Greenaways Pillow Book
This essay is on the film The Pillow-book by Peter Greenaway (1996). Through a close reading of the film it is argued that the film is a tragedy on feminism as a perversity. The female protagonist grows up in Japan in the 1970s. Her father is a writer, her mother, grandmother and aunt traditionally...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universitetsforlaget
2000-01-01
|
| Series: | Norsk Medietidsskrift |
| Online Access: | https://www.idunn.no/nmt/2000/01/greenaways_pillow_book |
| _version_ | 1818339658588749824 |
|---|---|
| author | Karen Klitgaard Povlsen |
| author_facet | Karen Klitgaard Povlsen |
| author_sort | Karen Klitgaard Povlsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay is on the film The Pillow-book by Peter Greenaway (1996). Through a close reading of the film it is argued that the film is a tragedy on feminism as a perversity. The female protagonist grows up in Japan in the 1970s. Her father is a writer, her mother, grandmother and aunt traditionally Asian – and rather passive women. But the father is no patriarch, the patriarch in the family is the publisher, who has sex with and publishes the books of the father. The father inscribes the face of his daughter each birthday. This combined with her viewing her father having sex with the publisher on her birthday perverts her sexuality. Her sexual climax depends on being written on, until she herself begins to write on the skin of men, encouraged by her lover and translator Jerome, who dies. The protagonist writes thirteen books, all very inspired by the 1000 year old The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. Ultimately one of her 'books' kills the publisher. However, this film is not a film on feminist liberation. The film depicts the feminist project as a tragical one, which ultimately ends up with death, rigidness and a new traditionalism and conservatism – only in female surroundings. Feminism is a pervert solution to the suppression of women/which the film does not deny. On the contrary – it shows the suppression vividly and beautifully. The film is so beautiful, that one forgets its tragic dimensions. This essay proposes to read this contradiction in terms of sadomasochism. The feminist in this film is not only self-destructive, she is enjoying her pain, stylishing it into art, inspired by the pillow book from the year 998. Thus Peter Greenaway is not a misogynist. He is a cultural critic mourning the suppression of women, which makes them into perverts, when they try to liberate themselves. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:30:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9128410ca7542b78f07272d7e58b515 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0804-8452 0805-9535 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:30:30Z |
| publishDate | 2000-01-01 |
| publisher | Universitetsforlaget |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Norsk Medietidsskrift |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9128410ca7542b78f07272d7e58b5152022-12-21T23:40:12ZengUniversitetsforlagetNorsk Medietidsskrift0804-84520805-95352000-01-017618018948693Greenaways Pillow BookKaren Klitgaard PovlsenThis essay is on the film The Pillow-book by Peter Greenaway (1996). Through a close reading of the film it is argued that the film is a tragedy on feminism as a perversity. The female protagonist grows up in Japan in the 1970s. Her father is a writer, her mother, grandmother and aunt traditionally Asian – and rather passive women. But the father is no patriarch, the patriarch in the family is the publisher, who has sex with and publishes the books of the father. The father inscribes the face of his daughter each birthday. This combined with her viewing her father having sex with the publisher on her birthday perverts her sexuality. Her sexual climax depends on being written on, until she herself begins to write on the skin of men, encouraged by her lover and translator Jerome, who dies. The protagonist writes thirteen books, all very inspired by the 1000 year old The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. Ultimately one of her 'books' kills the publisher. However, this film is not a film on feminist liberation. The film depicts the feminist project as a tragical one, which ultimately ends up with death, rigidness and a new traditionalism and conservatism – only in female surroundings. Feminism is a pervert solution to the suppression of women/which the film does not deny. On the contrary – it shows the suppression vividly and beautifully. The film is so beautiful, that one forgets its tragic dimensions. This essay proposes to read this contradiction in terms of sadomasochism. The feminist in this film is not only self-destructive, she is enjoying her pain, stylishing it into art, inspired by the pillow book from the year 998. Thus Peter Greenaway is not a misogynist. He is a cultural critic mourning the suppression of women, which makes them into perverts, when they try to liberate themselves.https://www.idunn.no/nmt/2000/01/greenaways_pillow_book |
| spellingShingle | Karen Klitgaard Povlsen Greenaways Pillow Book Norsk Medietidsskrift |
| title | Greenaways Pillow Book |
| title_full | Greenaways Pillow Book |
| title_fullStr | Greenaways Pillow Book |
| title_full_unstemmed | Greenaways Pillow Book |
| title_short | Greenaways Pillow Book |
| title_sort | greenaways pillow book |
| url | https://www.idunn.no/nmt/2000/01/greenaways_pillow_book |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT karenklitgaardpovlsen greenawayspillowbook |