Drowning by Numbers (1988)

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writer:

Peter Greenaway (written by)

Release Date:

June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The great death game.

Plot:

Tired of her husband's philanderous ways, the mother of two daughters drowns her husband. With the reluctant help of the local coroner...

Plot Keywords:

Coroner | Murder | Number | Counting | Game

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Joan Plowright	...	Cissie Colpitts 1
Juliet Stevenson	...	Cissie Colpitts 2
Joely Richardson	...	Cissie Colpitts 3
Bernard Hill	...	Madgett
Jason Edwards	...	Smut
Bryan Pringle	...	Jake
Trevor Cooper	...	Hardy
David Morrissey	...	Bellamy
John Rogan	...	Gregory
Paul Mooney	...	Teigan
Jane Gurnett	...	Nancy
Kenny Ireland	...	Jonah Bognor
Michael Percival	...	Moses Bognor
Joanna Dickens	...	Mrs. Hardy
Janine Duvitski	...	Marina Bellamy
Michael Fitzgerald	...	Mr. 70 Van Dyke
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Mr. 71 Van Dyke
Natalie Morse	...	The Skipping Girl
Arthur Spreckley	...	Sid the Gravedigger
Ian Talbot	...	The Police Detective
Roderic Leigh	...	The Policeman
Vanni Corbellini	...	The Hare
Jose Berg	...	Skipping Girl's Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Jaques	...	Priest (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Greenaway

Writing credits
Peter Greenaway		(written by)

Produced by
Peter Jaques	....	line producer
Kees Kasander	....	producer
Denis Wigman	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Nyman

Cinematography by
Sacha Vierny

Film Editing by
John Wilson

Casting by
Sharon Howard-Field

Production Design by
Ben van Os
Jan Roelfs

Costume Design by
Dien van Straalen

Makeup Department
Sjoerd Didden	....	wig maker
Sara Meerman	....	chief makeup
Mary Sturgess	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Evelien Jansen	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerrit Martijn	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Allard Bekker	....	set dresser: Holland (as Allard Becker)
Nancy D'Ancona	....	constructor
Peter Davies	....	assistant construction
Michel De Graaf	....	constructor: Holland
Constance de Vos	....	set dresser
Lidewij Kapteijn	....	constructor (as Liedewij Kapteyn)
Maarten Piersma	....	constructor (as Marten Piersma)
Wilbert Van Dorp	....	construction manager
Lawrie Ayres	....	stand-by prop master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lucas Boeke	....	additional sound: Holland (as Lucas Boske)
Mick Boggis	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist
Bill Garlic	....	foley artist (as Bill Garlick)
Arno Hagers	....	boom operator
Nigel Heath	....	sound effects treatment
Garth Marshall	....	sound recordist
Peter Maxwell	....	dubbing mixer
Beryl Mortimer	....	foley artist
Bridget Reiss	....	dialogue editor
Shirley Shaw	....	dialogue editor
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	foley mixer
Sarah Vickers	....	dialogue editor
Chris Wyatt	....	sound editor
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunts
Peter Brayham	....	stunt coordinator
Frank Kenton	....	stunts
Les Maryon	....	stunts (as Les Marion)

