I watched this film on c4 once when I had mild flu and a fever. I think I'd overdosed on Nightnurse and ginger wine because it really freaked me out. The Baby was absolutely terrifying. I'd love to see it again though.
@moretar I am a qantas airline hostess - could I possibly see the reason why one of my colleagues was sacked? I sat though the whole of red dragon - didn't get nothing but a blank screen - most disappointed.
PS isn't this movie based on fact? Seem to remember a BBC documentary on the subject?????
Definitely Greenaway's best flick. This is the film that made me realize there was a whole other cinematic world beyond Hollywood back when I was a teen. So I'm forever grateful to Greenaway for that.
I adore Greenaway. I first watched The Baby of Macon at an art house theatre in Cleveland. It had french subtitles because it was the only print the theatre could get. I remember that haunting refrain lip-synched by the boy messiah: "This is the liquid of my body. This is the fluid of my life." I can't wait until it comes out on DVD.
@pctechnet It's Ave Maris Stella from Monteverdi's Vespro della Beate Virgine (1610). You can hear (and see) the Monteverdi by John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir on Youtube.
I loved this film. I saw it in the theater about 4 or 5 times in the mid-90s in Europe. Sadly, it's been 15 years since I've seen it. It's baffling to me that Baby of Macon and Drowning by Numbers are both unavailable in the US.
@ortcutt Unfortunately (for me), no. In Europe. The DVD is Region 2. I do not know whether the blu-ray is all region or not. It is being put out by Atlantic Film, a Swedish company, on August 18th. I am far more ambivalent about this movie than you are but as much as a lot of thing are things I don't like about there are some moments of real brilliance in it. I've only seen it in very blurry VHS Z-generation copies.
@Xenu This is a film that really benefits from good display conditions. The sets, constumes and music are so stunning that I think you'll enjoy it much more on Blu-ray. Well, thankfully, there are players which will ignore the region codes, but it is still sad that these films haven't been available in the US, but Paul Blart, Mall Cop is.
Can anyone help? I want to know the name of a film shown on UK TV about 15 years ago, similar in atmosphere to this (maybe by Peter Greenaway too?): A young woman living in community in a castle with dark gothic-like atmosphere, smothers a baby, knowing that, as a virgin, she cannot be punished. The community deem that she should lose her virginity by dispatching several men,. She is then inspected by an old woman and punished for her crime.
i find the clip mesmerising though i must admit when i watched the film years ago it made little sense to me...i was, however, impressed by the baroque fabulousness of it and the fact that you could see ralph fiennes' willie...i like the pillow book a great deal more
The film is meant to be entirely coherent. There's only three layers of narrative that you have to watch, the audience, the play, and the prince who's job is to blur the two, and they're all quite clearly identified.
I find even 8 1/2 Women more tolerable than The Pillow Book, although I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge that it's the least experimental or dense Greenaway since The Belly of an Architect. The Pillow Book feels far too much like he's trying as hard as he can (narratively) to appeal to mainstream art house audiences after this film was so hated.
Oh, see, I didn't watch the Pillow Book for narrative. I'm just enamored with the logical (digital) development of Godard's application of textual annotation as visual annotation, though as you implied, Prospero's Books did that far better (well, with far less text). It's strange though, I can't think of anyone who is familiar with both Goranson and Greenaway, though I've done my best to disseminate Greenaway to my film crew.
Just because it's a transcendent experience for him does not necessarily mean it is for me, despite Greenaway being my favorite filmmaker and Ted Goranson my favorite reviewer. I was simply unable to see the same power in the images he did, particularly considering it came after this and Prospero's Books which remain the among the most aesthetically intense experiences I've ever had, and the narrative was pretty tepid art house romance/revenge dreck.
By far the most underrated Greenaway film, and possibly my favorite. I still can't understand why so many choose this as the beginning of his decline, considering the theatricality and visual richness is only matched in his work by Prospero's Books, and the story is a good deal more complex and layered than that of Draughtsman, Architect, Cook or the execrable Pillow Book.
