The Pillow Book (1996)

Director:

Peter Greenaway

Writers:

Sei Shonagon (book)
Peter Greenaway (written by)

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Things that make the heart beat faster.

Plot:

As a young girl in Japan, Nagiko's father paints characters on her face, and her aunt reads to her from "The Pillow Book"...

Plot Keywords:

Book | Writing On Body | Japan | 10th Century | Diary

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Vivian Wu	...	Nagiko
Yoshi Oida	...	The Publisher
Ken Ogata	...	The Father
Hideko Yoshida	...	The Aunt / The Maid
Ewan McGregor	...	Jerome
Judy Ongg	...	The Mother
Ken Mitsuishi	...	The Husband
Yutaka Honda	...	Hoki
Barbara Lott	...	Jerome's Mother
Miwako Kawai	...	Young Nagiko
Lynne Langdon	...	Jerome's sister (as Lynne Frances Wachendorfer)
Chizuru Ohnishi	...	Young Nagiko
Shiho Takamatsu	...	Young Nagiko
Aki Ishimaru	...	Young Nagiko
Hisashi Hidaka	...	Calligrapher

Also Known As:

The Pillow Book (France)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

France | UK | Netherlands | Luxembourg

Language:

English | Cantonese | Italian | Japanese | Mandarin | French

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:18A | Singapore:R(A) (cut) | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | UK:18 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Kasander & Wigman Productions

Trivia:

Similarly, the nominally French lyrics (and subtitles) of the lovers' theme ("Parfait Mélange") are actually somewhat "fractured French".

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Mike visible during wide shot when Nagiko kneels and Jerome signs his name on her back. 01:03:59 into the film on PAL DVDs.

Quotes:

Nagiko: Nipples like bone buttons. An instep like a half open book. A navel like the inside of a shell. A belly like an upturned saucer. A penis like a sea slug or a pickled cucumber.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Deed Poll (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Offering to the Saviour Gompo

A feast for the eyes

This is a beautiful movie visually, but you need to keep concentrating on what is happening. Don't ask why too much with this - the effect of actions is reason enough to take them. Vivan Wu is very good, as is Ewan McGregor, in a different role for him. It reminds you also of what are some of the best things about Japan, and what are some of the worst things about men. Well worth buying the DVD and watching over and over.