter Greenaway is a fascinating collection of interviews from various magazines and newspapers. In some of the interviews, Greenaway comes off as an English University professor; in others as an arrogant lecturer. Personally, I like this "arrogant" stance, because his anger and frustration is pretty much on the mark when it comes to what has become of commercial cinema: generic stories shown at the local mall. The only major problem with this volume is that it doesn't include a filmography or bibliography.

In addition to making movies, Greenaway is also a painter, novelist, and curator. His latest project is Tulse Luper's Suitcase, which is a combination of cinema, CD-ROM, and a website. One can view this project as it unfolds at www.tulseluper.net

As one of this centuries most fascinating directors of film, Greenaway has fascinated us time and time again with his stunning and sometimes shocking imagery and the dynamics between letters, numbers, color, people and art. I felt like a voyeur as I browsed the pages of this book which allows you just a peek into the process through which Greenaway conceptualizes his films and materializes his most haunting ideas.

Whether you are a fan of Greenaway or not, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the process of design or art. Very engaging. You will find your self lost in a single image for hours trying to see what Greenaway sees.