Julia Ormond looks so beautiful in this film.
Xenu 2 months ago
I watched this film on c4 once when I had mild flu and a fever. I think I'd overdosed on Nightnurse and ginger wine because it really freaked me out. The Baby was absolutely terrifying. I'd love to see it again though.
rees276 5 months ago
Like watching an extremely pious episode of The Price is Right.
devpd 6 months ago
its on Russian Bluray
pinchen2007 6 months ago
RECUERDO QUE HABIAN SUBIDO VARIAS PARTES DE ESA PELI Y YA NO ESTAN. DONDE PUEDO VERLA COMPLETA???
hadamis1 7 months ago
where can I sign! I need this on dvd!!! <3 baby of macon!!
SmKitt3n 7 months ago
Beauty from Mr. Greenaway!
Esmeuk 8 months ago
ummmm doesn't this movie have a very young ralph fiennes running around naked?
anyone?
angelalovemarcus 8 months ago
@angelalovemarcus it does!
moretar 8 months ago
@moretar I am a qantas airline hostess - could I possibly see the reason why one of my colleagues was sacked? I sat though the whole of red dragon - didn't get nothing but a blank screen - most disappointed.
PS isn't this movie based on fact? Seem to remember a BBC documentary on the subject?????
angelalovemarcus 8 months ago
Faut l'enfermer c'mec...
pasroc 10 months ago
music by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), from his Vespers (1610), Vespro della Beata Vergine.
utenza777 11 months ago
Definitely Greenaway's best flick. This is the film that made me realize there was a whole other cinematic world beyond Hollywood back when I was a teen. So I'm forever grateful to Greenaway for that.
borowczyk76 1 year ago
I love Peter Greenaway, he's a wonderful and daring director and I really want to see this film.
szilvavirag 1 year ago
A truly repulsive film, and deeply, deeply patronizing.
jonathanmelia 1 year ago
I adore Greenaway. I first watched The Baby of Macon at an art house theatre in Cleveland. It had french subtitles because it was the only print the theatre could get. I remember that haunting refrain lip-synched by the boy messiah: "This is the liquid of my body. This is the fluid of my life." I can't wait until it comes out on DVD.
brackets08 1 year ago
I love this music, it's so Gothic and medieval, the females give it an erie ambiance.
Where can I hear more?
pctechnet 1 year ago
@pctechnet I think all of it was written by Claudio Monteverdi, a baroque composer.
moretar 1 year ago
@pctechnet It's Ave Maris Stella from Monteverdi's Vespro della Beate Virgine (1610). You can hear (and see) the Monteverdi by John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir on Youtube.
ortcutt 1 year ago
I also have a signed (by the great man himself) unused theatre ticket from the Premier of this film at the Cambridge Film Festival
Kazimierz1959 1 year ago
@Kazimierz1959 that´s a relic!! Keep it save for it may cost trillions of dollars in the future! You lucky =)
moretar 1 year ago
I loved this film. I saw it in the theater about 4 or 5 times in the mid-90s in Europe. Sadly, it's been 15 years since I've seen it. It's baffling to me that Baby of Macon and Drowning by Numbers are both unavailable in the US.
ortcutt 1 year ago
How to see in the US? Is it playing at any of the theatres(Film Forum etc) in NYC this summer?
PtAltmVansanTarr 1 year ago
Baby of Macon...my personal remix online
VddEnergise 1 year ago
i must have this movie....where can i get it..? i search but no luck
garja113 1 year ago
@garja113 It's coming out on blu-ray and DVD at the end of August.
Xenu 1 year ago
@Xenu In the US?
ortcutt 1 year ago
@ortcutt Unfortunately (for me), no. In Europe. The DVD is Region 2. I do not know whether the blu-ray is all region or not. It is being put out by Atlantic Film, a Swedish company, on August 18th. I am far more ambivalent about this movie than you are but as much as a lot of thing are things I don't like about there are some moments of real brilliance in it. I've only seen it in very blurry VHS Z-generation copies.