Camera and Electrical Department
Max Hoven	....	electrician
Nico Komen	....	electrician
Martin McCullough	....	chief grip
Stephen Morley	....	still photographer
Jeroen Planting	....	electrician: Holland
Chris Renson	....	focus puller
Adam Rodgers	....	camera operator
Don Springall	....	generator operator
Reinier van Brummelen	....	chief electrician
Tinus Holthuis	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Karen Lindsay-Stewart	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Heather Williams	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Milfid Ellis	....	first assistant editor
James Marshall	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Marsten Bailey	....	assistant music recording engineer
Alexander Balanescu	....	musician: Violin
Bob Butterworth	....	music recording engineer
Jonathan Carney	....	musician: Violin
David Cunningham	....	music producer
Andrew Findon	....	musician: tenor and baritone sax and piccolo
David Fuest	....	musician: clarinet and bass clarinet
Miranda Fulleylove	....	musician: violin
Rosemary Furniss	....	musician: violin
John Harle	....	musician: soprano and alto sax
Tony Hinnigan	....	musician: cello
Robin McGee	....	musician: double bass
Michael Nyman	....	musical director
Michael Nyman	....	musician: piano
Joe Rappaport	....	musician: viola
David Roah	....	musician: alto sax
Steve Saunders	....	musician: bass trombone
Jackie Shave	....	musician: violin
Briony Shaw	....	musician: violin
Andrew Shulman	....	musician: cello
Michael Thompson	....	musician: French horn
John Wilbraham	....	musician: trumpet and fluegelhorn
Oliver Ledbury	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Other crew
Jill Bennett	....	production accountant
Crispin Buxton	....	floor runner (as Crispin Buckstone)
Marietta De Vries	....	continuity clerk
Walter Donohue	....	creative advisor
Richard Edwards	....	chaperon
Eljo Embregts	....	production coordinator: Netherlands
Peter Eusebe	....	job fit trainee
Chester Eyre	....	laboratory contact
Carolyn Jardine	....	publicist (as Caroline Jardine)
Charles Mcdonald	....	publicist: UK
Alison Owen	....	production coordinator
Steve Saunders	....	bass trombone
Ann Tasker	....	publicist
Sophie Fiennes	....	location manager (uncredited)
Roger Phillips	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Film Four International
• Elsevier-Vendex Film Beheer (as Elsevier Vendex Film)
• Allarts Production
• Vrijzinnig Protestantse Radio Omroep (VPRO) (in association with)
• Stimuleringsfonds Nederlandse Culturele Omroepproducties (co-production) (as Fund for the Dutch Brodcasting Corporation)

Distributors

• Cine Saison (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Finnkino (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Ekaterinburg Art Home Video (EAHV) (Russia) (VHS)
• Kinokuniya (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Oy Europa Vision AB (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Pan Vision Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Prestige (1991) (USA)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1993) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Frameline Productions  rostrum camera
• Frameline Productions  titles
• Hamish Bell Movie Transport  transport facilities
• Landsdowne Recording Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Michael Nyman Orchestra  orchestra
• Virgin Records  soundtrack (as Virgin Venture Records, Cassettes and Compact Discs)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

UK | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Suffolk, England, UK

Company:

Film Four International

Trivia:

The composition of the shot of Hardy's death mimics the painting by Andrea Mantegna called 'The Lamentation Over A Dead Christ (1480)'.

Quotes:

Smut: The object of this game is to dare to fall with a noose around your neck from a place sufficiently high enough off the ground, such that the fall will hang you. The object of the game is to punish those who have caused great unhappiness by their selfish actions. This is the best game of all, because the winner is also the loser, and the judge's decision is always final.

Movie Connections:

References Viridiana (1961)

Soundtrack:

2nd Movement of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra K354

My favorite Greenaway film... an underrated masterpiece!

I enjoy the films of Peter Greenaway. "The Cook the Thief his Wife and her Lover" and "the Pillowbook" are both films that are unique and visionary. Peter Greenaway is like a British David Lynch. Some critics get frustrated by Greenaway, claiming his films are self indulgent. I feel self indulgent is sometimes a good thing, especially when it comes to a breathtaking film like "Drowning by Numbers". The movie is one giant puzzle. There's a girl who jumps rope while counting out the names of the stars by number. Try to see if you can spot all the numbers 1-100 hidden throughout the film. The plot concerns three women, a mother and two daughters. All 3 women are named Cissy. Each woman named Cissy drowns their deadbeat husbands for being unsatisfactory lovers. Magit is the local coroner, and he agrees to keep the murders a secret. He makes a deal to claim each death an accidental drowning, if each Cissy gives him sexual favors in return. So 3 generations of women all named Cissy decide to lead on Magit the coroner without promise. Poor Guy! The coroner's son Smut, is obsessed with death. He plays strange number games and marks roadkill with different colored paint. He also likes to set of fireworks after a death. Not to mention, Smut is also obsessed with circumcision. He's never been circumcised and feels the need to take matters in his own hands, so to speak. Wow, the crazy things men will do for women. Also look for Nip/Tuck actress Joely Richardson as the youngest Cissy. "Drowning by Numbers" is extremely bizarre, and shows that life is a game made up of numbers. It's a brilliant surreal mind-phuk puzzle that you have to watch at least twice to comprehend. Peter Greenaway is very original, with satirical wit and a dark comic edge.