Prospero's Books [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of Prospero's Books [VHS]
Movie Review: Artful, rich, beautiful
Summary: 5 Stars
Prospero's Books is an artful, elegant, beautiful film with the richness and texture of gorgeous human flesh. It has a dreamlike quality, rather like listening to the Shakespeare play while dozing off and dreaming semi-erotic images and bizarre imagery. The whole film has the feel of a rennaisance painting in motion with decorative nudes that are just there but not really part of the action or the story.
I don't think this film was intended to be a literal portrayal of Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", rather it was intended to be a dreamlike artistic rendition. There are plenty of artistic liberties taken with the play which I can forgive because of the elegant and highly original portrayal of the play.
I, like many other reviewers in this forum have stated, wish that this would come out on DVD to obtain the full aspect ratio of the film. Much detail is probably being lost on the edges of the picture.
I often think of "Prospero's Books" as "Caligula" lite. Though made by different people, they have many of the same qualities -- lots of beautiful human flesh and a dreamlike quality, although "Caligula" is much more violent and has explicit sexuality which does not appear in "Prospero's Books."
If you want a very literal portrayal of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" I would recommend going to your local Shakespeare play house, but if you want something offbeat, with sensuousness and just a little bit of sensuality then you will like this film.
Movie Review: John Gielgud. Mark Rylance. Erland Josephson.
Summary: 4 Stars
For Mature Adults Only!
This film is made in the same cinematic style as "The Pillow Book" (1996), but the story in this film is easier to follow. This film is the adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Sir John Gielgud (Arthur [1981], Arthur 2: On The Rocks [1988]) is the lead and narrates the entire film on film. The film begins with Gielgud as "Prospero" writing his stories which as he writes, it comes to life. Each scene looks like a Renaissance painting in motion. Nearly all of the male and female models, dancers and actors are nude.
A film like this most certainly would be considered pornographic or exploiatation. If made in the USA, it would be to the least receive an "NC-17" rating or "unrated".
This is a foreign-made film British and Danish. Nudity in films is quite "common" in foreign films. In this film, "Prospero's Books", every scene is filmed as "art" and simular to a stage production. Wonderful cinematography and set design. What might be considered objectionable is the beginning of this film with the use of a nude boy resembling (in my opinion) the statue of the nude boy urinating. (In the United States of America, we have seen that as a statue and as a novelty item). Of course, the boy is not actually urinating, but it is a tube from under. Very strange film to watch and again FOR MATURE ADULTS ONLY!
The adult nudity is constant through out the film. You will get use to it and be able to enjoy the storytelling.
Some well known faces include Erland Josephson (Fanny and Alexander [1983]) and Mark Rylance (Angels & Insects [1995], Intimacy [2003]). Mark Rylance plays "Ferdinand". Erland Josephson plays "Gonzalo".
Movie Review: Where are thou, DVD?
Summary: 5 Stars
Roger Ebert, in one of his most sensible comments, said this film stands outside of criticism, and that's certainly true. It's just a delight, everytime I see it and hear the words "Bosun! Bosun!" I crack a big grin and settle in for one of the most unusual films ever made. So, after all these years, and with thousands and thousands of DVD's issued for obscure and worthless crappy movies, where in the heck is the DVD for this, a landmark film that would obviously benefit from the treatment? There must be something going on behind the scenes that is preventing it.
Movie Review: My Favorite Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw this movie several years ago when I was a sophmore in high school. I didn't like it at first; I found the scene where Prospero summons the tempest tedious. And later, when all the nudity began I was mortified (I was watching it with my family and it was just about the first R rated movie I'd ever seen). But then you forget about the nudity because everyone's nude, even those who wear clothes only do so for ornamentation. It all seems natural.As the movie continued I slowly fell in love with it. The intoxicating music, the imagery. "How lush and lusty the grass looks." and it does. I felt transported to the isle and I felt real regret when Prospero threw away his books at the end.
I can't convey how entranced this movie made me and yet with such a simple joyful plot (which isn't at all hard to get I don't understand what the other reviewers are talking about). I've watched it more times than any other movie except maybe the Wizard of Oz and Return to Oz as a kid. And when I'm not watching it I'm listening to the soundtrack.
Movie Review: Best Movie Adaptation of Shakespeare Ever
Summary: 5 Stars
I am somewhat at a loss because I actually came on to Amazon.com to buy Prospero's Books on DVD (and a second copy, if I could find one, made for the Asian Zone), only to find that it has not been deemed a necessary release in the new format. What a damning condemnation of our dumbed-down TV-commercial music-video society! This movie is a masterpiece. It is everything that any true lover of Skakespeare should expect from modern adaptations. The visual poetry is of the highest order, the themes inherent in the play are explored in depth, the characters are expertly rendered, and the complexity of the language is allowed to dance its magic in our minds. Greenaway is not always a tip-top movie-maker, but he is a first rate artist and with Prospero's Books he gave us something that should be one of the most highly praised adaptations in movie history. Instead, I suppose, we will have to get used to Leonardo DiCaprio and Shakespeare in Cars. What a shame.