Xenu 1 year ago
@Xenu This is a film that really benefits from good display conditions. The sets, constumes and music are so stunning that I think you'll enjoy it much more on Blu-ray. Well, thankfully, there are players which will ignore the region codes, but it is still sad that these films haven't been available in the US, but Paul Blart, Mall Cop is.
ortcutt 1 year ago
The most sensible movie ever by Mr. Greenaway. I take my hat off...
If everybody knows of a high quality DVD version, I would be very taken with.
makitakeru1 2 years ago
I have a VHS of this, possibly played 6 or 7 times.. I must convert it
Kazimierz1959 2 years ago
@Kazimierz1959 is it possible to get a copy of this film DVD or VHS
garja113 1 year ago
@garja113 I havent seen it on DVD But I do have an English copy on VHS, Sadly I no longer have a TV nor a VHS Player
Kazimierz1959 1 year ago
Nobody does excess like Greenaway!
spershall 2 years ago
check the baby of macon on my space
VddEnergise 2 years ago
Can anyone help? I want to know the name of a film shown on UK TV about 15 years ago, similar in atmosphere to this (maybe by Peter Greenaway too?): A young woman living in community in a castle with dark gothic-like atmosphere, smothers a baby, knowing that, as a virgin, she cannot be punished. The community deem that she should lose her virginity by dispatching several men,. She is then inspected by an old woman and punished for her crime.
piperbob2 2 years ago
I think it is this very same film, The Baby of Macon...
ogygia 2 years ago 2
You look for his film Darwin, Was on channel 4 you find a part here on youtube.
FounderRiddle23 2 years ago
It's this very film here.
djbethell 2 years ago
i find the clip mesmerising though i must admit when i watched the film years ago it made little sense to me...i was, however, impressed by the baroque fabulousness of it and the fact that you could see ralph fiennes' willie...i like the pillow book a great deal more
manzar42 2 years ago
The film is meant to be entirely coherent. There's only three layers of narrative that you have to watch, the audience, the play, and the prince who's job is to blur the two, and they're all quite clearly identified.
TedGoranson69 2 years ago
Please post the ending of the film. This is the last great film Greenaway ever made.
TulseLuper 2 years ago 2
I find even 8 1/2 Women more tolerable than The Pillow Book, although I'm perfectly willing to acknowledge that it's the least experimental or dense Greenaway since The Belly of an Architect. The Pillow Book feels far too much like he's trying as hard as he can (narratively) to appeal to mainstream art house audiences after this film was so hated.
TedGoranson69 3 years ago 5
Oh, see, I didn't watch the Pillow Book for narrative. I'm just enamored with the logical (digital) development of Godard's application of textual annotation as visual annotation, though as you implied, Prospero's Books did that far better (well, with far less text). It's strange though, I can't think of anyone who is familiar with both Goranson and Greenaway, though I've done my best to disseminate Greenaway to my film crew.
SecondBestFilms 3 years ago
I see you're a reader of Ted Goranson, but you've missed the importance of the Pillow Book. However, i agree regarding this film.
SecondBestFilms 3 years ago
Just because it's a transcendent experience for him does not necessarily mean it is for me, despite Greenaway being my favorite filmmaker and Ted Goranson my favorite reviewer. I was simply unable to see the same power in the images he did, particularly considering it came after this and Prospero's Books which remain the among the most aesthetically intense experiences I've ever had, and the narrative was pretty tepid art house romance/revenge dreck.
TedGoranson69 3 years ago
By far the most underrated Greenaway film, and possibly my favorite. I still can't understand why so many choose this as the beginning of his decline, considering the theatricality and visual richness is only matched in his work by Prospero's Books, and the story is a good deal more complex and layered than that of Draughtsman, Architect, Cook or the execrable Pillow Book.
TedGoranson69 3 years ago