The Belly of an Architect (1987)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway (writer)

Release Date:

23 September 1987 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An American architect arrives in Italy, supervising an exhibiton for a French architect, Boullée, who is famous for his oval structures...

Plot Keywords:

Stomach | Nudity | Cancer | Suicide | Surrealism

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Brian Dennehy	...	Stourley Kracklite
Chloe Webb	...	Louisa Kracklite
Lambert Wilson	...	Caspasian Speckler
Sergio Fantoni	...	Io Speckler
Stefania Casini	...	Flavia Speckler
Vanni Corbellini	...	Frederico
Alfredo Varelli	...	Julio
Geoffrey Copleston	...	Caspetti
Francesco Carnelutti	...	Pastarri
Marino Masé	...	Trettorio
Marne Maitland	...	Battistino
Claudio Spadaro	...	Mori
Rate Furlan	...	Violinist
Julian Jenkins	...	Old Doctor
Enrica Maria Scrivano	...	Mother
Ricardo Ussani	...	Little Boy
Stefano Gragnani	...	The Nose Man
Andrea Prodan	...	Dr.Artuso Amansa
Fabio Sartor	...	Policeman

Directed by
Peter Greenaway

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Greenaway		writer

Produced by
Conchita Airoldi	....	associate producer
Colin Callender	....	producer
Dino Di Dionisio	....	associate producer
Walter Donohue	....	producer

Original Music by
Wim Mertens

Cinematography by
Sacha Vierny

Film Editing by
John Wilson

Art Direction by
Luciana Vedovelli Levi		(as Luciana Vedovelli)

Costume Design by
Maurizio Millenotti

Makeup Department
Luigi Rocchetti	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Patrizia Massa	....	unit manager

Art Department
Giorgio Desideri	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Vincenzo Carpineta	....	assistant camera
Paolo Di Stefano	....	electrician

Casting Department
Rita Forzano	....	casting: Rome
Ellen Lewis	....	casting: New York
Simone Reynolds	....	casting: London

Editorial Department
Milfid Ellis	....	first assistant editor
Chris Wyatt	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Glenn Branca	....	composer: additional music
Paul Daniel	....	conductor

Other crew
Anna Orieti	....	production accountant
Roger Phillips	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Tangram Film
• Mondial (co-production)
• SACIS (associate production)
• British Screen (associate production)
• Film Four International (associate production)
• Hemdale Group (associate production)

Distributors

• Bac Films (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Cineplex Odeon Films (1987) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Hemdale Film (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Hemdale Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Il ventre dell' architetto (Italy)

Runtime:

USA:118 min

Country:

UK | Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | USA:R | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Aurelian Walls, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Tangram Film

Goofs:

Factual errors: A little over 20 minutes in the movie, the main character Kracklite (Brian Dennehy) starts his xerox-obsession with pictures of bellies. He clearly opens the machine, keeps the picture in sight and then makes a copy. That's impossible, in copying the original should face the machine, not the hood.

Quotes:

Caspasian Speckler: Your wife is very beautiful, Signor Kracklite, especially when she is pregnant.
Stourley Kracklite: Yes, that's right. She is pregnant. But not with your child, Speckler.
Caspasian Speckler: True. I'm very grateful to you for that. Your child, shall we say, is the most perfect contraceptive.
[Kracklite turns and punches Speckler in the nose]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 3: From Sark to the Finish (2003)

Fantastic Film

One of my favorite Greenaway films. Story, visuals, metaphor, acting, music...it's got it all. The visuals of Rome are stunning. Wim Mertens' musical accompaniment is brilliant and on par with any modern minimalist composition. After years of seeing his TV roles, I was completely floored by the depth and authenticity Brian Dennehey brought to the main character. I've watched this film at least a dozen times over the years and enjoy it thoroughly each time. Unlike a previous reviewer, I don't see the need to judge this film based on how much it resembles previous or subsequent Greenaway films. "Belly of An Architect" is not as abstract as some of the other Greenaway films, but that shouldn't be viewed as a negative. The film is great and rich in its own right. I highly recommend it.